1. Specialized collecting advocated
2. Boston Philatelic Society meeting announcement for Feb 17, 1911 meeting
3. Liberia presidential election and political background information
4. St Valentine's Stamp Club
5. Editorial
1. King George exhibit at South Essex Philatelic Society - Feb 4 - 11, 1911
2. APS exhibition in Chicago
3. Stickless gum - Found on early printings of the 1894 USA issues as well as USA stamps in use in 1911
4. C.E. Jenny - mention of a book of poetry from a philatelist
5. London Times book review of "Dak Dicta. A selection of verses written in Calcutta" by Wilmont Corfield - a philatelist
6. USA local issue black on red paper with inscription "Johnson’s Free P. O. Box, No. 7 N. 10th St., Philadelphia" is not bogus
7. Chicago company used 1500 precancelled 50 cent USA issues for mailing books or catalogs.  1,078,000 precancels used by one company in Feb 1901 with denomations 1 cent to 50 cents
6. "Why I Collect Precancels" essay competition announcement
7. AES (American Envelope Society) and NEPA (New England Philatelic Association) merged and have the new name "New England Philatelic Association and the American Envelope society (Consolidated)"
8. C. E. Hussman Stamp Co. auction results for British Colombia; Hati; Spanish Marianne; Fredericksburg VA; Lenior NC; Tellico Plains
9. News from England
1. South Africa stamps ordered from London office arrive slower than ones ordered from South Africa
2. Jamaica steamship fortnightly mail contract ended and temporary weekly mail service setup.  The steamship "Barranca" will be used for future mail contracts.
3. Jammu and Kashmir collection displayed at Herts. Philatelic Society in England
4. Control Letters on sheet margins
   
5. Coil stamps in England from Automatic Stamp Machine Company proposed with the suggestion that the "Morse Code" of seperation not be used.
10. New Issues and Varities
1. USA
1. Registered mail
2. Red Lincoln domestic postal card - 3 by 5 inches to be issued
3. 5 cent issue found with new watermark
4. 1 cent issue found with height and width larger than normal
5. 1 cent wrapper printing plate worn resulting in low quality impression
2. Bahamas - 1d Queen's Staircase issue on multiple paper
3. Bavaria - 1, 2, 3, 5 mark values issued with horizontal wavy lines.  Prior issues of 1881, 1891, 1900 had vertical wavy lines
4. Brazil -  new 10,000 reis issue in brown
5. Honduras - new 2c issue. New 6c gray violet issue
6. Malta - new 5 shilling carmine and green on yellow paper
7. Nicaragua - Error "Vlea" overprint instead of "Vale" found on 10c overprinted on 15c issue
8. Panama - 1/2 centesimo issues to be exchanged for new 1/2 centismo issue during Feb 1911
9. Paupa - 1d with large "Paupa"
10. Queensland - 2sh 6d vermilion orange shade watermaked Crown A sideways
11. Russia - Offices in the Levant - new overprints on Russia 1909 issue foor use in Turkyie
12. Straits Settlements - new 50c black on green paper and $1 black and red on blue paper issues
13. Tasmania - 2d, 92, 1sh perforated 12 1/2 small holes
14. Uruguay - 5c overprinted on 50c rose only available at post office sold one at a time only when a letter needing it is mailed
11. Cancelled to Order stamps explained - North Borneo, Labuan, Bosnia
12. Stamps produced for sale to collectors instead of for postal use - Honduras, Nicaragua, Salvador, Seebeck issues
13. Commemorative stamps produced for sale to collectors - USA Colombians expected to make a 2.5 million dollar profit
14. Ships and Boats competition announcement
15. Boston Philatelic Society meeting
16. Rhode Island Philatelic Society meeting

(Pages 45-46 - article advocating specialized stamp collecting)

Written for MEKEEL’S WEEKLY.

THE CALL OF SPECIALISM.

By L. HARALD KJELLSTEDT.

