By John M. Hotchner
Former member of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee David Eynon (from 1990 until 2008) was a mentor when I joined in 1998, and remains a friend. He is also an exceedingly well-read person who is forever discovering references to stamps, stamp collecting, and post office prac
tices in out-of-the-way literature.
A recent find is from a book of poetry titled 1916 Oxford, St. Bees and the Front, 1911-1916, by H.B.K. (“Rex”) Allpass, who styled himself “Sometime scholar of Exeter College, Oxford; 2nd Lieutenant, the Essex Regiment”. His photo is shown here.
Sadly, Allpass was one of thousands who perished on the Western Front in 1916, but his poetry was recognized as being of high quality, and was collected and preserved in the named book; published after the War by T. Werner Laurie, Ltd., London.
Among his output is the following poem, written in December, 1913:
The Stamp-Collectors’ Aunt
Oh! List to the tragical lachrymose tale
Of Martha Elizabeth Gamp,
Who received by the post the Philatelist’s Grail
A Royal Timbuctean stamp.
Martha Eliza two nephews possessed,
Each a collector of note:
Herbert Antonio Samuel West
And Fawcett Excelsior Choate.
Now Martha, to ways of collecting unused,
Invited both nephews to tea,
With benevolent simper the stamp she produced
And gave it the cousins to see.
Silent they stood, and beheld in amaze,
And praised in full reverent tone,
And focussed its markings with rapturous gazed
And languished to make them their own.
But rapture yields swiftly to rivalrous lust,
And black importunity’s hate:
Though “I cannot decide,” Martha wept,
“But you must,”
They answered, “or death is your fate.”
Thus urged and insisted and threatened they both
With demands that would not be denied,
Till “Fawcett—–“ she murmured.
Then Bert with an oath
Plunged the cake-knife deep in her side.
“Ah, villain!” cried Fawcett,
“Behold what you’ve done!
O’er this ruin you never shall gloat!”
And swift a resilient bun
He thrust down the cousinly throat.
But Bert ere, asphyxiate, life he resigned,
Arose with the rest of his strength,
And Fawcett he pierced ’twixt the shoulders behind
With the cake-knife’s murderous length.
Thus they died; and below with their issuing gore
The ceiling grew ruddily damp,
As there uttered regretfully down to the floor
That Royal Timbuctean stamp.
∞§∞§∞§∞
The lust of which Allpass speaks is one that every stamp collector can identify with, though the outcome of the story teaches that lust, if indulged, can have a harsh price. May we all remember that stamp collecting is a hobby, not a matter of life-and-death!
My thanks to Dave for re-discovering this gem. Now, let me ask you, dear reader, if you have come upon any instance(s) of philately in older literature – either poetry, stories that relate to the hobby, or quotes that re ect upon its benefits or costs?
If so, I would enjoy hearing of them for possible use in this space; with credit to original author and finder/reporter, of course.
Should you wish to comment on this editorial, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.
Or comment right here.
completed in 1863.
The Postal Service will be issuing the $2 Statue of Freedom, also offering a modern take on vintage patriotic stamp art for use on packages, large envelopes and other mailings. $2 Statue of Freedom will be sold in panes of 10 stamps.
On September 13, 2018, in Missoula, MT, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Honoring First Responders stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 478100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide September 13, 2018.
The digital illustration on this stamp is a symbolic scene that shows three first responders in profile, facing right, as they race into action. From left to right, the first figure is a firefighter carrying an axe. The second figure is an EMS worker, with the EMS Star of Life visible on her cap, upper arm and emergency bag. The third figure is a law-enforcement officer shining a flashlight toward unknown danger ahead. The dark background and signs of smoke in around the figures suggest the wide range of situations that demand the immediate attention of a first responder.
It measures 2.43″ x 1.43″. Here is the B&W pictorial postmark:
It measures 2.79″ x 1.55″.
The first week in May marks National Postcard Week. Early in the 20th century, postcard enthusiasts sent “Postcard Day” postcards on May 1st, but the modern observance began in 1984 as a way to promote postcard collecting and sending. Don’t toss that shoebox of old postcards you found in grandma’s attic-they tell stories about the past and can be valuable. And people always like to get personal mail these days.
The original dueling pistols used by Hamilton, former secretary of the treasury and retired two-star general, and Vice President Aaron Burr in the duel that resulted in Hamilton’s death are on loan to the museum from JPMorgan Chase & Co. This rare public showing represents the first time the pistols have been on public display in the Washington area.
Hamilton was born on the British Caribbean island of Nevis in 1755, deserted by his father at age 11 and raised by his mother who died when he was 13. Shortly after his arrival in New York in 1772, long-simmering tensions between Great Britain and its North American colonies erupted into open war. An orphan with few influential connections, Hamilton saw the American Revolution as an opportunity for rapid social advancement. He committed to the revolution and decided he and America would sink or swim together.
“In a Federalist-style gallery within the museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery, visitors will see objects highlighting Hamilton’s extraordinary influence on our country,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum. “Visitors of all ages will be drawn in to the man behind the musical that is sweeping the nation.”
