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VP ‘‘, 0 , . L.47 THE JOURNAL OF

1972 ( ** THE NEW JERSEY POSTAL HISTORY SOCIETY

`IL HISTORY S`-' ******************* ***************************************** ************** ***************

Vol. XVII No. 1

Whole Number 81

January 1989 *****************************************************************************************

- CONTENTS -

The RALSTON NJ Post Office by: Henry N. Lingerman 2

RALSTON NJ Real Photos of Post Office in 1930s by: John E. Hansler 7

The Ledger of Charles Gray, Postmaster, Newark NJ 1853-1862 Part: Illa 3

Postal History Definition Debate by: Michael Laurence 18

Editorial Comments by: E.E.Fricks 19

PASSAIC NJ Oval Reincarnation by: Brad Arch 20

Secretarys Report & Notices Supplement

4111#41*** #####*-**4** **##### ##*-11#41111*-***# ###*-1114**# ### #*#####*-11 **** ***44**** ****

Affiliate 95 of the American Philatelic Society Affiliate 1A of the Postal History Society, Inc.

Chapter 44S of the North Jersey Federated Stamp Clubs, Inc.

Annual Membership Subscription ,110.00

NJPHS NJPHS Journal Joyce Groot, Secretary E. E. Pricks, Editor 28 Briar Lane 26 Windmill Drive Basking Ri47 NJ 07920 Clementon NJ 08021

GeradNeufe-- ■4 - President Brad Arch - Vice President ******4****444*********************************************************** ,._

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The Ralston, New Jersey Post Office

Henry N. Lihgerman

You won't find Ralston on a current map of New Jersey but if you look at maps of Morris County of 50 or more years ago, you will find it on Route 24 between Mendham and Chester. Route 24 was known years ago as William Penn highway and was the stagecoach route from Jersey city to Phillipsburg and Easton. Ralston has never been a municipality but rather is a section of Mendham township. Mendham township is "U" shaped, surrounding Mendham boro on three sides; the fourth is bounded by Somerset County. Ralston is the western part adjoining Chester on the west and Mendham boro on the east.

As with many things historical, the Ralston post office is clouded with legends, myths, and rumors. Long touted as the oldest building in the United States to be used as a post office, a June 9, 1941 article in the New York Times refers to it as having existed since 1776. The building existed as a store before that but Smith and Kay list the post office as having been est-ablished June 30, 1892 and discontinued December 31, 1954. The Ralston area was then served by rural delivery from Mendham , which continues to this day.

The first rural carrier after the closing of the Ralston office was Ted Emmons, who delivered the route from January 1955 until he was promoted to an administrative position in the Mendham post office in 1968. Mrs. Charlotte Davis took over the route and served until 1979 when she transferred to the Chester post office where she is still employed. After her transfer, Chris Wells took over the route and is still delivering fine service today in 1989.

The succession of postmasters in Ralston is as follows:

Alfred D. Wallen Peter DeMott Mrs. Millicent DeMott Mrs. Millicent DeMott Mrs. C. Groenewegen Mrs. C. Groenewegen

June 30, 1892 November 1, 1895 June 11, 1925 (acting October 15, 1925 May 31, 1940 (atcitng) October 25, 1940

When Mrs. Groenewegen became postmaster in May, 1940, she sought permission to move the operation to a small building on her property 233 yards south on Roxiticus Road. On May 13, 1941, Ambrose O'Connell, first assistant postmaster general approved the move. The transition occurred on June 9, 1941, despite considerable opposition from residents and philatelists. Two extant letters deal with this:

Harry Haines Jr Ralston NJ 8/9/43 San Francisco CA

Dear Sir:

I received permission from the Post Office Dept to move the P.O. to a small building on my own place three years ago. Since then, the old build-ing has been bought by the Ralston Historical Society & is being repaired. The old building was built & used for a general store until 1892 when

the first postmaster was appointed. I am the fifth. Here's wishing you the best of luck in the Navy, I am, repectfully yours.