The “simple life” idea which originated in England and brought into existence reform catalogues, and printed albums eliminating all perforation, watermark, and paper varieties, does not seem to meet with the widespread and enduring favor which was expected. I am inclined to believe that the “urgent need” and “long felt want” of the advocated reforms were neither as urgent nor as long felt as their votaries tried to make out. In making this statement, I have particular reference to the young collectors in our own United States. The average American collector is too much awake commercially to permit himself to miss possible opportunities by consulting abbreviated stamp catalogues. I must frankly confess that during my career as a collector of stamps, I have never yet met with a fellow collector, young or old, who has complained of Scott’s catalogue being too difficult to understand or containing too many varieties, and this notwithstanding the fact that I have a number of boy collectors among my acquaintances. Watching the boys at local stamp meetings, I have found them extremely keen on catalog values and the dexterity with which they handle their “Scott’s” indicates great familiarity with its contents. Naturally there are a number of young collectors who cheat themselves by trying to collect without a catalogue, and having no other excuse to offer, they blame it on the catalogue. It’s no good, and I wouldn’t have it! And, of course, the reform catalogues are just as bad and — cost pretty near as much.

Up to late years, specialism, in the mind of the average collector was capital devoted to “bloating.” With “bloating” was understood the collecting of entire sheets, panels, large blocks and hundreds of single specimens of single scarce stamps. I would say that it was the knowledge gained from these “bloated” collections which laid the foundation for modern specialism or — the study of stamps.

Every serious student of stamps, if he collects the issues of the world or a single issue of his own country, is a specialist on stamps or what we are pleased to call a philatelist. To a large extent the study of stamps consists of a search for variations from the normal and their causes. But there are other branches of study such as postal geography, postal history, the art in stamp design, and the technology of stamp manufacture, etc. Every student of stamps who becomes proficient in one or all of these branches is a specialist. The classification: general collectors and specialists, is hardly correct, because the general collector who studies the issues of the world is a specialist along broader lines than collectors of single countries or issues. The collector of a single country who does not study his stamps, is not more of a specialist than the general collector whose chief aim is the accumulation of stamps. If the inclination to study and the desire to know the whys and wherefores of stamps are lacking in a collector’s makeup, his connection with the hobby will end in disappointment. If, on the other hand, he has the qualities mentioned, he will not be collecting long before he feels the call of specialism and drifts into its charming byways and fascinating pursuits.

If the old collectors would give a helping hand to the stamp collecting boys with which they come in contact and guide their first efforts in the right direction, they would render the future of philately the greatest service possible and at the same time have the pleasure of living over again the early days of unbounded enthusiasm. Recent experiences with a little boy about 7 1/2 years old have convinced me, that the comfortable and selfish policy of leaving the small boy to shift for himself, is not only mistaken but fraught with disastrous results as far as the future philatelic life of the boy is concerned. I started my little fellow collector with a number of Europeans, good hinges, and half a dozen blank approval books. As he has frequently been watching me when I have been working over my album, he has been used to see nothing but stamps in fine condition. In the lot of continentals I gave him, I purposely put in a few stamps that were very heavily cancelled, torn, or had the perforations clipped on one side. It did not take long before he stood by my side with these stamps in his hands and said:

You wouldn’t use stamps like that would you? I assured him I certainly would not, and this little practical lesson was all that was needed to open his eyes to the importance of condition. I was puzzled at first what advice to give in regard to arrangement. A little boy in “Primary B” has no idea of geographical divisions but he has a very good idea of pictures. Here was the solution. He was asked to group his stamps according to similarity of designs and the result was very satisfactory. He had the English, German, French, Austrian, Russian, Swiss and Swedish stamps nicely separated. Then followed the lesson in mounting and after a little practice he did nicely. The other evening he came with one of his books and a red stamp, and asked me if he should put it in. I looked in the book and found a copy of the same stamp already mounted, but when I called his attention to this fact he said: “Yes, I know, but this one is much redder.” And so it was. A far deeper carmine shade. I had never referred to the subject of color shades in any way or manner, so I believe it was simply an early call of specialism.

I do not believe that a philatelic editor serves the best interests of his boy readers who tries to minimize the serious features of the hobby, and reduce it to a childish pastime in order not to discourage the young collector. But, naturally, it is far easier to scare a boy away from a subject than to try to explain it to him. If the features of stamp collecting, which give us subjects for study, had been eliminated, the word philately would never have been coined. It was the call of specialism which caused the early collectors to despise the mere hoarding of stamps, and develop the pastime into a systematic research. It is the call of specialism we have to thank for the recognized position philately occupies today.

LIBERIA’S ROOSEVELT THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC.

(The following article has been furnished to the general press by the Educational Committee of the A.P.S. and is being widely used, judging from the clippings received from subscribers. It is from the pen of Mr. W. Dwight Burroughs of Baltimore, Md. Some eight cuts are used in illustrating the article, the subjects being stamps of recent issues. — Ed.)