The pair of flintlock pistols have been described by Hamilton scholar and author Ron Chernow as having “the best claim to authenticity” as the pistols used in the famous duel.
ticket, and later ordered Burr’s arrest on treason charges stemming from an alleged plot to set up an independent country in the Louisiana Purchase territories. Burr was eventually acquitted of murder, dueling and treason, and he resumed a modest law practice in New York but died bankrupt and living in a Staten Island boarding house in 1836.
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at 
The members of The Royal Philatelic Society London were able to admire the wonderful collection of Cayman Islands built up by Captain James Podger FRPSL at the meeting held on 3 May.
The American Topical Association’s highest award, Distinguished Topical Philatelist, is being awarded this year to Cletus Delvaux. A 39-year ATA member, Delvaux is a prolific philatelic writer and editor.
5275 (50¢) Mister Rogers
Australia Post is releasing a stamp issue to commemorate 150th anniversary of the sporting achievements of the 1868 Aboriginal XI – the first cricket team from Australia to tour internationally.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said: “This was an extraordinary achievement by these players, all of whom, aside from the captain, had only been playing the game of cricket for a few years”.
Most players returned to the restrictions of station life following the tour, with few continuing to play cricket. In 2002, the 1868 Aboriginal XI was posthumously recognised in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame as the first cricket team from Australia to tour England. In 2004, each player was posthumously assigned an official Cricket Australia number, to honour their ground-breaking achievements.
From the mostly nocturnal Barn Owl, to the Short-eared Owl that hunts in the daylight, the stamps depict five species of Owls that breed in the UK.
An exemplary sense of hearing is also essential for a bird that hunts in near-total darkness, and whose prey is often concealed under vegetation (or sometimes even snow). All owls have acute hearing, but it is most developed in strictly nocturnal woodland hunters, like the Long-eared Owl.
Barn Owl: Also known as the ‘white owl’ and the ‘screech owl’, the Barn Owl is perhaps the UK’s most familiar owl species – most often encountered as a ghostly shape caught in car headlights, or heard rather than seen with its unearthly screaming call. The Barn Owl hunts over all kinds of open country, and tends to nest on ledges inside farm buildings. It is unmistakeable with its white and gold plumage, heart-shaped face, long legs and small dark eyes. While it is mostly 
nocturnal, it can also be seen out hunting on summer evenings. It hunts in flight, flying into the breeze for uplift and often hovering before making its strike – its prey mainly located by sound. Barn Owls became very rare following widespread use of the insecticide DDT in the 20th century, but their numbers are now recovering.
Little Owl: This small, long-legged owl with its bright yellow eyes, white-spotted brown plumage and fiercely frowning expression is common in continental Europe, but not native to the UK. It was deliberately introduced here by ornithologists in the 19th century and has spread widely across southern Britain. Little Owls inhabit woodland and parkland with open grassy areas nearby, and are often seen by day, perched in pairs close to their nest site (usually a hole or crack in a mature 
tree), or flying from tree to tree with a distinctive bounding flight action. They hunt mainly insects, dropping on them from a perch or chasing them on the ground. The Little Owl is the national bird of Greece, and has long been recognised as the emblem of Athene, the Greek goddess of wisdom.
Tawny Owl: The lovely quavering hoot of the Tawny Owl is a familiar night-time sound in woodland, parks and even gardens, but although this is the UK’s most common owl, it is rarely seen, being strictly nocturnal. Tawny Owl pairs stay in their territories year-round and over time build up a great familiarity with the terrain, with favourite hunting watchpoints, roosting sites and a nest site that will be used every year. The owlets leave the nest while still downy and flightless, and climb 
to safe spots among the branches where they wait for food from their parents. The largest of the UK’s owl species, the Tawny Owl is a powerful predator and other owls number among its prey. It is found throughout Great Britain, but is absent from Ireland.
Short-eared Owl: A true nomad, the Short-eared Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Individuals may travel great distances, stopping to breed where feeding conditions are good. In Britain the species breeds mainly on upland moor in the north and west, but becomes more widespread in winter (and more numerous, as birds arrive from mainland Europe, sometimes in large numbers). A diurnal owl of open moorland 
and rough grassland, it hunts on the wing, patrolling back and forth close to the ground, and dropping feet-first upon voles and other prey. In some winters, half a dozen or more may be seen ‘working’ the same field, with coastal areas particularly likely to attract large numbers. The Short-eared Owl is a long-winged owl with grey-brown and sandy, heavily streaked plumage, paler than the similar Long-eared Owl, and with yellow, staring eyes and tiny ear tufts.
Long-eared Owl: This beautiful, slim, orange-eyed owl is named after its large, cat-like ear tufts, which help to break up its outline as it roosts by day. In the UK it breeds mainly in upland pine forests, but in Ireland (where it does not face competition from Tawny Owls) it is more common and lives in a wider range of habitats. Though the Long-eared Owl nests in woodland, often in the old nest of another bird, it prefers to 
hunt on adjacent open countryside. Its prey mainly comprises small rodents, which it catches either by pouncing from a perch or by searching in flight. The waiting chicks beg with a distinctive ‘squeaky-gate’ call. Long-eared Owls disperse widely in winter, with residents joined by visitors from the Continent, and form winter roosts (which may hold ten or more birds) in thick scrubland.
