Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our
maps and tours contain many valuable data kindly supplied from the
official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.
Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L.A.W., the
Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership
blanks and information so far as possible.
[Illustration: Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers.]
Last week we followed the route from Chicago to Waukesha as far as
Lippencott's, on Fox Lake, advising the rider to make the distance from
Chicago to Lippencott's in one day, running as far as Wheeling in the
morning, stopping there for dinner, and continuing to Lippencott's in
the afternoon. It is possible to make the rest of the journey to
Waukesha on the second day, and by referring to the map in the last
issue of the ROUND TABLE the reader can follow the route from Fox Lake
to Salem--the rest of the distance to Waukesha being shown on the map
given this week.
The distance from Lippencott's is about fifty miles. Leaving
Lippencott's, ride to the south about three-fourths of a mile, then turn
sharp to the left instead of continuing back towards Wheeling. Hold this
road for about two miles as it turns northward, and then run straight
along on or near the shore of Fox Lake out to Antioch, the only turn
being about half a mile before entering the town of Antioch itself,
which is evidently enough to the right, as the town is in sight.
From Antioch, after crossing the track, proceed northward along the main
road direct to Salem, a little over five miles from Antioch; thence run
on out of Salem in the same direction about a mile; take the left turn
at a junction of five roads, and ride out toward Fox River by Silver
Lake, which will be on the left. Cross the river a good five miles from
the fork beyond Salem. After crossing the river keep to the right, and
follow the river itself all the way into Burlington, along an easily
found road. At Burlington recross the river again, and follow a somewhat
winding road to Rochester. Burlington is about eight miles from the
bridge over Fox River, and Rochester is five miles from Burlington.
Keeping on through Rochester, continue two miles to Waterford, and there
turn northwestward and run a good eight miles to Mukwonago. The road is
not especially good here, and there are some opportunities for losing
the way, unless the map is followed carefully. It will pay to make
inquiries occasionally. On leaving Mukwonago run on about five miles to
the north, and at a fork, which is evident on the map and will be easily
found on the road, turn to the right, and run to Saylesville. Thence
proceed direct to Waukesha, seven miles away.
Burlington is the place to stop for lunch; that gives a ride of about
twenty-five miles or more after lunch and twenty-six or twenty-seven
miles before, thus dividing the journey in halves, and making a pleasant
two days' run from Chicago to Waukesha. That is, leaving Chicago, stop
for the noon rest the first day at Wheeling, and spend the night at
Lippencott's; on the second day stop at Burlington for the noon rest,
and reach Waukesha in the late afternoon.
From this point the rides about Waukesha, which have already been
described in the recent numbers of the ROUND TABLE, can be taken, and a
good fortnight's bicycling trip can be spent to great advantage in this
one district alone. All the country along the route is made attractive
by the conspicuous absence of bad hills and by the constant appearance
of water, either in the form of ponds or lakes or rivers.
During the next weeks we shall give some especially interesting trips in
Illinois, in the vicinity of Chicago, such as trips about Ottowa and
trips to St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. All of these are
carefully chosen trips, adapted to the average bicycle-rider--not the
long-distance century-runner--and it will well repay any wheelman to
study these maps in and around Chicago.
[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.
The American Philatelic Association has just held its annual meeting at
Lake Minnetonka, Minn. The membership is 1046, and the treasurer reports
a surplus on hand of about $1300. The annual dues have been raised to
$1.08, being exactly nine cents per month. The following were elected
officers for the ensuing year: Messrs. Olney, president; Vanderlip,
Toppan, and Kilborn, vice-presidents; Chandler, treasurer; Beard,
Phillips, and Doeblin, secretaries; Mekeel, superintendent of sales.
Plate Nos. and U.S. Revenues continue to increase in value, and now a
long-neglected department of philately is exciting widespread interest,
viz., U.S. entire envelopes. I have always advocated collecting entire
envelopes, showing the different dies and colors of papers, leaving to
specialists the different varieties in shapes, sizes, water-marks, gums,
etc. The only objection has been the necessity of having separate albums
for the envelopes. One of the curious facts connected with auction sales
is that frequently a perfectly clean entire envelope could be bought
cheaper than a cut square envelope of the same die, and on the same
paper. A few collectors have availed themselves of these opportunities
to their own profit.