Miss Katherine D. Crane Ralston NJ June 16 41 Greenwood Lake, NJ

NJPH 2 January 1989

Just a line to tell you I received permission to move the post office over to our own place & moved last Monday. It is much better & more confortable over here for me.

Time Magazine of June 16 has the picture of the old post office & a short article about it.

I am not sure but I think Mrs. Jennings must have given the reporter the news as I told her I was to (sic) busy to go to the meeting & really I was.

Part of the town is quite upset about it especially the ones with money. But they went a mile past to get their mail at Mendham as they were ashamed of the old building so I don't see how thay can make me move back. Sincerely yours,

The original building has been taken over by the Ralston Historical Assoc-iation and is now operated as a museum. It was originally built by John Logan sometime prior to :776. Logan also built a manor house in back of the store and the grist mill across the street. This mill has now been converted into a fine home. Logan was commissary to General Washington and supplied flour and other food to the troops during their two winter encampments in Jockey Hollow. He came close to bankruptcy when the Continental Congress couldn't pay his bills.

In 1885 John Ralton, an Irishman, came to Ralston after a stay in Philadel-phia where he became wealthy as a merchant. He bought out John Logan's op-eration and operated the store from 1886. Whether is was also used at that time as an unofficial post office as many rural stores were is undocumented and moot. John Ralston married John Logan's daughter (ed.- must have been a younger John Ralston) Margaret in 1885.

Catherine (nee Backer) Grenewegen, Ralston's last postmaster, was a member of the Backer family that moved from East Orange to Peapack around 1893 and then shortly move to the house on Roxiticus Road in Ralston where Catherine was born and lived until her death in 1969. She married Neil Groenewegen. A sister-in-law, Mrs. Francis X. Backer, still ives in Ralston on Route 24 just west of Roxiticus Road and the old post office. During World War I, Mrs. Backer assisted Peter DeMott in the post office. Francis (Doc) Backer was a brother of Catherine Groenewegen.

NJ PH January 1989

3

SENTIMENT• BE HANGED! Ralston ostmistress Deserts

. Nation' Oldest Substation

sp,:•: to Tar N• or Yoqx Tsui. RALSTO., . N-7.).. Juno 8 • M i ,

Catherine Groenwegen. pimmis•

.tress of tt rural hamlet, threw

sentiment t the winds inlay nn.t

moved bag end baggage tthfs latter consisting of 120 shiny new mall

i) boxes) into a new postuffice build-ing on her yen property, 233 yards away from he tiny. weathered clap. hoard shack that is believed In be tho oldest postal substation In the United States. 'Sirs. Groenwegen. who got sick and tired of fighting Wintry blast; and Summer heat in the ramshackle old shanty. declared succinctly. If the government outcry me back. naturally I'll go. Rut it's more com-fortable in my awn place and I hope they'll let rue stay here." •

What the townsfolk are Ruing to say about the postmistress' depar-ture remains to be seen, for 4 chili-paign to retain the old buildkiig for sentimental reasons has only just got under way. Mrs. Groenwegen appears to have stolen a march on the sentitne Whits.

&Odom Patience oil Its Ow Zb Tna Ennut or Ties Nen Vat Tiers'

Just a. • matter of secunst• desert. Il ion let It b recorded that Ralston.

N • where the oldest. Poetoffir. husid• Ins in us. In the United fnatc• we• ars doned for stew quarter' nn Jun. 9.

not at any thins a. postal "1111t,

" Ralston has been • eeprret•

in pendent postofficer at all time.. and Is et Hated In every pf4rai guide tuned officially or with 'official sandhog since it.waa established. ' In postal olds. and la °Meier usage

the term -substation" has nil been used for thIrty-fivs years. thua frisking

the term not merely wrong but oh-Pratte. The retention' of the term on sips over atone arbors nemdtliv•ry **Mtn. of city poottoffless are situated le a surprisingly long aurirlirsd from the days when ouch pumbered stations •n lle lftv dailgnatad. but is. •ntir•ly wiut ottIelal standing. •

illasnart G. Rms. V • na; N. 3.. Stan."10. 041.