While the common people and the politicians of these United States are going to puzzle their brains for months as to who will lead the cohorts of the two big parties in the next presidential contest, the black people of the African republic, Liberia, in a most business-like manner have gone ahead and settled their little presidential problem. The formality of an election and inauguration is practically all that remains to consummate the deed.

Daniel F. Howard will be the next president of the Liberians.

True it is that nominations have not been made, but the indorsement of a candidate by the National Whig party caucus is as certain a guarantee of success in Liberia, as the election of a Democratic candidate for governor in the Georgia primaries.

Howard to Succeed Barclay.

The National Whig leaders at a conference just held, decided that Howard should be the party’s nominee, and when the delegates to the nominating convention meet at Monrovia this month, about all that will be necessary will be to call the roll and have a few speeches and a little hurrah. Then will come the faint semblance of a campaign, ending with the presidential election in May, when the National Whigs, through overpowering odds as against all other political factions in the land, will sweep Howard to a grand and glorious victory. He will be duly inaugurated and take the reins of government the first Tuesday in January, 1912.

All authorities agree that President Barclay could have had the caucus indorsement. the nomination and the presidency again if he had but said the word. But following the precedent set by the illustrious Washington and other distinguished American executives, the black president gently but firmly declined a third term. His admirers, particularly those among the office-holders, were clamorous for his re-election, but with Spartan-like devotion to American precedent, he waved away the flirtatious nomination.

“The Roosevelt of Liberia.”

So Howard was decided upon. He is a member of the Barclay cabinet—the secretary of the treasury and a sort of ebony-hued watch dog—whom the people have agreed has well and truly performed his duties. He is only 49 years old, and has had a place in the political life of the republic, practically since he attained his majority. His father before him was chairman of the Whig party, and he himself now occupies that enviable position in the political whirl of Liberia.

One of the enthusiastic editors of his proud land had dubbed him “the Roosevelt of Africa.” So it may be assumed that, unless the scribe was carried away by overzealous advocacy of his favorite, the election of Daniel E. Howard to the presidency of Liberia may be followed by widely spread documentary evidence of valiant encounters with the ferocious bob-cat and the early establishment of an African Ananias ranch.

A Republic’s Campaign of Publicity.

Although the people of this country are responsible for the existence of Liberia, comparatively little is known here of the progress made by the citizens of that land in their struggle with the governmental problems of a republic. Some students of the subject are not altogether satisfied that the republic has been a success. Others are pleased with what appears to have been a steady, if slow, forward movement and development of the resources of the land.

One thing is certain; the Liberians have done what they could with the resources at their command to let themselves be known away from home. They have devoted a great deal of attention, for instance, to their postage stamps, using these little stickers in a sort of publicity campaign to attract the attention of the outside world to their country.

The stamps of Liberia form an interesting study. Most of them have some claim to the artistic, are rich in color and the variety of subjects they present and are generally attractive.

The country was issuing stamps in 1860 when it was practically in swaddling clothes and when the stamp industry itself was not two decades. Up to 1892, however, it had not essayed anything ambitious. In that year it issued a series of very interesting and attractive designs and has kept up this policy ever since.

The twentieth century stamps show some admirable scenes and figures. A female head and face shown on some of these stamps, it is curious to note, possesses, rnore nearly the characteristics of a caucasian than an African beauty. It represents liberty. The god Mercury is also pictured on one of the stamps, and it is as creditable a Mercury as ever the stamps of Greece presented.

Animals have formed a favorite subject of illustration for Liberian stamps. The elephant, the bulky hippopotamus, the chimpanzee, the beautiful plantain eater, the agama lizard, the great egret, and other creatures native to the jungle-like interior of the land are all shown on stamps of different denominations.

The Mandigoes, a type of native people who are being trained in the intricacies of republic government and politics are shown on a stamp of 1906.

Barclay’s Portrait on a Stamp.

The picture of President Barclay is shown on some of the stamps, violating one of the principles of well-ordered republics which proscribe the printing of a portrait of a living executive, but thoroughly consistent with the rules and regulations of sonic other republics and many monarchies which make a specialty of this very practice.

One of the stamps only a few years old showed a picture of Barclay and a view of the executive mansion, quite a pretentious building it seems, although uncomfortably close to the street, and generously provided with verandas.