The issue of the Columbian series of U.S. stamps seems to have led large
numbers of persons who know nothing of stamps, except that some rare
ones bring big prices, to buy quantities of all the Columbians and lay
them aside as a speculation. These hoards are now coming into the
market, and every week quantities are purchased by the dealers at a
discount on the face value. This is especially true of the denominations
50c., $2, $3, $4, $5. Very few of the $1 stamps are offered, thus their
price is fairly well maintained. But the others are bought at a discount
of ten or fifteen per cent., thereby breaking the speculative prices.
Still, every lot that comes into the market reduces the quantity held in
reserve, and prices may advance materially at any time.
A. CAREY.--M. stands for German marks, worth 25c. each; F. for
French francs, worth 20c. each; £ for English pound sterling, worth
$4.88; also for Italian liras, worth 20c. each.
A. B. HERVEY.--It is impossible to say which of the Plate Nos. are
rarest. One dealer may have a large quantity of certain Nos., and
lack those of which another dealer has a superfluity, and _vice
versa_. A priced catalogue of Plate Nos. can be bought of any
dealer for 25c. The prices are a fair indication of present values,
which, however, are fluctuating. The following list of Nos. wanted
has been advertised by one of the largest dealers. They must be in
strips of three, with full Imprint and Plate Nos. attached, either
tops, bottoms, or sides.
UNWATER-MARKED.
Nos. 2, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 49, 50, 53,
54, 56, 59, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77,
78, 80, 84, 85, 88, 89 (will pay $25 for this), 90, 92, 93, 94, 97,
100, 104, 105, 106, 109, 110, 111, 123, 125, 135, 136, 137, 138,
139, 140, 141, 146, 151.
WATER-MARKED.
Nos. 24, 29, 33, 35, 60, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,
82, 84, 90, 93, 100, 102, 105, 109, 110, 116, 123, 126, 131, 132,
133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 159, 258, 259, 260, 261, 265,
266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288,
289. Nos. 24, 29, 33, and 35 on water-marked paper are worth $5
each and upward.
There must be thousands of these sheets in the smaller
post-offices.
R. B. B.--The U.S. coins mentioned are all current, and turn up
constantly in the ordinary course of trade. The foreign coins are
no longer current, and are worth bullion only. The red Centennial
is listed at 50c., the green at 25c. I would advise you to buy a
25c. catalogue, as it will give you full information on values.
D. H. WILSON.--Foreign copper money has no value in this country.
J. M. S. CARTER.--To see water-marks, dip the stamp in water, and
try it in various positions and in various lights. The letters on
English stamps are control Nos. (see ROUND TABLE for October 8,
1895). Rare stamps are more valuable on letters. Common stamps are
common in any way.
A. SACHS.--Certainly. Buy a catalogue. If you intend to collect
stamps systematically, you must have a catalogue.
E. T. SYMS.--Spanish stamps cancelled by heavy lines straight
across, and those having holes punched in them, are both
remainders. They are genuine stamps which could have been used for
postage before they were "barred" or "punched."
A. CHAMBERS.--O.S. on British Colonial stamps means "Official
Service." The New South Wales stamps with different initials were
used in the different public offices. For instance, those with the
surcharge L.C. stand for Land Commissioner, etc. Some of these
stamps are very scarce, and all are worth more than the same stamps
without the initials.
H. D. JACKSON.--There were so many varieties of Revenue stamps that
it would be impossible to answer your question accurately. In
general the imperforated stamps ate worth much more than the
perforated. The average perforated Revenues can be bought at from
1c to 25c. each in all values up to $10.
M. SHRENE.--A complete set of Columbian stamps, from 1c. to $5, is
worth $25, either used or unused.
LURA E. COSLEY.--All the U.S. stamps are now water-marked. A
portion of a letter is to be found on every one. The letters are
U.S.P.S. (see ROUND TABLE, August 6, 1895).
S. ISABEL CARTER.--They are not coins, but are "war tokens," which
are extremely interesting, but at present have no monetary value.
They were collected from 1862 to 1864, but the dies were in the
hands of the manufacturers, who immediately struck a quantity
whenever there was a premium. This discouraged the collectors. Some
day they will doubtless be much sought after, and will then become
valuable.
HONESDALE.--V nickels without the word "cents" can be bought of
dealers for 10c. each. Your dime and copper are still current and
quite common. The "Exigency" is a "war token." Letters on U.S.
coins show the mint at which they were coined. The Philadelphia
mint, however, does not show any special letter.
PHILATUS.
* * * * *
OLD TREES.