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Postoffice Shift to End the 'Misery' Of its Mistress Stills Ralston, N. J.

Sentimentalists, Never Victims of. Icy Blasts Through Credy Floor, Oppose Transfer

From Oldest Building in the Bureau

Spe,Ist t, Tuft Nswol , ,s,...Tlyrt■

RAVTON, N J., June 3 Drcep- with lbechill std (ht 1 ,+t-henlect ,tive quiet brooded orer this tUrwl $tut'e aol..t do no mite r' gord The

"hamlet today, with P9stniistres;; wind. eonie., rtit through thorn Catherine Groenwegen ikiroplathing. Wails and tip trwigh -the cracks In

about the misery in heri:ones end 'lie the nursery

lhe village lolk holding Out for sea- attic who wits through ttrour,41 3-9

:elment and the philatelists, teitg.rs ft n.onth: end 'u dii qrsr, r In Pittston, on the o14 Da Mott Julia Frances, who runs the El's-

:ate and about twenty' feet off copal school and c,-nreni here, !We'll

TRoute 24, there squats under rtnn• to think historic sentiment ought to derous elms and oaks a tiny, wrath eornel ,ofri C the, postmiatress's tdis-'ered clapbpard shack that has been cry, The girls in Sister Julia the hamieFs postoffice since 1776 !Frances's ,Sehon1-ahoUt 100 of

o one so far has disputed the ham- them-- Icl tsdetatily to Mra dere claim, that this is the oldest ; tirotnweiten's hi/sineis postoffice 'building in the United Jennings says it would be a

,,Statf.g. Fibligrk*, to let the old postoffice go Postmistress Grhenwegips. Ralston ptst...cri account of the postrots-

'Adorn and ,tired. has had her joh tre-is misery. What, he. Wants to .

since Millicent De Mott retired last know, about the hundreds of pea-June. Mrs. De Mott had - the lob , plc who come every year from 'way sixteen years and Peter, her hue- s'df 111,1 to -took at the htithltny •

hand. had held it before her since And vhat about the stamp cot' 183. lectors'

A few weeks ago Postmistress Sister Julia Frances doesn't want !Proeriwegen wrote to Washington ' to harm any one. but she has an-About the old postoffice. Only one other reason for wanting the post' of its three rooms has half-way 'hoses kept '.:ight where they are.: solid flooring. The wind In Winter You Ave. • she explained. 'my Whistles through rifts Id the clap- lgrandfather was final

,

punt- board and the pot-bellied stove I roaster under President John QUI ,'

.:doesn't do much to temple it. ;cy Adams and under President An• I, Mrs. rtroenwegen just irkimuted the :drew„Jangson " • postoffice Department fill let. her !Ir. Jennings. though. is quite shift the eight mail boss that are ' wrought up. , M possible to work used over to a tighter shack on her ii a movement in a hamlet of less .

own ProPstrY, 233 yardsl-nway. On than les3 persons. he's gping to do May 13 she -got a letter from Am- it he swears. He sass he will take brose O'Connell. first assistant up the matter with the Postmaster postmaster, saying it would be all in Washington and with United right for her to do that. States•Sentor. Warren Barbour. ,

Postmistress - Groenwegen said Pontrnistress Groenwegen seems a - today she cant Understand the fuss -little bewildered by all this <Tom. some folksimake about ?list moving lion. .t;he simply can't understand the Than hint a meals- 233 yards if the fm-a. The squat little clapboard it'll help her Wave off the Winter shark .rise stood by the road since

"Inirery. She sadly regarded the the mails from Jersey City to Eas; 'Creaky old walla with their ancient ton came" try on the atue. Why notices and the faded chrtmo of a can't they just leaNe it there for or beint cruel to a dog. show, if they wan , * - I set her, all ‘Vinter."she said, . "yo,i ever had the misery" she

and pretty nigh freeze to death • wanted to know.

