ADVERTISEMENTS.

A cream-of-tartar baking powder. Highest of all in leavening strength.—Latest United States Government Food Report.

Royal Baking Powder Co., 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 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.

Continuing the journey begun last week from Chicago, we start from Joliet for the run to Ottawa. From Joliet continue along the river and canal. It might be well to inquire the condition in which the tow-path and the road happen to be at the time of your going over the trip, in order that you may take the one most used by wheelmen. Sometimes the tow-path is better, and other times the road should be taken. Here is one of the advantages of being a member of the L.A.W., since the local consul will gladly give you any information on this matter or any other concerning that particular country that you may desire. Generally speaking, it is well to keep to the tow-path, as the ride is more picturesque along the canal.

From Joliet run in a westerly direction, turning sharp to the left at the outskirts of the town, and continuing until the railroad and canal are crossed, proceeding then either along the canal, or, if you take the road, following the route marked on the map which runs between the canal and the river. After crossing the railroad and the canal, keep to the right instead of crossing the river, and the road to Channahon, twelve miles away, is clear except at a point about half-way from Joliet, where the left fork should be taken. Passing through Channahon, turn westward to the right, and then running almost directly westward, crossing the railroad, instead of keeping to the left, and running down by the canal. Before crossing the C.R.I. and P. Railroad, turn southward to the canal, and following the tow-path run into Morris, where dinner can be had. To leave Morris ride northward across the track again, thence westward, not far from the railroad, to Seneca, between ten and eleven miles away. Proceed on the main road, always in the vicinity of the canal and railroad, through Marseilles on to Ottawa. The road turns a couple of miles before Ottawa is reached southward, crosses the canal and railroad, and runs then into the city.

This trip is most of the way over capital road; there are few hills, and there is a good deal of diversity of scenery. Much of the interest of the trip is in the different points of historic interest along the way and in the vicinity of Ottawa. The distance from Joliet is about forty-five miles, but it can easily be done in a day by even inexperienced riders, owing to the level country and the good condition of the roads.

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 in 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; Poughkeepsie to Newtown in No. 864; Newtown to Hartford in No. 865; New Haven to Hartford in No. 866; Hartford to Springfield in No. 867; Hartford to Canaan in No. 868; Canaan to Pittsfield in No. 869; Hudson to Pittsfield in No. 870. City of Chicago in No. 874. Waukesha to Oconomowoc in No. 875; Chicago to Wheeling in No. 876; Wheeling to Lippencott's in No 877; Lippencott's to Waukesha in No. 878; Waukesha to Milwaukee in No. 879; Chicago to Joliet in No. 881.

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.

Two hundred thousand sets of the 1860 issue of the Nova Scotia stamps have turned up, and the entire lot is said to have been sold to a syndicate of Canadian dealers. The find is so large that prices on this set must fall very much. The veteran dealer J. W. Scott states that fifteen years ago he purchased several hundred sets lacking the 5c. from a gentleman in Ottawa at about 50c. per set. The 5c. has been the commonest of all this issue during the past decade.

The proposed philatelic club-house in New York is probably an accomplished fact. One hundred gentlemen have subscribed $25 each to pay rent for the first year and furnish the house, which will probably be the meeting-place for all the metropolitan societies! All auctions are to be held in the club-house, which is to be a general rendezvous for all philatelists, and the centre of all philatelic matters in America.

The Geneva exhibition has been a great success. The stamps were well shown, and the local committees made things pleasant for all visitors. The exhibition closed with a grand dinner to which 125 gentlemen sat down.

There were 82 Zurich 4 rappen, 82 Geneva 10 centimes, 32 Vaud 4 centimes, shown, almost all of which were in used condition. These are the stamps worth from $100 to $200 each, but the bulk of them were in the albums of eight or nine of the exhibitors. Pastor Lenhard took the gold medal for the best Swiss stamps, Stanley Gibbons the gold medal for the best collection of any one country. He exhibited his Trinidad and St. Vincent collection, worth $25,000.

Plate No. 89 is the scarcest of all the plate numbers. Dealers offer $25 each for either the top, bottom, or side imprints of that number. It has been ascertained that 9000 sheets of 400 each were printed, each quarter sheet of 100 stamps bearing the plate number on two sides; thus 72,000 copies of this plate number were issued. Who has any? Of No. 116, which is also quite scarce, over 75,000 full sheets of 400 each were printed, probably one-half on un-watermarked paper.