With the stamps of Liberia have attracted much notice and they are well worth a study. They give an insight into the habits of the people and the conditions that surround them. They indicate through their versatility a progressiveness of ideas that should augur well for the negro republic.

They are instructive because they teach much of the people of whom comparatively so little is known on this side of the ocean. They are so plentiful as to be easily obtainable and they are so pretty as to be really worth having.

Jamaica’s Mails. — The last steamer to carry mails to Jamaica under the expiring contract is now on its way out, and as the British and Jamaican authorities are not able to see eye to eye with each other in the matter of renewing it, a temporary arrangement has been made with Messrs. Elders and Fyffes, Ltd., to carry letters and parcels on the boats used by them for the importation of bananas. The first steamer to carry mails under the new arrangement will be the “Barranca,” sailing on February 1st next.

Although these steamers are presumably slower than the Royal Mail boats, the new arrangement has the advantage of providing Jamaica with a weekly mail, in place of the fortnightly service hitherto in operation. Meanwhile the Post-office has invited the Jamaica Government to contribute towards a subsidy for the resumption of the direct service, but it remains to be seen whether a quick fortnightly service will be preferred to a slightly slower weekly one. With the island’s trade increasing by leaps and bounds it seems a pity that a fast weekly service cannot be arranged.

The Lonely Way — Few people are interested in the stamps of Jammu and Kashmire, but the vast accumulation amassed by Mr. Alex. J. Séfi, and shown last Tuesday at the Herts. Philatelic Society’s meeting, could not fail at least to impress the most ignorant of philately’s devotees. Mr. Séfi, by residence in the East, has acquired a knowledge of Arabic and Erdu, enabling him to master the inscriptions upon the stamps, and to deliver an extempore lecture upon their intricacies with amazing ease and fluency. A student of the “modern school,” Mr. Séfi’s collection is prefaced by maps and views of the country whose postal emissions he has set out to conquer, and embraces not only issued stamps, but proofs, colour trials, reprints, entires, specimen sheets of unprinted paper, and — by no means of minor importance to the student— pulls from the defaced plates, which have now, I understand, found a resting-place  in an Indian museum. It is collections such as this that dignify the lonely way of specialism, and embracing, as they do, the whole postal history of a country, raise philately to the level of a minor science.

In Former Days. — American visitors to that delightful Derbyshire Spa, Buxton,  although they cannot fail to notice the Crescent Hotel, may not be aware that the Post-office was formerly situated in this building, at one time in the hail, and later in a room on the ground floor of the hotel. The father of Mr. C. J. Smilter, the present proprietor, became tenant of the “Crescent” in 1849, and for sixteen years combined the duties of postmaster and hotel keeper.

An Exciting Finish. — Great Britain specialists will experience a tremor of excitement on reading last Thursday’s Daily Telegraph, wherein it is stated that Messrs. Harrison’s have not waited for the new Georgian designs before proceeding with the contract for printing British stamps, but are actually at work upon the Edwardian series. Presumably they are printing from the De la Rue plates, and it is well within the bounds of possibility that the printings will be distinguishable. The perforations are to be the same as hitherto until the introduction of the Georgian stamps, when an improvement may be looked for in this direction, and the gauge 14, which we have used ever since the old “line engraved” days, may be superceded.

Control Letters — The practice of adding control marks to the printed sheets of the 1/2d and 1d values may enable collectors to distinguish between the Harrison and De la Rue printings, as De la Rue’s will have printed no stamps in 1911. But what will the control letters be? The custom originated with the Victorian 1d lilac, and starting with “A”, ran nearly through the alphabet. With the Edwardian stamps the alphabet was re-commenced, and in 1904 the unit figure of the year was added to the latter to indicate the year of printing. The control on the current sheets is “J10.” Will Harrison’s printings from the De la Rue plates bear the control “Ku,” or will the authorities differentiate between the work of the two printers by commencing the alphabet afresh immediately, instead of waiting until the first delivery of Georgian stamps.

Stamps in Rolls. — The floating of a new Automatic Stamp Machine Company, and a recent pronouncement of the Postmaster-General, create visions of all sorts of possible complications in our postal issues. For we are to follow the example of the United States, and issue stamps in rolls. Let us hope that our post-office will benefit from the American experiments, and that we may be spared the regular “Morse Code” of separation methods to which the innovation has led across the pond.