On the slope of the Sierra Nevada, five thousand feet above the
sea-level, there are a number of trees varying from 250 to 320 feet in
height and from 10 to 20 feet in diameter. The bark of these trees is
from 12 to 15 inches in thickness. In 1853 one of them was cut down and
21 feet of the bark from the lower part of the trunk was used to make a
room, and when completed it was large enough to contain a piano and seat
forty persons.
On one occasion it held 150 children. The tree from which this bark was
taken was reputed to have been three thousand years old. There are many
old trees in the world standing to-day, of which we name the following:
The camphor-tree of Sorrogi, in Japan, is hollow, and will hold fifteen
persons. Superstition relates that it grew from the staff of the
philosopher Kobodarsi, and Siebold thinks the tree may have existed
since the time of that sage at the close of the eighth century. The
cypress of Soma, in Lombardy, is perhaps the oldest tree of which there
is any record in the world. It is generally supposed to have been
planted in the year of the birth of Christ, but the Abbé of Beliz states
that there is extant at Milan a chronicle which proves that it was in
existence in the time of Julius Cæsar, B.C. 42. It is 121 feet high. The
olive-tree at Pessio is probably the most ancient in Italy, and is
stated to be 700 years old. The dragon tree of Orotava, in the island of
Teneriffe, is considered to be one thousand years old. It is stated to
have been as large and as hollow in the fourteenth century as it was
when found by Humboldt, late in the last century. There is an
extraordinary tree in the neighborhood of Finale which bears something
like 8000 oranges in one year.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
It's all right to smile and show pretty teeth; it's all wrong for the
gown to gap at the fastenings and show glimpses of embarrassing, though
exquisite white.
The DeLong Hook and Eye never unfastens except at the will of the
wearer.
[Illustration]
See that
hump?
Richardson & DeLong Bros., Philadelphia.
Also makers of the
CUPID Hairpin.
[Illustration]
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.
Postage Stamps, &c.
$117.50 WORTH OF STAMPS FREE
to agents selling stamps from my 50% approval sheets. Send at once for
circular and price-list giving full information.
C. W. Grevning, Morristown, N. J.
[Illustration: STAMPS]
100 all dif. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c., 200 all dif. Hayti,
Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List FREE! =C. A.
Stegmann=, 5941 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis, Mo
STAMPS
=10= stamps and large list =FREE!=
L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo.
[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]
* * * * *
The New Way of Extracting Gold.
In these days, when so much is heard about gold and silver, I
thought the Table might like to know something about gold-mining at
Cripple Creek. Well, everything here is new--the buildings, the
shops, the whole town; but more remarkable than that fact is the
one that the method of getting gold out of the earth is new too.
It is estimated that not fewer than 2500 men are at this moment
walking over the rocks of Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and California
looking for gold. Nobody prospects for silver nowadays. It is all
gold. The reason for this is that gold is so valuable, and silver
so cheap. But there is another reason, and that is that gold is
found everywhere, and a new way has just been discovered for
getting it out of the rock or sand in paying quantities. Hence
gold-fields that once were not worth working are now rich in
promise. Gold is one of the most plentiful of metals, but we have
just found out how to get it.
Near Cripple Creek is the largest reduction-mill in the world. Into
it are poured vast quantities of what look like cobble-stones, and
out of it come fortunes every month. The way this is accomplished
is by putting into the mill, with the cobble-stones--which
cobble-stones have the gold in them--cyanide of potassium. This
stuff looks just like common alum, but it is not alum by a good
deal, for it is deadly poison. It is made from the hoofs, horns,
and refuse of cattle. It has a wonderful way of taking hold of the
particles of gold after the rock has been ground to a powder, and
of letting the gold go again when it is wanted to do so. The effect
is that rock that under the old processes was not worth handling
is, under the new cyanide process, a "gold-mine" in reality.
This method of gold extraction was invented by two Scotchmen, and
came here from Australia. Now there are a score of cyanide-mills in
Colorado, and it is predicted that the next twenty years will see
gold far more plentiful than the world ever dreamed possible for it
to be.
WALTER C. NEWPORT, R.T.K.
CRIPPLE CREEK, COL.
* * * * *
Another Word from Distant South Africa.
I live in Africa. I am thirteen years old. My sister wrote you, and
a great many American children have answered her letter. One little
girl named Xena gave a description of herself which was so like me
that when Bertha read the letter they all looked at me and laughed.
So Bertha thought I'd be the best one to answer her. I wrote, but
after five months of anxious waiting, my letter was returned to me.
If Xena sees this I hope she will write again, and send her proper
address in print writing.