NJ PH

4

January 1989

The John Ralston (;eneral Store

used as the Ralston Post nffice 1892 - 1941

ThP (7roenewegen Rnilr, inc!

user4 as tlie Ralston Post Office 1941- 195 4

NJ PH 5 January 1989

The Ralston General Store

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RALSTON NJ

Real Photo's of the Post Office from the 1930's era Photographers comments written on back

John E. Hansler

As you probably will recall the old place is

pretty weather-beaten. In this view you can see

that the paintobliterating the General Store sign

has been worn away exposing the old sign.

This is it. The building as it stands is

the original except that the west wall

siding was renewed at one time. Built in

1776, on property deeded to the family still

in possession by the Indians in 1713.

Ralston. The old mill. The Tail-race empties

into the creek which is hidden in the heavy brush

in the foreground. The bridge on the Morristown -

Chester road is to the right just beyond the edge

of the picture .

NJ PH January 1989

7

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Part III:

The LEDGER of Charles Grey (continued)

Expenses (pay-outs for P.O.Dept. Drafts)

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NJPH 10 January 1989

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Resignations:

Theodore W. Bozarth, Kenneth Pitt.

Address Changes:

Bertha Davis, PO Box 7005. Wrightstown PA 18940 Donald Jones, PO Box 359, Sand Lake NY 12153 Phillip Marks, 77 King Way, Warminster PA 18974 Stephen O'Conor, PO Box 129, Vernon NJ 07462 Ernest Peyton, PO Box 24816, Tempe AZ 85285 Brandes H. Smith, 69 Sunrise Drive, Gillette NJ 07933

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We would like to THANK the following for their recent donations: Robert Buckler, E. Leslie Byrnes Jr., Philip Chiesa, The FolJed Letter, James Moran, Jean Walton.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NOTICE ! 1989 Dues are PAST DUE

This is the Last issue of the Journal that you will receive unless your 1989 Dues have been paid. If you have got yet paid, please send $10.00 to the Secretary/Treasurer IMMEDIATELY to avoid missing any issues.

* * * * k * k * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4:* * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;lc * * * *

Award Winners:

CHICAGOPEX '88 Grand Award, Gold Medal, PHS Award, A?S pre-1900 Medal, CPS A.vard for Best US Postal History - "New Jersey Stampless Covers - Handstamped Marcophily 1775-1855" by Robert G. Rose. CONGRATULATIONS !

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Best Article in the 1988 volume of the NJPH Journal

"Post Roads in New Jersey 1791-1802: by Robert Stets. CONGRATULATIONS

He receives a free one years subscriptiog to the Journal. NOW is the time for all the rest of you to submit an article for publication in the Journal to be eligable to win the Award for 1999, etc. If you don't enter, you can't win.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Back Issues of the New Jersey Postal History Journal are available from the Secretary: Joyce L. Groot, 28 Briar Lane, Basking Ridge NJ 07920

available #36 thru #80 individually @ $2.00 each, postpaid. Discounts available for long runs and/or quantity purchases, INQUIRE !

Issues in the current Volume of the Journal are only available through a membership for the current period.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Society Officers, Directors & Elections

The nominating committee is still actively searching for members who are interested in having a say in the operation of the Society. If you have any desire to become more involved in our Society, their are seven directorate positions (including officers), most of which require very little time or effort, other than the chance to voice your opinions concerning the operation of the Society, please contact the chairman of the nominating committee at your earliest opportunity : Julius Revesz, 7 Mendham Avenue, Morristown NJ 07960. According to our By-Laws we are in need of holding an election as soon as possible, but are hampered by a lack of sufficient candidates for the ballot.

