Evening star., 1935-12-15

scription is: is, prize bull; Csc,
ploughman; 30c, Merino ram; 4oc,
sugar plantation; soc, oil well; 1p.
map of South America; Up, native
fruits; 5p. Igauzu Falls; Top, grapes;
and 20p, cotton plant.
There are now eight values of the
beautiful Queen Astrid charity stamps
of Belgium. Denominations run from
10 centimes to 2.45 francs.
The centenary of Matthias Jo-
chumsson, poet and dramatist, is
commemorated by Iceland in four
portrait stamps: ga, slate green; 5a,
gray; Ia, yellow-green, and 35a, blue.
Brazil will have religious set OF
two values-30Or and 700r. Also a
railway centenary series of four
300r, 500r, 700r and l,000r.
Canada has brought out a new 4c,
dark purple, postage due, forecasting
an entire series.
Egypt will have a commemorative
series for the Fourth International
Locust Conference, which meets at
Cairo in March.
Italy increased from 6 to IL the
stamps issued in tribute to Vincenzo
Bellini, composer.
Portugal has two stamps for the
25th birthday anniversary of the re-
publican form Of government. The
first value is Is cents, the second 1E.
The letters pol" perforated in
German stamps signifies Police Serv-
ice." but the custom was discontinued
April last.
Cancellation enthusiasts should
watch contemporary history. Covers
mailed in East Africa while Mussolini's
adventure against Ethiopia is proceed
ing, in Greece while the monarchy is
being restored, in Brazil while a revo-
luton is in progress. in Cuba while a
President is resigning, in Czechoslo-
vakia while DR.. Masaryk is retiring,
in the Hawaiian Islands while vol
canoes are erupting or in Montana
while earthquakes are bringing down
the walls of hapless cities illustrate
the chronicles of the times.
Vahan NJ. Essayan is the author Of
this story: Il have friend whose
great pleasure was to wander about
the old bazaar in Stamboul in search
of curios, stamps, etc. One day as
he was passing an old-fashioned Turk
ish grocery shop in the open air, where
black olives, cheese, etc, were sold,
his eye caught the grocer weighing
some olives and making kind Of
paper bag for the olives from a pile
of old letters, on the blue paper so
dear to philatelic hearts. He stopped,
aghast. for on the paper bag he saw
a beautiful specimen Of the 5-piastre,
Egypt, first issue.
Approaching the grocer's appren-
tice, he asked if they would sell the
old papers. The apprentice looked
around to the grocer with a queer
smile. which meant, Shall I go and
call the policeman to take care Of
( this insane gentleman But the
grocer hoped for better things. Me-
/ he said, I could not sell the paper
without the olives and the result
was that my friend bought "a pounds
of black olives (cost about S4), the
! quantity necessary. so the grocer said,
to use all the paper. and for months
my friend ate black olives. but he
got a magnificent lot Of the first issue
of Egypt"
'What a strange people We stamp
folk are!" says Stanley Gibbons
Monthly Circular for November. 1921
I'VE inveigh against the commemora-
tive stamp on every possible occasion
yet stamp collectors led the way in
demanding a special Dante issue for
Italy. We turn up our noses at labels
which are not stamps, yet every i'm
portant philatehc gathering has its
special label which it calls stamp
We vow that the unnecessary and
speculative issue is anathena to US
but we are the first to have a hutter
when a limited series comes along
at a low price. We call ourselves
students. but most of us have never
studied a handbook. while few will
read a philatelic journal. We brae
about the social side of our hobby
yet most Of us collect alone and only
fractional percentage of us belong
to plilatelic society. Our collectors
are (many Of them) dealers, while
large proportion of our dealers are
stamp-lovers and students of stamps
Our hobby is either a speculation OF
an investment. and our amusement
is often very hard work.
'All of which goes to prove that II
world full Of inconsistencies we ART
not out of place"
A. P. Kiely, writing in Stamp Col.
lecting, says: Vastly enlarged rep.
licas of the Unions half-penny
penny. two-penny and four-penny
postage stamps, exact in every detail
form part of the design Of Soutf
Africa's largest stained glass window
to be installed in the new Genera
Post Ofhce Building at johannesburg
interviewer with the heraldic feature,
are representations of a partially
Streamlined train. a motor ship. {
radio station and an airplane Twt
impressive symbolic poles help to bal.
ance the design. This is supported BY
medallions, sketches of mail coache!
and scenes of other old-time forms O.
postal transport. The designing anc
making of the window have been car
ried out by A. Gourley and A. L. Wat
SON."
H. E. Harris g. Co., Boston, report
Never before in our experience havu
prospects appeared so favorable as a
the present time. Prices are rising
the usual sign of brisk buying anC
better business unparalleled publicity