STAMPS MADE FOR COLLECTORS.

The same correspondent also writes :— "I would like to know why the government of Honduras and other South American countries issue stamps every year, or whether they issue them just for stamp collectors.”

There is no doubt that many stamps are and have been issued, which would never have seen the light of day had there been no collectors of postage stamps. Some of the Central and South American states have been great offenders in this respect though Honduras is certainly not so bad as some of the others. The revenue obtained from the sale of stamps to collectors must be fairly lucrative and while stamp collectors continue to buy this sort of rubbish there is little likelihood of such countries as Nicaragua and Salvador ceasing to issue hosts of unnecessary provisionals.

During the period 1890 to 1899 a Mr. N. F. Seebeck, Secretary to the Hamilton Bank Note Company of New York, made agreements with Ecuador, Nicaragua, Salvador and Honduras under which the company agreed to supply those governments, free of charge, for a period of ten years with all the postage stamps they wanted on condition that new designs should be adopted each year. In return the company received the surplus stock remaining in the possession of these countries at the end of each year and also retained the dies and plates so that they could make as many reprints as they might think fit. I am afraid the majority of cheap sets of these stamps offered here, there, and everywhere, are only reprints. Though they certainly are attractive enough in appearance I strongly advise my younger readers to invest their money in something having a little more philatelic interest.

COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS.

Although the majority of stamps issued to commemorate some event of national or historic interest belong to the “made-for-collectors” class much may be said in their favor. As a rule they are handsome and they thus appeal to many collectors solely on account of, their beauty. Then they have an educational value that cannot be ignored. The events they celebrate range from those of universal interest such as the discovery of America by Columbus to those of a purely local character such as the opening of a new post office. Indeed all sorts of possible and impossible events have been celebrated through the medium of postage stamps. Perhaps the most absurd excuse ever offered by a government for the issue of special stamps was that evolved by Montenegro in 1893. So anxious were the authorities to celebrate something that a quantity  of the then current stamps received a special overprint “to mark the fourth centenary of the introduction of printing.” As numerous errors and varieties were made in this overprint it would appear to show, more than anything else, that even after four centuries the art of printing had not reached a very high state of development in Montenegro!

The fact that these special commemorative issues are made for collectors has often been strenuously denied, but as they are usually well advertised beforehand and often on sale for a limited period only it is obvious that they are issued chiefly with the idea of raising extra revenue. Indeed, prior to the issue of the U. S. Columbian issue the Postmaster-General was frank enough to publish a statement that he “anticipated a profit of two-and-a-half million dollars” from their sale.

SHIPS AND BOATS

How many stamps show pictures of boats or vessels? For the longest list sent to the editor, Mr. Poole, two prizes will be awarded :— 1st, an unused current 1sh Papua, and 2nd a 6d same. The following rules must be observed :—

(1) Competitors must be 20 years of age or younger;
(2) name the year of issue where an entire set has a common design;
(3) surcharged stamps debarred from entry;
(4) entries must be posted Feb. 18;
(5) write “Navy” on envelope.

OUR EXCHANGE COLUMN.

This exchange is open only to boys under twenty; count seven words or fraction to a line; remit 5c for each line; quote no prices; write plainly your name, address, the stamps you have and what you want; no advt. accepted unless age is stated.

Under no circumstances shall we attempt any correspondence in settlement of unsatisfactory business dealings.

R. V. Seaman, Craigville, N. V., desires U. S. stamps for U. S. or Foreign.

REPLIES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

L. K. M. (Andover, Mass.).—From your description I should think the Italian stamp is unquestionably Scott’s No. 14b, with outer frame. I can find no note as to its value.

O. B. (Detroit). — You will find your query regarding watermarks fully answered in the WEEKLY for Jan. 14th. No, collectors do not as a rule attach any extra value to stamps with inverted watermarks. They are interesting to specialists, of course, and some are undoubtedly difficult to obtain.

G. F. R. — Your suggestion is a good one and we may be able to follow it up later on.

H. F. — You are quite right and your friend is wrong. The bird shown on the 1881 and other stamps of Guatemala is not a parrot but a quetzal. It is a beautiful bird found only in South America and in no other part of the world. The wings and tail feathers of the male are long and drooping and a beautiful iridescent green in colour. At one time these feathers formed the headdress of the native chiefs and no one of lesser rank was allowed to wear them.