Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1875 — Postage-Stamp Collecting. [ARTICLE]

Postage-Stamp Collecting.

The collecting of postage-stamps is not always such a frivolous pastime or occupation as many people imagine. These little bits of colored paper, ornamented with portraits, or coats-of-arms, or peculiar devices, have a great deal of information in them. They tell of the rise and fall of princes; of the history of republics; of the manners and customs of the people; of the peculiar characteristics of the country. The French and Spanish stamps are epitomes of the histories of their respective countries; the English colonial stamps are a geography in themselves; the South American stamps present a fine display of mottoes and devices; from the West Indian stamps we learn something of the peculiar characteristics of these islands ;while in the stamps of our own country, in common with others issuing from other quarter of the globe, we have national portrait galleries. While postage-stamps are being collected, or when they are put into their albums, they are examined and studied. The map is consulted to find the location of the country issuing them. The history is opened to find whose portraits are figured on them. The cyclopedia is brought out to get some idea of their value? Some learned friend is questioned to find the meaning of the peculiar inscriptions or legends. And little by little this research goes on until the collector often finds himself, in a manner, getting hints of almost everything of interest going on in the world. Ifßussia and Turkey arequarreling over Montenegro, he can discuss the cause of the troubles. He found it out when examining the Montenegrin stamps in his album. When a young boy is placed upon the throne of Spain, and the collector’s attention is called to this country, stamps show him the many changes in that unfortunate country; and Amadeus, and Don Carlos, and Isabella, and the proud and haughty nation which unveiled a new continent pass before him as a panorama. The Centennial is spoken of; our young collector takes out his album, and sees Franklin with his kite, Washington at Yorktown, Perry on the lakes, Jefferson and Louisiana, Jackson behind the cotton bales at New Orleans, Scott on the plains .of Mexico, and Lincoln with his emancipation proclamation. In stamp-collecting the judgment is sharpened in endeavoring to detect tlie good and to discard the counterfeit; the eye is drilled to appreciate the harmonv and contrast of colors, in the proper arrangement of the stamps; patience is acquired and taste cultivated in the efforts to produce fine effects; and cases are known of foreign languages being studied simply to enable the collector to decipher the legends and inscriptions on the stamps. A pursuit which is productive of sq much good should not be decried as a mere childish pastime.— St. Nicholas f&r November.

A diver named Fradette has been Elected to the Quebec Legislature from the county of Bellechasse. He can neither read nor write, and some one having reproached him with this serious inconvenience at a public, meeting he replied: “ Gentlemen, it is believed that I can be prevented from being elected by reproaching me with ignorance; but I believe I can do without the votes of educated people if all those who are as ignorant as my, self will vote for me. Yes, if all the ignorant people will give me their votes I shall be elected by a great majority. Gentlemen, they often talk of educated people. Well, what uo these great savants know? They talk to you of all that there is in. the earth or in the firmament, but have they ever spoken to you of what there is in the i bottom of .the sea! Well, I can tell you that.” x .