SEW JERSEy AVAILABLE FOR IMEDIATE DELIVERY

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Retail Literature

softbound 44 pages 1987 $3.00


TillM0111410041441 01111111111MHIMUF

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hardbound 287+ pages 1983 $35.00

hardbound 199+ pages 1977 $30.00


softbound 40 pages (1982) $3.00

Illuatrat 1 1114 uctory

NEW J ERSEY 1847 ISSUE COVERS

Brad A reit Editor

a. t I

r. • -1

111•1•1010Y

CATALOG of

NENV .11-1tSEY •it..‘ ti Ny.,‘y posTAL NIARKIN(;s

by F RI: DERCK C MA', DONALD

with route rec.:irdS by John Kay

; NIN itRst)

(

-

NEW IERSL'E POSTA HISTORY

•

,

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NEW JERSEY

DPO's

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H ST0101 NO"

% 1 11 1111,1•11

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srerr 011. NOV J

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Miss Ruth Stevenson, Prudential Insurance Co., 763 Broad Street, Newark 2, N ew Jersey

FOR LOCAL MAILING ONLY

AT 2 CENT RATE

•

THE UNITED WAR AND COMMUNITY CHEST

24 BRANFORO PLACE

NEWARK. 2. N. J

ONGOING PROJECTS - Please help in any or all of these projects

- Please Note New Project Leaders and/or New Catagories -

NJ STAMPLESS COVERS - Submit photocopies of any new postmark discoveries to: William C. Coles Jr., 36 Medford Leas, Medford NJ 08055

NJ STAMPLESS FOREIGN MAIL - Submit photocopies of all covers to: Gerard Neufeld, 33 Comfort Place, Clifton NJ 07011

NJ 1847 ISSUE COVERS - Submit phtocopies of all covers to: Brad Arch, 144 Hamilton Avenue, Clifton NJ 07011

NJ CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC COVERS - Submit photocopies of all covers to: Brad Arch, 144 Hamilton Avenue, Clifton NJ 07011

NJ RAILWAY POSTAL MARKINGS - Submit photocopies of any new discoveries to: Fred MacDonald, PO Box 21, Holmdel NJ 07733

NJ COUNTY & POSTMASTER POSTMARKS - Submit photocopies of all covers to: Brad Arch, 144 Hamilton Avenue, Clifton NJ 07011

NJ RFD (Rural Free Delivery) Covers - Submit photocopies of any new discoveries to: William C. Coles Jr., 36 Medford Leas, Medford NJ 08055

NJ DOANE CANCELS - Submit photocopies of any new discoveries to: William C. Coles Jr., 36 Medford Leas, Medford NJ 08055

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

An Inquiry !!

I am putting together a postal history exhibit using covers that include the US Presidential stamp and would like to buy a cover like the one shown with the printed Local 2¢ Rate ledgend. Any help in locating a similar cover showing the local use would be most appreciated. Sometimes even a classic postal history collector see's an inter-esting modern cover and sets it aside. Any help would be most appreciated.

Sincerely; Walt Cole (APS, BIA), PO Box 166, French Gulch CA 96033

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR !!

Q. Why are some NJ RPO postmarks listed as never reported, when several were offered in the final Society auction ??

A. In responce to the inquiry, I have the following answers. 1. JAMESBURGH & SQUAN VILLAGE AGENT established 1/12/1874 changed to

MONMOUTH JCT & SQUAN VILLAGE AGENT established 3/5/1874 'changed to MONMOUTH JCT & MANASQUAN AGENT established 2/12/1882 changed to MONMOUTH JCT & MANASQUAN RPO establised 8/1/1882

SQUAN was an improper abbreviation.

2. WHITING & TUCKERTON AGENT established 2/20/1872 changed to MANCHESTER & TUCKERTON AGENT established 1/15/1873 changed to WHITING & TUCKERTON AGENT established 7/12/1882 changed to WHITING & TUCKERTON RPO established 8/1/1882

It is possible that the marker was ordered by someone that did not have notice of the name change 19 days earlier.

Fred MacDonald

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NOTICE from New Jersey Historical Society News:

LENAPE INDIAN HISTORY EXPLORED

The New Jersey Historical Society has just released, in a paperback edition, the definitive book on the Indians that once inhabited New Jersey and neighboring states. The Lenape: Archaeology, History, and Ethnography, by Seton Hall University Professor of Anthropology Herbert C. Kraft, was originally published as a hardcover book by the Society in 1986.