Can you tell us what has become of the "Author of the clever
contrivance"? He was among the first who wrote to Bertha. We are
most interested in him, because he was an invalid. Bertha answered
him, but he has not written again. Father gave us leave to
subscribe to the ROUND TABLE, but there are so many troubles lately
that we have been obliged to put it off--war, drought, and locusts.
Besides eating the grass, beans, potatoes, and pumpkins, they have
eaten the leaves off the fruit trees. The latter all look as if
winter had come--all except the orange-trees. Father kept them off
these trees with flags on long bamboos.
FLORENCE MARIA.
KOONAH, VIA GRAHAMSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, FEBRUARY.
* * * * *
Playing at Newspaper-Making.
When amateur papers attain the excellence of those made by professional
journalists it is time for the latter fellows to bestir themselves. _Ye
Round-Table Jester_ comes to us from Brooklyn--the Avalonia Chapter, No.
792, No. 369 Lewis Avenue. The publishing committee consists of Sir
Knights William Hathaway, Beverly Sedgwick, Frederic Cook, and Russell
Molyneux. It is mimeograph print, type-writer text, in two colors, and
profusely illustrated by "Bev"--Mr. Beverly S. King, who has won several
ROUND TABLE illustration prizes. The prospectus says the artistic
abilities of the Chapter "had to find vent somewhere." Genius always
"gets there," you remember.
The front-page illustration shows two Knights, one of 1396, the other of
1896. One is in armor on a horse, the other in knickerbockers on a
bicycle. Here are some _Jester_ jokes:
BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK.
MOMMER. "Johnny, what's Willy crying about? And why have you got that
baby sitting out there in the sun?"
JOHNNY. "Why, Popper told me that if I left his tools out in the sun it
would take all the temper out, so I thought I'd see if I couldn't get a
little temper out of the baby."
ONE KIND OF A SCORCHER.
TOMMY. "Say, Pop, I saw Bridget scorching this morning."
POP. "What's that? Bridget on a wheel? I'll give her notice at once!"
TOMMY. "Oh, that's all right, Pop. She was only scorching your shirt
when she ironed it."
* * * * *
Kinks.
No. 23.--AN ANAGRAMMATICAL ACROSTIC.
If the cross-words--of equal length--are rightly guessed, one of the
vertical columns will spell the name of an English scientist and
astronomer of world-wide fame. The name is also concealed in the
anagram.
A TOCSIN ANEW.
Cross-words.--1, To fawn. 2, A pendent ornament. 3, To spring, 4, A part
of a flower. 5, A public alarm-bell. 6, To cogitate. 7, To hold fast. 8,
An Indian dance. 9, To reel. 10, A boaster. 11, A showy but worthless
ornament.
* * * * *
No. 24.--RHYMED WORD-SQUARE.
First is a Spanish steed, of stature very small;
Next, a Roman magistrate, with power over all;
My third is some strong savor--perhaps of frankincense;
My fourth implies "to banish"--if found in use at all;
And, last of all, aquatic birds, with breadth of wings immense.
* * * * *
No. 25.--CROSS-WORD ENIGMA.
My first is in club, but not in mace;
My second in lineage, but not in race;
My third is in spruce, but not in larch;
My fourth is in journey, but not in march;
My fifth is in Odin, but not in Lok:
My sixth is in herd, but not in flock;
My seventh in park, but not in lawn;
My eighth is in bishop, but not in pawn;
My ninth is in gun, but not in yak;
My tenth is in russet, but not in black;
My eleventh in sack, but not in cape;
My whole was a fire-arm of ludicrous shape.
VINCENT V. M. BEEDE, R.T.F.
* * * * *
No. 26.--A RIDDLE.
I am sometimes a _quadruped_; still, like a fish, I have _scales_
running all over me. Some say I am foolish and put on airs, but I guess
my argument is pretty sound. As an instance, though I own my own home, I
live in board. Furthermore, I have the reputation of being square and
upright; perhaps too much so, for I am often played upon. My name
contradicts itself, and when I am largest I am called a "baby." I am a
thing of note, and though extremely bulky, am always peddled. What am I?
SIMON THEODORE STERN.
* * * * *
No. 27.--A DAY OUT.
The name of the author of the work mentioned completes the sense.
