Evening star., 1939-10-08

SPcCtut CuUCcLtuLIOH 1DC
members of the American Phila
francisco. The coUer sho,Dn
Waldo Faucet, stamp editor, 7
A revised edition of the Post Of
flee Departments popular book, "A
Description of United States Post
age Stamps" will be ready for dis
tribution by November /. All issues
from July l, 1847, to June 30, 1899
will be illustrated and described.
1t is understood that the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing has COM
pleted the research work, and soon
will submit to the Postmaster Gen.
eral for his approval designs for the
forthcoming series of stamps honor
ing famous Americans. The first
group of five stamps, portraying
noted artists. probably will be re-
leased early in December.
The following stamps have been
removed from sale at the Philatelic
Agency: 1c green Franklin, 1927;
&c brown Harding, 1890; &c car
mine Washington, 1926: &c carmine
Washington, electric eye variety of
1885: &c orange Garfield, 1927: &c
orange airmail, 1884.
Also, all of the 1899 presidential
stamp booklets. Normally booklet
panes are not carried in stock in
the agency, but the current issue
was made an exception to permit
collectors the opportunity to pur-
chase them prior to general dis
tribution.
Purchases by stamp collectors
swelled the sales of migratory-b bird
hunting stamps last year to 1,OO2 IT'S
copies. The plate number assigned
to last years issue was 1386O2, while
the current stamps were printed
from plate number 141428.
William M. Stuart, stamp editor
Of the Washington Post, last week
celebrated his 50th anniversary as
philatelic writer. Congratulatory
letters received by Mr.. Stuart in
cluded one from Postmaster General
James A. Farley
Washington Philateuc Society
boasts of one of the finest philatelic
libraries in this country.
Accumulated over a period of 80
years, the main portion of the Ii
brary consists of membership do
nations. At the present time the
society owns 125 foreign and United
States catalogues, Is specialized
handbooks, Is bound volumes of
standard philatelic works and 100
periodicals, including the American
Philatelist-oflcial publication of
the American Philatehc Society,"
from 1916 to date. the Collectors
Club Philatelist; SCOTS journal for
the last 20 years, Mekeel's Weekly
Stamp News since 1924, Stamps
from the first issue to date, Weekly
Philateic Gossip since 1924 and
many other journals some Of which
are nc longer published.
A disastrous fire recently swept
the town of Manteo, N. c., destroy
ing most of its buildings, including
the post office, where the Virginia
Dare commemorative issue was first
placed on sale, August 10, 1897.
Postmaster General James A. Far
ley will deliver an address Thurs
day at 1890 pm. on THE United
States Postal Service-the Worlds
Greatest Business" The address,
which will be delivered at the meet
ing of the National Association of
Postmasters, will be broadcast over
the N. B. c. Blue Network.
Picking up about 300 letters q
day since leaving Mineral Wells,
Tex, July Is, Cowboy L. A. Parton
is on the last leg of his journey by
stagecoach to the New York World s
Fair. Averaging about Is miles per
day, the horse-drawn relic of the
last century is slated to reach its
destination by October 20.
Mail picked up en- route will have
a special cachet and poster label
affixed prior to mailing at the
Worlds Fair Post ONCE.
In order to more definitely estab-
lish claim to the territory it has
set out to explore, the Byrd Ant
arctic Expedition to the South Pole
probably will be authorized to in
stall post Office at the world s
southern-most point.
1t is likely that collectors will be
permitted to send mail to receive
South Pole post marks at the normal
postal charge of 3 cents.
To eliminate the possibility OF
matter intended for special delivery
handling being delayed because OF
lack of distinctive special delivery
notation on the envelope itself, the
Post Office Department has given
its approval to the use of envelopes
of a distinctive nature for this class
of service.
These new special delivery enve-
lopes will not be furnished by the
department, but any manufacturer
or other person or concerns using
the mails is at liberty, without any
restriction whatever, to prepare en-
velopes in a manner conforming to
the specifications and design laid
down by the Post once Department.
The envelope authorized features