INFANTS' WEAR.

Hand-made Dresses, Mull Caps,

Pique Coats.

Broadway & 19th st.

NEW YORK.

Reader: Have you seen the

It is a Collection which no one who loves music should fail to own; it should find a place in every home. Never before, it may truthfully be said, has a song book been published at once so cheap, so good, and so complete.—Colorado Springs Gazette.

This Song Collection is one of the most notable enterprises of the kind attempted by any publisher. The brief sketches and histories of the leading productions in the work add greatly to the value of the series.—Troy Times.

Sold Everywhere. Price, 50 cents; Cloth, $1.00. Full contents, with specimen Pages mailed, without cost, on application to

Harper & Brothers, New York.

This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much 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.

For the present leaving the long run from New York westward at Buffalo, we will turn, in response to many inquiries from Connecticut and western Massachusetts, and give a few routes in those two States. This week we give the first stage of the run from Poughkeepsie on the Hudson to Hartford, Connecticut, by way of Waterbury. We have already given in Nos. 810 and 817 of Harper's Round Table the route from New York to Poughkeepsie, and by reversing other maps already published in the Round Table it will be a simple matter to make out the road from Albany to Poughkeepsie.

Leaving Poughkeepsie from the Nelson House, make for the big turnpike-road that runs to Hackensack, which is seven miles away. In the middle of the town keep to the left and run a mile out, where a fork will be reached. Turn here to the left at Kyers Corner, and run on to Fishkill Plains. The road is well marked from Fishkill Plains to Hopewell, three miles further on, except that at one point, a little less than two miles from Fishkill Plains, the rider should keep to the right at the fork in the road. From Hopewell to Poughquag there are two routes. The shorter and reasonably good road in dry weather keeps straight on beside the railroad after leaving Hopewell, crosses it about two miles out, and meets it again at Sylvan Lake, eventually running into Poughquag by bearing generally to the right after leaving Sylvan Lake. In wet weather, however, it will be very unwise to take this direct route, as the road is then in bad condition. The wheelman is therefore strongly advised to turn to the right and cross the railroad track shortly after leaving Hopewell, taking a somewhat stiff hill before running into Stormville, and keeping to the left on leaving Stormville, but being careful to bear sharp to the left less than a mile out, and thus continuing along a straight road to Poughquag.

The run from Poughquag to Pawling is direct over a good route; thence the proper route continues through Cowls Corners and Balls Pond—the New York-Connecticut line being crossed about a mile before the latter place is reached—to Danbury. From Danbury to Hawleyville is a more or less difficult road to find. It can only be said in general that on leaving the hotel in Danbury bear to the left—that is, the northeastward—and having crossed the Norwalk railroad, keep to the right at the fork just beyond it. Do not cross the New York and New England Railroad until you are running into Hawleyville, but keep straight on after reaching the fork for about two miles over a pretty stiff hill, and thence some four miles further to Hawleyville. From Hawleyville to Newtown is a short three-mile run, and the rider is advised to put up at one of the hotels there for the night. The run will be a mile or so under fifty, and the hotels in Newtown are good.

Note.—Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814. Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816. Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie id No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No. 818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819. Tottenville to Trenton in No. 820. Trenton to Philadelphia in No. 821. Philadelphia in No. 822. Philadelphia-Wissahickon Route in No. 823. Philadelphia to West Chester in No. 824. Philadelphia to Atlantic City—First Stage in No. 825; Second Stage in No. 826. Philadelphia to Vineland—First Stage in No. 827; Second Stage in No. 828. New York to Boston—Second Stage in No. 829; Third Stage in No. 830; Fourth Stage in No. 831; Fifth Stage in No. 832; Sixth Stage in No. 833. Boston to Concord in No. 834. Boston in No. 835. Boston to Gloucester in No. 836. Boston to Newburyport in No. 837. Boston to New Bedford in No. 838. Boston to South Framingham in No. 839. Boston to Nahant in No. 840. Boston to Lowell in No. 841. Boston to Nantasket Beach in No. 842. Boston Circuit Ride in No. 843. Philadelphia to Washington—First Stage in No. 844; Second Stage in No. 845; Third Stage in No. 846; Fourth Stage in No. 847; Fifth Stage in No. 848. City of Washington in No. 849. City of Albany in No. 854; Albany to Fonda in No. 855; Fonda to Utica in No. 856; Utica to Syracuse in No. 857; Syracuse to Lyons in No. 858; Lyons to Rochester in No. 859; Rochester to Batavia in No. 860; Batavia to Buffalo in No. 861.

