2 6 
THE MUSEUM. 
For The Museum. 
GUY’S DESPATCH. 
Although collectors generally do not recognize 
dispatch stamps which were issued after the year 
1862, they may be classed amongst philatelic curi¬ 
osities, and a history of them may be of interest to 
many. Guy's City Despatch was established in 
Philadelphia early in the year 1879. The office 
for the transaction of business was in an upper room 
of No. 1123 Chestnut street. 
But one stamp was issued, of 
a dark pink or red color, bear¬ 
ing in white the words “ Guy’s 
City Despatch.” The can¬ 
celing mark (rubber stamp) 
was a large ellipse in dark 
red, with the words “Guy’s 
City Despatch, 1123 Chestnut 
street.” The career of Mr. Guy was brief, if not 
brilliant. Many of the prominent business houses 
of the city patronized the company for several 
weeks, the postage being only one cent for sealed 
letters, about twenty carriers being employed. The 
office was closed by Government officials on June 
16th, 1879. 
An International Society of Philatelists has been 
established in Dresden, with a number of branch 
societies or chapters in other parts of Europe. The 
official organ of the society is Der Philatelist , an 
illustrated journal of high character. Persons over 
eighteen years of age who are interested in the 
study or collection of postage stamps may become 
members on application, the annual fee being $1.00. 
Correspondence in English should be addressed to 
the second secretary, Herr G. Lange, Wilsdruffer 
Strasse, Lowenapotheke, Dresden. 
The Brattleboro’, Vermont, stamps are among the 
best known of the Government Locals, and bring a 
high price, though not so rare as some of the others. 
They were catalogued as far back as 1863. The 
Brattleboro’ was issued in 1841 by Dr. F. N. Pal¬ 
mer, then postmaster. They were engraved by 
Thomas Chubbuck, ten stamps in a sheet. They 
are oblong, about 20 x 15 millimetres in size. In the 
centre, in an octagon frame, are the initials of the 
postmaster, “ F. N. P.” At the top “ Brattleboro’ 
Vt.” ; “5 cents” at the bottom; “ P. O.” at the 
sides. They were printed in black on brown paper. 
About a dozen unused specimens are known, but 
only two or three cancelled ones have thus far been 
discovered. One, on the original letter, passed 
through our hands about a year ago, and is now the 
property of a Philadelphia collector. Another was 
found in New York by a rag picker, a few months 
since, and was sold by him to a dealer in that city 
for a comparatively small sum.— Philatelic Monthly. 
It is a universal commercial practice, not only 
among Hindus, but among Parsis and all native 
merchants (in India), to superscribe the envelopes of 
their letters with the symbols 0 ° 0 74 y 2 . The origin 
and meaning of this is thus related :—In 1568 
A. D. the spoil from the golden ornaments of the 
women taken at the sack of Chitor was estimated 
to weigh 74 y mans (about three tons) of gold. 
The valour of the defence of Chitor by Jaymal and 
the horrors 6f the sack became so deeply impressed 
in the popular mind that ever since the number 74 y 
has been held accursed. In the superscription the 
three circles 0 ° 0 stand for the fortress of Chitor, and 
the meaning of it is said to be “ May the sin of the 
slaughter at Chitor lie on him who violates the 
secrecy of this letter.”— (Kakku Mall) Panjab 
Notes and Queries. 
London, England, may well be called the city of 
post offices, as it has 765 branch and district offices 
and receiving houses. 
Chambers's Journal (London), for April 1, 1885, 
contains a very interesting account of the manufac¬ 
ture of postage stamps in England. 
We learn that the collection of the late Mr. Henry 
Wagman, of Saratoga Springs, N. Y., is offered for 
sale. It consists of Revolutionary and Rebellion 
war relics, minerals, curiosities, old books, etc. 
Among the coins is a Pine Tree Shilling (1652) ; the 
group of stone implements includes a pestle two feet 
long, with carving of animal’s head, two animal¬ 
shaped amulets, tobacco pipes, whistles, a copper 
axe and spear heads, from N. Y. State. 