A collection of 20,000 buttons, including specimens of those worn on all the uniforms in the world, has been left by a rich Englishman named Hamilton, who died recently in Vienna. He had also brought together 352 fans, which had each belonged to beautiful women. Another fad of English collectors is the buttons of servants bearing their employer's coats of arms.

The button craze is rapidly growing, and probably will reach its climax early in November, after which time it will gradually die out. Several collectors have over 300 different buttons in every variety of shape, size, color, design, and motto. The buttons were sold early in the season for $30 a thousand, but the price has come down to $7 a thousand. Specially handsome buttons are $10 a thousand. The sidewalk peddlers sell them at 2c. each, or three for 5c.

In consequence of the civil war the Postmaster-General of the U.S. directed that on and after June 1 all mail matter coming from the seceded States prepaid by U.S. stamps be held for postage, and sent to the dead-letter office at Washington. In August the Postmaster-General directed that Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania could prepay letters by stamps of the 1847, 1851, and 1857 issues until October 1, from other loyal States east of the Rocky Mountains until October 15, and from California, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington until October 21, after which dates all stamps issued prior to 1861 were valueless, but would be redeemed up to October 21. After the war was over millions of these U.S. stamps were offered to dealers by parties who got control of the stock on hand in Southern post-offices in 1861. They were very cheap then, but are growing dearer every day.

R. A. Fitzgerald.—I cannot say what would be the value of the original Ordinance of Secession of the State of Alabama. I should think that some of the Southern historical societies would be glad to buy it.

H. D. T.—Unperforated U.S. Revenues, 25c. Certificate worth 25c.; 40c. Inland Ex., $5; $2 Mortgage and $3 Charter, $1.50 each. Your $2 bill is worth face only. Your other questions are too vague.

A. Cohn.—The 1868 U.S. 1c. blue grilled is quite scarce, either used or unused. If you iron soaked stamps you will probably obliterate the grill.

A. A. Scott.—The most advanced collectors of U.S. Revenues prefer to buy the unperforated stamps in pairs or blocks. This of course costs a good deal of money, and ordinary collectors must be content with single specimens. Such copies should have a good margin, on all four sides. There are many faked unperforated stamps, which are made from the ordinary perforated stamps with wide margins.

R. Creighton.—Split stamps have been used in the U.S., but, with one possible exception, without authority of the U.S. government.

Edward Hubbard, 515 Myrtle Street, El Paso, Tex., wants stamps in exchange for Porto Rico and Mexico stamps.

A. Merriam.—Coins made in the Philadelphia mint have no special mark of origin. Coins made in the Carson City mint are marked "C.C."; the San Francisco, "S."; the Dahlonega, "D."; the New Orleans, "O."

W. R. Wheeler.—U.S. Revenues were first used in October, 1862, and almost every legal or commercial document (policies, leases, conveyances, etc.) used during the next ten years bore Revenue stamps. Also every receipt, and check, every box of matches or bottle of medicine, every photograph, every barrel of beer, package of tobacco, etc. In fact, very few things escaped taxation in those days. After the war ended, one tax after another was removed until only the tobacco and liquor taxes remained. These pay taxes by stamps to this day.

George Werner.—Most of the Central American States have been using "Seebeck" stamps during the past six years. It makes very little difference whether these stamps are used or unused. Of the earlier issues the unused are generally the rarer.

Sidney Mulhall.—Always use hinges, and of the best quality. Care must be taken in turning over leaves, or the book should be examined beginning at the last page and going backwards. The 1885 Corea stamps were probably never used. The 1895 issue is in use at present.

F. Pulis.—There are four varieties of the 1802 cents, and they can be bought of dealers at 10c. to 35c. each.

M. S. Taylor.—I cannot assist you in the sale of your album. As a rule albums two or three years old are valueless.

Carrie E. Ball.—The only small cent which is scarce is the 1956 flying eagle. All the others are in common use.

Philatus.

It was in the dusty smoking-car on the Long Island Railroad that the following was overheard. A number of anglers were grouped together discussing their big catches, and at times the wind that rushed by the car windows fairly groaned with the weight of the wonderful stories that it carried away. An old man in the corner with a short clay stump of a pipe stuck between his lips turned slowly around in his seat and surveyed the group. Giving a hitch to his trousers, which nearly dislocated the pins that held them together, he approached the boys.

"Tellin' fish stories, eh, boys? Well! well! Did ye ever hear what the whale that swallered Jonah did?"

"No, never heard about that," said one of the anglers.

"Never heard that, eh? Well, he went around and hunted up a lot of other whales, and then he bored them to death tellin' them how the largest man he ever caught wriggled loose and got away."