The Lenape has been hailed by reviewers as 'a masterful book', an excellent presen-tation', and 'the first truly authoritive history of this group'. The 318 page book tells the story of the Lenape Indians from their prehistoric roots to the present day. A highly readable text is accompanied by maps, hundreds of illustrations, and extensive notes

Kraft's The Lenape is based upon exhaustive research in archaeological, historical, and ethnographic scouces. It is the product of decades spent in the field excavating Indian sites. The Lenape is available in both hardcover (for $24.95) and paperback (for $11.95) versions from the Publications Department, New Jersey Historical Society, 230 Broadway, Newark NJ 07104. For mail orders, please add $1.75 postage & handling.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * t * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The NEW JERSEY POSTAL HISTORY JOURNAL Solicits Research Articles

Readers are invited to contribute research articles in all areas of New Jersey Postal History. If you have documented a study of your specialty, share it with your fellow members by offering the manuscript for publication in your Journal.

Write today to E.E. Fricks, 26 Windmill Drive, Clementon NJ 08021, detailing the manuscript you have prepared or may now have in the planning stages, and he will assist you in the assembly of your work for possible publication in your Journal.

Remember, one of the greatest contributions a member can make to the Society is sharing his or her philatelic knowledge and research.

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debate continues Reprinted with Permission

MARCH 14, 1986 LINN'S STAMP NEWS

A heated debate is currently raging over the definition of "postal h istory."

The controversy has been brewing for some years now. It surfaced publicly last fall, in

Editor's Choice By Michael Laurence

the pages of La Posta, an award-winning postal history journal published in Oregon.

The discussion relates to stamp shows. The basic ques-tion is: What sort of postal his-tory material can be exhibited competitively at international-ly sanctioned stamp shows?

This is more important than it might seem. International exhibiting guidelines tend to shape the rules that are ap-plied at national or even local stamp shows. Judging is influ-enced at all levels. Ultimately. there's an impact on collector preferences and thereby even on prices.

Some of the problem is semantic, because the defini-tion of postal history varies ac-cording to who's using it.

In its most common use, "postal history" is a fancy phrase for covers. People who call themselves philatelists, rather than stamp collectors, are likely to tell you they are postal historians, meaning they collect covers.

The stamp trade has picked up this jargon. When a dealer advertises that he specializes in 19th-century Canadian post-al history, we can all visualize his stock: old covers, with or without stamps, from north of the border.

So collectors know that a postal history auction consists of covers. If ever an auction house were to offer real postal history artifacts — uniforms, mailbags, maps, ledger books, saddle bags, sorting trays, can-celing machines, that sort of thing — a new name would be needed.

While collector jargon has largely gone off in its own di-rection, the dictionary defini-tion of postal history still has its adherents, even among stamp hobbyists.

Our own postal history col-umnist, Richard B. Graham, with stubborn literal-minded-ness defines postal history as anything that relates to the his-tory of the posts.

On the basis of this defini-tion, Graham provocatively points out, stamp collecting is a small (but important) aspect of postal history.

There's at least one more definition of postal history, the one that's causing the current controversy.

I refer to the definition of postal history that has been es-tablished by the Federation Internationale de Philatelie.

FIP is the French-named, Swiss based, and European-dominated governing body that sets the rules for interna-tional stamp shows. The FIP rules for the exhibition of post-al history declare as follows:

"A postal history collection is based on the study and the classification of postal and philatelic items which are di-redly relevant to the methods, routing and conditions of dispatch of postal communica-tions of all periods, or to the organization to this end of postal services, whether gov-ernmental, local or private."

In other words, if the covers don't show rates and routes, they don't qualify as postal his-tory It's easy to understand why cover collectors are upset by this.

The narrow FIP definition of postal history excludes from competitive exhibition under FIP auspices most of the cover collections that are currently being formed in this country and probably the world over.

