Evening star., 1937-08-22
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BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

Glanville Smith, professional travel
er contributes to the Atlantic Monthly
for September an article on Turtles
and Postage Stamps" from which the
following paragraphs are quoted: I'VE
talked turtle, as is inevitable in Cay
man. :. And then, no less inevitably
On that island, we talked postage
stamps Miss Hilary, at the magic
words, fetched down her album.
Postage stamps have never taken
seriously At the age Of IL had
an album with G. Smith. the stamp
ing man, in large letters on the n.y.
leaf, and pasted as many kings, queens
and presidents in it as could get for
nothing, To this day I rather enjoy
inserting the bright bits Of paper,
which Max Beerbohm says Is the In
nocent basis Of the philatelic frenzy.
Luckily have gone no further, nor
has Miss Hilary. But to her and her
father stamps mean more than they
can to me, because they are Cayman
Islanders.
To the Caymanians. a new series
OF island stamps is as great matter
of interest as new musical show is
to Broadway. Will it be hit? In
these obscure places, where stamps
bought for actual use are few, the big
post Office customers are the stamp
dealers of the outside world, and the
million collectors for whom they buy.
In 1885, for example, these obliging
foreigners, spontaneously, and without
hint of growing, paid about half of
the island government expenses. A
more recent set of stamps picturesque
with conch shells and catboats, BOBBY
birds and turtles. has been even more
popular. No hot cakes ever sold faster
The chief business in Caymanian
post office, thus, is the postmarking
OF empty envelopes plastered with
these philatelic hot cakes. The post
master Of Georgetown spoke with a
sigh of the forthcoming coronation
series, and of how, on the day of issue.
ne would have 10000 stamps to post
mark legibly with that important
date All bogus mail, too, as usual,
AT Cayman Brac bottle of liniment
stood on the shelf ready for the same
ordeals cramps and pains; and after
it, the captain and Miss Hilary de-
clded, the staff would certainly deserve
10 be treated to midnight turtle
supper. The Caymanians value
thelr postal receipts, and love MOTH
ing better than welcoming visitors to
their islands. :. Business is business
after all"
Inc National Stamp Conference
BOOK, containing all the papers read
and abstracts of the addresses deliv-
cred at the meetings of June 81 and %.
Will be published Tuesday. 1t is a
product OF the press of ]. w. Stoweu
phllatellc printer, fredericksburg, Md.
ana may be had at cost-sl per COPY.
poStpald-from Philip Simms Warren,
iO2 Hobart street northwest.
The legal staff of the Post Once
department is studying series of
complaints filed by American collec-
tors against certain stamp dealers in
Europe
Algeria has brought out four stamps
10 puollclse the International Exposi-
tlor at Paris. The design shows a ma
tive building. and the values are: 4Oc
bright green: soc. carmine: .5Ofr.
light blue, and l75fr brown,
The new Sd stamp Of Australia pre-
sents full-face portrait of King
George VI.
The Moscow post office is represented
in the design of new l5k. gray, stamp
recently released in Russia.
According to the New York Sun.
Probably the only philatelic souvenir
OF the extinct Buskadi Basque, Re-
public is a special airmail envelope
issued during the siege of Bilbao It is
made OF onion skin paper. bearing
picture of an airplane in flight. land
Scape and the Basque flag. with the
legend 'Euskadiko Jaurlaritza-Par
AVion-Goblerno de Euskadi-Eqaz-
KNEE. The novelty was on sale at
post offices until Gen Francois troops
entered the town.
A final official report on the mail SAL
vaged from the wreck of the Zeppelin
H!ndenburg says that 357 letters we're
recovered. Eleven bore American ad-
dresses: the others. German. The to-
tai postal cargo burned was 1882
pieces
A design for the new King George
vi stamps Of India has been approved.
1t shows the royal visage deliberately
oarkened, as usual in compliment to
the Hindu people.
Sweden during 1898 will bring out
series OF four stamps to celebrate the
tercentenary of the settlement of the
colony at New Sweden, Del.
Germany's Drown ribbon" souvenir
sheet is to be overprinted 1887" for
use again this year.
A new pictorial set has been printed
for Malta.
The Canadian National Philatelic
Exhibition, Toronto. will open on Fri
day. tt will bring together the largest
showing of stamps in Dominion his
tory and will continue until septem-
Der IL. A set of four labels, advertis-
ing the event, may be had from Will
liam j. Williams, care postmaster,
Toronto, Ontario
Collectors are advised to watch for
covers from war-torn China. Shanp-
hal cancellations for the past week
should be of exceptional interest.
Alden H. Whitney, regional vice
president of the Society of Philatelic
Americans, made the journey to
Manteo. N. c., for the first-day sale of
the Virginia Dare stamp.
To- u