Evening star., 1942-03-08

News of the Paec World Its Interests and Peope-Reve
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings.
Bv James Waldo Fa,gcef.

and president Of Mekeel's Weekly
Stamp News and one of the most
widely known of American women
philatelists, died at Portland, Maine
Tuesday. March 3. She was The
widow of Charles E. Severn. a dis
tinguished stamp journalist of a
generation ago whose work she
carried on with credit to herself as
well as to him. 1t was her custom
to attend the conventions of the
American Philatelic Society wher-
ever they might be held. She was
a sponsor of the American Phila-
telic Congresses from their begin
ming in 1885 and took an active part
in the National Stamp Conference,
held in Washington in 1886. A past
president of the Chicago Woinen's
Stamp Club, she was nonresident
member of the Washington Phila-
telic Society and many other stamp
organizations. Services were held
in Chicago Friday, with burial at
Rosehill Cemetery.
Three sisters and one son, Corpl,
Charles Severn, of the Air Force,
survive.
The philatelic public again is ad-
vised to have nothing to do with
plans for the collecting of vast guam
titles of Cancelled postage stamps
"for the extraction of their dyes"
in the alleged interest of a hospital
in London.
Recent inquiry suggests that the
original story dates back to half a
century ago. The project, it seems,
was revived in 1908 and again in
1914. How f1agrantly unscientific the
whole idea is will be discovered in
the following quotation from the
New York Times for February IS:
Five or six thousand stamps, still
on paper. might weigh l pound. Less
than one-tenth of l per cent Of
the total weight is ink. Less than
one-hah Of the inks weight is pig
ment. 1t would require the salvag-
ing Of probably 100000 stamps to
obtain l pound of pigment. The
highest-priced pigment is currently
being quoted at s535 pound. 1t
would cost several times S5.35 to
salvage all the pigment available in
100000 stamps.
"a million stamps would be worth
more as pulp paper, for reuse, than
If destroyed for the purpose of get
ting pigment. Moreover, the aver
age stamp dealer would be willing
to pay more than $5.35 for 1000, 900
unassorted stamps, for the chances
are that he would get more than
his money back because the lot
should contain commemorative air
mail and other special issues and
probably some high-denomination
stamps"
Competent chemists 'and others
who investigated the possibilities OF
such work" according to Stamps
Magazine for March 7. reported that
"the story is without any founda-
ton whatever and the stamps are
worth far more, both as a means
of raising funds and assisting the
patients in hospitals, than any dye
that could be salvaged.'
Statements to the effect that "the
activity has been approved by the
British War Relief Society are in
accurate. AS lately as February 10
the solicitation of Cancelled stamps
expressly was denied official indorse-
ment bv the executives of the B. w.
r. S., 730 Fifth avenue, New York
City
British philatelists are being
asked to communicate with the
managers of the hospital mentioned
In the appeals now being distributed
throughout the United States.
Slogan postal meter markings OF
patriotic significance include: Serve
in Silence-Do Not Reveal Military
Information Help National De-
fense-Grow Fruit in Your Garden:
Lets Go, Everybody-Keep En-
Firing" and Buy United States
Defense Bonds at This Bank
Referring to the Army and Navy
stamps placed on sale December Is.
1886. and later. Senator Joseph c.
O'Mahoney of Wyoming has said:
These were among the most popu-
lar commemorative ever issued by
the Post Office Department. =.
Altogether, 72O.91085O copies were
sold for a total of s17,745 $40. This,
I think, is conclusive testimony as
to how popular Serie- of patriotic
stamps such as now suggest would
be-"
The United States Office of Edu-
cation is preparing exhibition ma
terial representing the cultural
values of philately to be circulated
among schools from coast to coast.
Stamps of the Latin American coun-
tries, arranged by members of the
staff of the stamp section of the
Pan American Union, have been Sc
lected for display.
Cullen's Stamp Shop, 4O5 Tenth
street NV. is marketing large
accumulation Of Confederate covers.
recently discovered in "the deep
South
Collectors OF the stamps OF the
Danube States of Europe have or
ganized a society under the leader
ship Of F. R. Ferryman, secretary
treasurer, sos Fifth avenue, New
York City.
DR.. and Mrs. Prichard Won David,
touring philatelists we'll known in
Washington, have returned from a
trip to Mexico and for the time
being are at home in San Antonio.
All varieties of people collect
stamps. BY way of illustration of
this profound observation let it be
noticed that recent applicants for
membership in the Society of Phil
atelic Americans include a sales
man, an executive, an assistant
manager, an investigator, an insur-
ance agent, a music merchant, an
editor, student, clergyman, a
physician, diemaker. lawyer, an
engineer, dental assistant, proba-