wear the hair in lovely loose curls or else in long braids. One thick
braid is apt to be less comfortable than two braids, and as a girl can
seldom do her hair nicely herself, she should get her mother or sister
to help her, unless there is a maid who has time to give the hair the
careful brushing it needs. I do not advise shingled hair for girls of
any age. Sometimes, if the hair is very thin and dry, a little vaseline
may be rubbed into the scalp at night, but usually regular brushing will
be sufficient to keep it in nice order. Do not have a frowzy and untidy
appearance in any part of your dress. A little pains is well worth the
taking, for your friends' sake as well as your own.
[Illustration: Signature]
[Illustration: STAMPS]
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address
Editor Stamp Department.
Interest in U.S. Revenues is growing rapidly. The great rarities, 6c.,
50c., $1, and $5 Proprietary, the $200 and $500, second issue, now
readily bring two or three times catalogue prices. Many millions of
these revenue stamps are on legal documents, agreements, contracts,
leases, insurance policies, conveyances, mortgages, wills, etc., which
are now out of date and of no legal value. All the U.S. Revenues were
used throughout the United States for about twenty years, consequently a
valuable lot may turn up any day in any part of the Union. During the
past week several new minor varieties have been found, notably an
unsevered pair of 10c. Power of Attorney, a stamp hitherto believed to
exist in this condition, but no pair had ever been seen.
The philatelists of New York contemplate a club-house, and the committee
is now asking for one hundred subscriptions of $25 each. They hope to
have the club-house ready this autumn.
A few years ago most collectors in Europe preferred cancelled stamps,
and several Americans exchanged many of their cancelled for unused
copies. Now the demand all over the world for unused specimens has
resulted in advancing the price of scarce stamps in this condition to a
prohibitive degree. Most of the stamps in the following list of English
could have been bought five or six years ago for one tenth the present
price or less:
[3]2d. 1840 $40
1d. huge crown water-mark, perforated, 16 40
2d. huge crown water-mark, perforated, 125
1d. red, plate 132 10
1/2d. red, plate 9 10
[3]1s. octagonal, 1847 40
[3]10d. octagonal, 1847 25
[3]6d. octagonal, 1847 30
2-1/2d. plate 3, orb water-mark 20
3d. plate 4, spray water-mark 25
4d. plate 10 15
6d. plate 6, four flowers water-mark 20
10d. red-brown 5
2s. blue 40
5s. plates 1 or 2, Maltese cross water-mark 15
5s. plate 4, anchor water-mark 75
10s. Maltese cross water-mark 125
10s. anchor water-mark 175
£1 brown, anchor water-mark 150
£1 brown, Maltese cross water-mark 300
[3] Practically unobtainable.
H. L. WATSON.--Stamps surcharged "specimen" are exactly what they
purport to be, genuine stamps whose postal value has been destroyed
by the government's action in printing the word "specimen" on face.
As a rule such stamps are worth about the same as the same stamp
cancelled, but in the case of U.S. stamps they are frequently worth
as much as unused stamps.
STURGIS BODINE.--The wrapper is common, and is worth 5c.
J. C. L.--In hinging unused stamps with original gum be careful to
cover up as little of the stamp as possible. Many advanced
collectors will not "collect gum." They carefully scrape off all
the gum.
DIANA VANDELEUR.--I regret to say I know nothing about the value of
old newspapers. They are very interesting independent of any money
value, and therefore worth keeping.
J. WALL.--No U.S. stamps were ever so surcharged. The 3c. and 10c.,
1851, which you have, surcharged "3" and "10" respectively, are
simply stamps cancelled by a hand-stamp, "Paid 5" or "Paid 10," in
such a way that the figure came on the stamp. Previous to 1851
letters could be sent either prepaid or not. Paid letters were so
marked. The others were delivered to the addressee on payment of
the postage.
PHILATUS.
[Illustration: Ivory Soap]
Why not wash with pure, white Ivory Soap and have pure, white linen?
"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well!"
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. CIN'TI.
JOSEPH GILLOTT'S
STEEL PENS
Nos. 303, 404, 170, 604 E.F., 601 E.F.
And other styles to suit all hands.
THE MOST PERFECT OF PENS.
_Drink HIRES Rootbeer when you're hot; when you're thirsty; when callers
come. At any and all times drink HIRES Rootbeer._
Made only by The Charles E. Hires Co., Philadelphia.