First-day covers, which have an enormous following, don't qualify at all. Most modern FDC's never passed through the mails. They have absolute-

ly nothing to do with "the methods, routing and condi-tions of dispatch of postal com-munications."

All they are is popular. More and more these days,

FDC collections concentrate on the cachetmaker, rather than the stamp. In the U.S., studies of the pioneer cachet-makers of the 1920s and 1930s have resulted in a rich body of literature and some fascinat-ing specialized collections.

Under the FIP rules, such focus on a non-essential orna-mentation provides another reason to exclude FDC collec-tions from exhibition.

Covers collected to show ad-vertising cachets are similarly unexhibitable under the F1P definition of postal history.

Two decades ago, exhibits of 19th-century advertising ca-chets, collected or arranged topically or by place of origin, were frequently encountered at local and national stamp shows.

Nowadays such exhibits are less frequently seen. This is not because the material is no longer collected. On the con-trary, it's more popular than ever.

The reason is that the exhibi-tion of illustrated advertising envelopes has been subtly dis-couraged, because according to FIP, such collections aren't postal history.

As FIP attitudes suffuse through the judging establish-ment and trickle down to the local level, this discourage-ment has increased.

Similarly discouraged, or at least not encouraged, are col-lections of covers showing the postmarks of a single town. Many collectors, myself among them, maintain cover collections for towns that have special meaning to them.

This sort of cover collecting is so commonplace that there's even a German word for it — llennutsurnmlung, which liter-ally translates as "hometown collecting." Nowadays, the

word is often uttered with an edge of contempt, when used as a pejorative to explain why a collection has been denied acceptance in the postal histo-ry section at an international stamp show.

With so many categories of cover collecting excluded from international competi-tion, and by extension being discouraged from national competition, cover collectors have been getting more and more upset.

The pages of La Posta in re-cent issues have echoed some of these complaints.

The downgrading of medal levels at international shows following the AMERIPEX in-ternational in Chicago in 1986 was initially thought to be con-nected somehow to FIP exclu-sionism. Subsequent reports have demonstrated (to me anyway) that this was not the case.

But certain it is that some cover collectors, discouraged or daunted by the FIP restric-tions, have withdrawn their collections from competition, whether international, nation-al or even local.

Perhaps more significantly, newly formed and developing cover collections that should be shown, have never been en-tered into competition, and won't be, until • the rules change.

I have even heard it said that the suicide a year ago of a prominent Midwestern cover collector resulted at least in part from his lifelong exhibit of advertising covers being re-jected as a postal history en-trant at AMERIPEX. I don't believe this, but the fact that it is being bruited about suggests the seriousness with which these matters are regarded.

My solution to the cover di-lemma is not to withdraw ex-hibits, but to unleash them.

If instead of withholding their non-conforming collec-tions, collectors would exhibit them widely and frequently,


• it I

"• ••• • Cto. W. LINN.

no- .4. 4 I

••■ISI

Is this postal history or isn't It? The answer depends on whose definition you use. As an historical aside, the George W. Linn who created this 1890s duck-hunting envelope was no relation to the George W. Linn who founded this newspaper.

the narrowness and foolish-ness of the FIP restrictions would be made evident to all. This in turn would probably hasten a rule change.

Moreover, it would make stamp shows much more inter-esting. This is a theme I've harped on in the past.

For the great majority of on-lookers. collectors as well as non-collectors, the cover ex-hibits that are currently being excluded from competition are vastly more interesting

than those that qualify. To the casual observer, noth-

ing is more boring than eight frames of indecipherable stampless covers showing the development of rates and routes in some long-forgotten European duchy.

Stamp show organizers who lament diminishing atten-dance at their events ought to give some thought to the mate-rial on display.

An exhibit of 19th-century advertising covers with pic-tures of pigs on them, or an ex-hibit of 20th-century cacheted first-day covers, has an inher-ent visual appeal that the world's finest showing of stampless folded letters from Uruguay cannot match.