A Beggar's Opera, Night Thoughts, Ivanhoe set out one day for a Fancy
and Imagination. He was thoughtful enough, Alma to starting, to Uncle
Tom's Cabin away a lunch of Essays of Elia and Novum Organum and some
Scottish Chiefs bought from a The Country Girl. Being a Handy Andy of
fishing, he carried also a The Christian Hero, The Soldier's Return tied
to a The Cloister and the Hearth. He wore a Rab and his Friends The
Faerie Queene and a Elegy in a Country Church-yard Song of a Shirt.
As he was a Hiawatha, he made Tale of a Tub progress, till he stumbled
over some Queen Mab The Hunchback, and so got an Pleasures of the
Imagination. "Land of Labor and of Gold Cotter's Saturday Night!" he
exclaimed, in a Tristram Shandy, Sir Thomas Overbury voice. "It is
enough to anger a Rape of the Lock or a The Circassian Bride. But what
are The Excursion in curing a Age of Reason?" he asked, with a Deutsche
Mythologie smile.
He made a fire to The Free his fish, and while they were The Ring and
the Book he went to a Christabel to dig for ore, with the intention of
showing it to a Vicar of Wakefield to see if Velasquez and his Works The
Phrenologist could be made of it. He dug until the sound of a The
Adventures of a London Doll and a Hohenlinden recalled him Douglas.
* * * * *
Answers to Kinks.
No. 19.
1, Union-Jack. 2, Jack-o'-lantern. 3, Jack-oak (American black-oak). 4,
Jack Sprat. 5, Apple-jack. 6, Jellow Jack.
* * * * *
No. 20.
1, Iowa (I-owe-a). 2, Agate (a gate). 3, Cat's eye. 4, Jade.
* * * * *
No. 21.
1, Garnet (gar-net). 2, Quartz (quarts). 3, Opal (O pal!). 4, Hyacinth.
5, Jasper. 6, Jet.
* * * * *
No. 22.
Minerva, Eros, Atlas, Hecate, Achilles, Venus, Mars, Chiron, Pan, Janus,
Io, Hebe, Ge, Midas, Ganymede, Ceres, Hera, Castor, Vesta, Hymen, Leto,
Hermes, Orion.
* * * * *
Questions and Answers.
Frank T. Jones is wrong in his controversy with his friend. There are
many higher spires in Europe than St. Paul's, London, which is 404 feet.
The cathedral at Cologne, Germany, is 507 feet. "Ramie" is a Javanese
word, adopted in the United States as the name of a kind of grass
growing in China, Borneo, and Java. It is of the _Urticaceæ_, or nettle,
order of plant, and its fibre can be made into a cloth resembling silk.
It is grown to some extent in our Southern States, and its culture is
likely to increase.
D. A. Bowman, 4412 Delmar Avenue, St. Louis, Mo., says, "I would like to
hear from amateur papers wanting stamp departments, also would like to
receive copies of papers devoted to Round Table Chapters." Edward C.
Wood asks if any one can tell him on what nights in August and November
meteor showers come. A shower was expected on the night after the total
eclipse of the sun during the second week in August, but so far as the
Table has heard, no shower came. There is no particular date in August,
November, or any other month when showers can be predicted with
certainty.
Mary M. Hardy, aged fourteen, who may be addressed, College Campus,
Easton, Pa., wants to hear from Marion M. Clute, whose morsel about that
unreliable Florida lake interested her greatly. She asks Miss Marion to
write her, and promises to respond at once. Leo Heileman, Box 823,
Phoenix, Ariz., has Aztec relics, and is interested in mound-builders'
relics and similar curios. He wants correspondents. A. Haven Smith,
Orangeville, Pa., has seeds of Pennsylvania wild flowers, labelled with
both common and scientific names, and is interested in Indian, Aztec,
mound-builders, and all similar relics. Floyd Pennoyer, Schaghticoke,
N. Y., asks Latin students to give him a literal translation of the
following:
"Sunt hic etiam sua præmia laudi,
Sunt lacrimæ verum."
Mail answers to him direct.
* * * * *
Why Boers Fight Well.
Having many chances at success proves often a disadvantage. General
W. F. Molyneux, a fighter in the Transvaal, tells in _Campaigning in
South Africa and Egypt_ about going to the house of a Boer, upon the
latter's invitation to become his guest on a deer-hunt. The General
arrived on horseback, accompanied by one servant. Dismounting, he
carried into the house a bag containing what would measure a peck or so
of common cartridges. The Boer looked at the bag in astonishment, and
exclaimed:
"You Englishmen must be very rich. Cartridges cost sixpence each here."
Rather mystified, and declaring that there are poor Englishmen, General
Molyneux asked, "Where are your cartridges?"