A 25c. package makes 5 gallons. Sold everywhere.
[Illustration]
THE
BALTIMOREAN PRINTING-PRESS
has earned more money for boys than all other presses in the market.
Boys, don't idle away your time when you can buy a self-inking
printing-press, type, and complete outfit for $5.00. Write for
particulars, there is money in it for you.
THE J. F. W. DORMAN CO.,
Baltimore, Md., U.S.A.
[Illustration]
EARN A GOLD WATCH!
We wish to introduce our =Teas and Baking Powder=. Sell 50 lbs. to earn
a =Waltham Gold Watch and Chain=; 25 lbs. for a =Silver Watch and
Chain=; 10 lbs. for a =Gold Ring=; 50 lbs. for a =Decorated Dinner Set=;
75 lbs. for a =Bicycle=. Write for a Catalog and Order Blank to Dept. I
W. G. BAKER,
Springfield Mass.
[Illustration: Thompson's Eye Water]
TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL
Compiled by the Editor of "Interscholastic Sport" in HARPER'S ROUND
TABLE. Illustrated from Instantaneous Photographs. 8vo, Cloth,
Ornamental, $1.25. In "HARPER'S ROUND TABLE LIBRARY."
The best short book we have seen dealing with this phase of
athletics.--_Independent_, N. Y.
The young athlete who cannot secure instruction at the hands of a
professional trainer will find this book invaluable.--_Boston
Herald_.
A good book to put into the hands of the athletically inclined. It
is capitally illustrated with instantaneous photographs, and is
full of expert and sound advice and instruction.--_Outlook_, N. Y.
* * * * *
BY HOWARD PYLE
=THE WONDER CLOCK.= Large 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
=PEPPER AND SALT.= 4to, Cloth, $2.00.
=THE ROSE OF PARADISE.= Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.
=TWILIGHT LAND.= 8vo, Half Leather, Ornamental, $2.50.
=MEN OF IRON.= 8vo, Cloth, $2.00.
=A MODERN ALADDIN.= Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.
* * * * *
HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, New York.
[Illustration: THE INTERSCHOLASTIC FIELD DAY IN AUSTRALIA.]
* * * * *
LONG-DISTANCE SHOTS.
Whenever the possibility of war with a foreign power is discussed, the
subject of the range of heavy ordnance comes up, and the question is
asked as to how close a fleet need come to our coasts in order to
bombard our cities. It is therefore of interest to know just what the
facts of the case are, and to set down in a few words the greatest
achievements recorded for modern artillery. The longest distance a shot
has ever been fired was from the 130-ton Krupp steel gun "Monster." This
projectile weighed 1890 pounds, and traversed a distance of 15 miles and
a few feet. The charge was 960 pounds of powder. Few cannon of the size
of the "Monster," however, have been manufactured. It was found by
experiment that such big guns are too expensive luxuries, as they can
only be fired from 75 to 100 times, and then become useless. The
Armstrongs, English gun-makers, build a 90-ton cannon that can fire a
solid projectile about 12 miles. A city or fort into which one of these
cannon-balls might be dropped would not even hear the sound of the
discharge of the cannon that sent it. No guns that would be used in
modern warfare can carry much farther than this, and even to achieve
this range the pieces have to be elevated to an angle of 45 degrees.
There are very few ships, too, even in the British navy, that could
stand the shock of serving as carriages for such heavy ordnance, for the
recoil after a few shots would almost shake the rivets out of a vessel's
plates.
* * * * *
Many people in society invite artists and musicians to their houses
simply because they hope to have them entertain their other guests. A
story is told of Signor Paganini, the violinist, who was asked to dine
at the house of a person of this nature. When he entered the
drawing-room the hostess looked somewhat disappointed, and exclaimed,
after a short pause,
"Oh, Signor Paganini, you have not brought your violin with you!"
The virtuoso smiled, and shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "Ah,
madame, I really regret very, very much, madame; but my violin never
dines out."
* * * * *
TOMMIE'S AMBITION.
"I tell you, my mamma's the best person alive," said Tommie. "And when I
get to be a great big man--"
"Well, what will you do?" asked Uncle George.
"I'm going to be a _great big man_ like mamma!" said Tommie.
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE SHEEP. "WHEW! BUT IT IS HOT!"
THE BOY. "I SHOULD THINK IT WOULD BE. YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN OFF YOUR
WOOLLENS YET."]
End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, July 14, 1896, by Various