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.

During the past year watchmakers, jewellers, carriage-builders, livery-stable-keepers, piano manufacturers, and other industries have been complaining that the bicycle has seriously interfered with their business; but until of late stamp-dealers have had no reason to complain. At present there is some grumbling in the trade, and a disposition to blame the bicycle for it. The real reasons seem to be twofold: first, the large number of new dealers, and secondly, the innumerable auctions. The first cause will probably soon cease, as the difficulty in getting good stamps to sell will probably soon weed out the superfluous dealers; the second will probably have to run its course. Collectors find that in many cases they bid against each other, in the excitement of the auction-room, until the stamps cost them more than they could buy them from dealers for by a little patience, and awaiting their opportunity.

New Zealand offered a prize of $1000 for the best designs for the contemplated issue of a new set of twenty-two stamps. No one artist was successful, therefore a selection was made of the best designs, and the prize divided.

For many years the scarcest European stamp was the 81 paras, Moldavia, first issue. So scarce was the stamp that a clever swindler made a few which he sold at a high price. Later on genuine copies were discovered, and the leading philatelists discarded the counterfeits, and competed with each other for the few copies which were undoubtedly genuine. Recent research in the archives of the principality showed that the entire issue was as follows: 27 paras, 3691; 54 paras, 4772; 81 paras, 709; 103 paras, 2584.

Plate numbers are still booming. Collectors are now trying to make up sets of the earlier issues, and prices naturally advance. The demand for Plate No. Albums still continues.

The U.S. government still refuses to sell the Periodical stamps of the current issues, and yet at least two collectors have complete unused sets, from 1c. to $100, of the stamps in blocks of three, bearing imprint and plate No. Sets are still coming to the United States from all quarters of the globe. The government would secure a large revenue by allowing philatelists to buy these stamps.

The freemasonry existing between stamp-collectors is evidenced by the reports of a number of leading philatelists who have been going around the globe during the past few years. They met a warm welcome in every land, civilized, semi-civilized, barbarous, and even savage. Having parts of their collections with them operated as an "open sesame" in every country.

Despite the wide-spread knowledge of stamps curious cases of ignorance still occur. A few days ago the veteran J. W. Scott received in his mail a copy of the very scarce "Danville" envelope, with a request to exchange it for a few common stamps. The holder was much surprised to receive with the stamps a check for a large sum.

F. Nicoll.—The prices quoted in this column are always those at which the stamps can be bought of dealers. What dealers pay I do not know.

L. Perkins.—There are several dies of the 1861 3c. envelope stamp. Only a few collectors care for these slight varieties of envelopes.

F. A. Childs.—No value except as bullion.

M. R. Wise.—The 5c. and 10c. Colombian envelopes can be bought of dealers for 15c. and 25c. respectively; if used, for about half these amounts.

C. S.—The coin can be bought of dealers at 75c.

Mrs. W. T. Woods.—We neither sell nor buy stamps or coins.

E. C. Wood, 156 School Lane, Germantown, Pa.—No premium on the coins to sell, but dealers charge a premium on all the coins sold by them, whether rare or common. Compound perforations are those stamps perforated on different scales on two or more sides; for instance, many of the Swedish Official stamps are perforated top and bottom 13½, sides 14.

J. N. Carter.—Your coin is Spanish, and is worth bullion only. Many millions of them were used throughout this country up to 1834, and in the South up to 1861.

B. W. Leavitt.—Your three stamps are U.S. Revenues. All common.

H. M. Robinson.—No premium on the 1857 U.S.

R. I. P.—They are all war tokens issued in 1862 and 1863. Very interesting and worth collecting, but they have no monetary value.

W. W. S.—The quarter, 1892, can be bought of dealers for 50c.

H. S. Johnson.—Your stamps are catalogued, Bavaria, 1 kr., yellow, 5c.; Greece, 1 lept., brown, 5c.; New South Wales, 8d., yellow, surcharged O.S. in red, $4.50; Hawaii, 5c., blue, 30c.; Bavaria, 5 pf., red, is a revenue stamp.

T. L. Watkins.—There are about five hundred different "Private Proprietary" stamps issued by the U.S. for revenue purposes. Some of them are very common, others very rare. They are printed on four varieties of paper, viz.: Old, silk, pink, and water-marked. Some of the stamps were issued both perforated and unperforated.

Philatus.