Please don't misunderstand

me. I'm not making judgments about the relative merits of these various exhibits. Like most collectors. I'd like to see all of them.

It's FIP that's making judg-ments. FIP wants us to see only those cover exhibits that meet its narrow definition Stamp exhibits are diminished because of this narrowness, and collectors are resentful.

There is no question but what stamp exhibits at all lev-els would profit from a greater variety of covers on display. The easiest way to accomplish this, it seems to me, is to loos-en up the FIP rules.

But as with any international political organization, years will have to pass before FIP responds.

Meanwhile, those who exhib-it non-conforming cover col-lections, may their tribe in-crease, must be willing to ac-cept medal awards that will probably be lower, perhaps

much lower, than their materi-al actually deserves. That's a price that must be paid.

As with any principled act of civil disobedience, a willing-ness to accept the consequenc-es of one's actions is the es-sence of the protest.

By way of injecting a visual element into what otherwise would be a totally pictureless ocean of type, the accompany-ing illustration shows an exam-ple of the sort of cover that FIP now frowns upon.

This cover could be shown in a postal history exhibit as an example of the 2t domestic letter rate that applied in the United States between the ear-

iy 1880s and 1917. But that's a fairly ho-hum aspect of postal history. There are millions of 2e letter-rate covers around.

The illustrated envelope could not be shown as part of a collection of covers depicting ihe theme of duck hunting, in-teresting though that might be, because of course there's no such thing as the postal history of duck hunting.

Nor could it be shown as part of a collection of George W. Linn covers, which happens to be where it currently re-poses.

Since coming to Linn's five years ago, I've been trying to assemble an exhibition collec-tion of philatelic memorabilia illustrating the life and works -if George Ward Linn (1884-1966), who 60 years ago found-ed this newspaper.

The illustrated cover is actu-ally a "forerunner" in this col-lection, since, remarkably enough, it had nothing to do with our George W. Linn, who would have been just 7 years old in 1891, when this cover was posted.

In fact, the cover was creat-ed by an entirely different George W. Linn, about whom nothing is known, except that ne did business on Chicago's 'south Water Street during the 1890s, and that he had a pen-, Kant for unusual advertising envelopes. I've seen several different types.

Perhaps by the time my Linn collection is written up and mounted, there will be a I over category In which it can ne shown. II

Ye Editor Speaks

How did we come to this pass, especially since in the months since Mike Laurence penned these lines, the controversy regarding what postal history includes has be-come acrimonious. As with so many other things, there is a long story here.

Postal history is a term largely invented by Robson Lowe in the 1940s, probably to help sell preadhesive covers that did not otherwise have much saleability. For a long time, there was no real definition of what was encompassed by the term. When, in response to growing demand for exhibit space at the international level, the FIP established a new classification, a definition became necessary. Our European brethern took the major lead in providing one, reflecting particular view- points and predilections prevalent at the time. A definition, to be of value, should have some degree of precision. These factors combined to draw the definition rather narrowly.

NJPH has tended toward the more inclusive Dick Graham viewpoint. The narrow definition could probably have been covered in the first three issues of this journal in 1972, leaving little reason to or interest in continuing what has been a reasonably interesting effort. One lesson to be drawn from the controversy is that if you do not want to be saddled with someone else's definition, you should take a leadership role to establish your own. Americans, until rather recently, have not done so on the international philatelic stage


PASSAIC OVAL REINCARNATION by : Brad Arch

Rising like the mythological Phoenix bird from the burnt out ashes of a prior civilization, the classic period Oval Townmarking of Passaic, previously only recorded used from the mid 1850s thru 1870, has recently been discovered used as a 'dumb cancel' on registered mail more than 25 years later, as seen- here on the 1898 registered letter from Passaic to England. Measurments are identical, although the later usage does displays considerable wear and thickening of the lettering.

za

Jj 0.:<;74.. M0.4.

The original use of the Oval - early 1860s

The reincarnated use of the Oval - late 1890s -

NJ PH

20 January 1989

4- ni w i er s e y , a. po w njph

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