Evening star., 1937-10-10
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
An additional printing of 25,000.000
Constitution stamps has been ordered
1t also is reported that 100000 eX-
ira copies of the Northwest Territory
commemorative are being manufac-
turd.
c. Robert Kay, philatelic editor of
the Associated Press. wires from New
York: An elderly gentleman walked
into the auction rooms of Paul Bluss
last Summer and apologetically asked:
Are these old envelopes worth as
much as S25?'
He handed batch of yellow en-
velopes to Mr. BlusS. who recognized
most of them as copies of compara-
lively scarce early United States Gov
ernment envelope. The auctloneer
ruffled through the lot, noticed few
desirable cancellations and hand
stamps. and estimated that the lot was
worth about Sl00.
"Suspecting that his unexpected ell
ent might have more old covers at
home. Mr.. Bluss then advised him to
sell the envelopes at auction. mus
started the seasons greatest sensation
In the stamp trade.
When the catalogue of the auction
advertising the covers was distributed,
Nassau street dealers began receiving
telegrams and long distance calls from
collectors eager to bid but unable to
attend the sale.
Commission dealers, given bids OF
IS, $40 and $50 on the material
snatched up Mr.. Bluss' catalogue to
find out what all the excitement was
about. Mr.. Bluss himself had under
estimated the desirability of the lots
and was as surprised as any one at the
response.
On the day of the sale his auction
rooms were jammed. There sat most
of the more important New York
dealers. among them j. M. BartelS and
other celebrities who have cover col
lectors among their patrons They
we're fanked by platoon OF old line
collectors who had not been seen at
an auction IN months
"One of the covers brought $40 an
other SGT and the entire lot Of about
20 realized more than $500. The more
valuable ones we're Handicapped
Noisy Carriers the name of local
letter delivering firm that operated in
California in pre~Civil War days.
This carrier outfit was called
Laaone. IL l,oliayoJ Inc
of advertising It's carriers rang bells,
shouted, marched in parades to ships
and otherwise made the service a
hilarious one. Letters bearing the
handstamps were put off the ship at
Nicaragua, rushed across the iSthmus,
placed on another ship and reached
New York weeks ahead of letters that
we're carried around Cape Horn.
The cover that brought SO was
inscribed Forwarded by Independent
Line ahead of everything from Noisy
Carriers, San Francisco The s67
one said From Noisy Carriers Mail,
II Long Wharf, s. F., Cal.
After the sale Mr.. Bluss went to
his clients home to inspect his attic.
He came back with box of letters
that any stamp collector could appre-
Clate
One bore bisected 12-cent 1851
stamp cataloguing s700 Another had
a California penny postage sticker
used with type 2. 1851, 10-cent
stamp This combination had not
previously been recorded, although a
cover with type 3 stamp catalogues
$3.50. There also were several more
Noisy Carrier letters in the box.
Mr.. Bluss says that his client,
whose name he is keeping secret, has
still other boxes of letters in unex-
plored sections of his attic.
And the elderly gentleman was
willing to sell his first $500 batch
for s25!
Moral: Don't throw away any old
letters in your attic"
In connection with the third Amer
lean Philatelic Congress. Hotel La
Sale, Chicago, Friday to Sunday, Oc-
tober % to 81, Saul Newbury will ex-
hibit his rare cover collection for the
years l847 to 1862 Max G. Johl will
show his twentieth century United
States regular issues with scarce plate
varieties and numerous commemora-
tives with original drawings; Paul
MacGuffin will display his specialized
Uruguay with all the rarties, and DR..
Clarence w. Herman has promised his
collection of Chicago covers with rare
local stamps
w. R. Anderson has donated a
handsome silver trophy for the grand
award.
Elmer Stuart is general chairman of
the Chicago Philatelic Society Com
nlittee in charge of arrangements.
Capt. Wilbur r. Van Auken, u. S.
N. is an applicant for membership in
the Washington Philatelic Society.
Costa Rica announces two commem-
orative issues, one for the national
exposition and one for the San Jose
Philatelic Exposition.
Egypt is bringing out set of stamps
TO publiclze the recent Montreaux
STAMPS.