The CF{AXRMAN'S CHAlTTtrR of The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, Inc. Issue No. 190 Mar 2003 Private Tour of National Postal Museum llighlights Annual Members Meeting at NAPEX egional Vice President Norval Rasmussen, with the We have extended an invitation to members of the cooperation of Vice-President Wilson Huhne, has ar- Locals and Carriers Sociery who are not also USPCS ranged a special event for Friday wening during our Annual members to join us. Meeting weekend at NAPEX. The caterer and transportation company need a firm We are invited to the National Postal Museum in Wash- number at least a week before the event. We are using a inglon DC for a private tour. including the outstanding number between 45 and 75 for planning purposes but exhibit of 1847 issues which is remaining on display for our need a much better figure! Please indicate your inten- benefit! During our tour, hors d'ouerves will be served and tions on attending this event by sending an email to Pat drinks will be available (donation bar) followed by dinner. Walker followed by your check (made out to USPCS) or Dinner is a buffet so no menu choices are needed this year. just send a check! Transportation is being provided. Thanks to generous contributions from three of our dealer Annual Meeting for Members Time and Place members: Harvey Bennett (Matthew Bennett, Inc), Charles - Pursuant to the Society By-Laws, Article IV, Sec- Shreve (Shreves Philatelic Galleries, Inc), and Scott Trepel tion 4, the members of the U.S. Philatelic Classics (Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc), who have helped Society, Inc. are invited to attend the Annual Meet- cover some of the non-food costs, we are able to offer this ing to be held on Saturday, the 7*ofJune, 2003 at I outstanding event at $68.50 per person. to 3:30 PM in the Scott Room at the Mclean Hilton Buses will leave the NAPEX hotel promptly at the close of at Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive, the show on Friday (6PM) and return between l0 and 1l Mclean, Virginia 22IO2, the site of NAPEX. PM. Schedule of Society Meetings and Sunday, June 8ft: Co-sponsored by the Carriers and Locals Society: Events at NAPEX 2003 llAM to Noon - Mount Vernon Room Friday June 6: I to 2PM - Mount Vernon Room Three topics, each 20 minutes in length: Paul Bourke - Banknote Postal History -- High- 1. Larry Lyons - "Locals on 1847 Covers" lights from a Developing Collection 2. Marty Richardson - "Boyd's City Express Registry Service" 6 PM - buses leave for National Postal Museum 3. Vernon Morris, MD - "Carriers to the US (reservations required) Mails in Philadelphia, 1847-51* Tour of NPM, featuring the 1847 Exhibit, cock- tails, hors d'ouerves, and dinner Saturday, June 7: I to 3:30PM - the Scott Roorn Annual Members Meeting: Awards, business meeting, election of Directors Following the business meeting at approximately 2:30 PM a speaker, Ed Siskin "America's Postal Sevice, pre U.S.P.O." N.B. At least 15 U.S. Classic exhibits will be entered in competition at NAPEX 2003. As a guide to viewing, titles of those accepted as of April 5, will be found on page 8. -2- THE CH{RMAN'S CHATTER Issue 190 - Mar 2003 The chairman's chaTter is a quarterly newsletter of philatelic the u.s. classics society, Inc. It is mailed bers in good standing and to to all mem_ certain oiher organizations and the philatelic media. News of members' stamp shows, and small artic-les are earnestly solicited and should be sent R' Pulver' '7125 Beaver directly to the editor, Dale creek Drive, Mentor' oH 44060-7rzr. crea, photos welcome. involving stamp activities are especially Visit our permanent website: http//rmrv.uspcs.org/ DEADLINES FOR TIIE NEXT Two CHATTERs May 20 for the June Issue August 20 for the September Issue NEWS OF MEMBERS hensive and authoritative work wer published on the subject r.RED MACDONALD INDUCTf,D Next Fred (collaborating INTOAPS with the late John Kay) nrmed WRITERS UNTT IIALL OF F'AME his talents producing to the Mail Travel Guide. a state_bv_ Ed. note: This is a slightly paraphrased state text of the induction history and catalogue of railway lines. The grude is citation. being published in sections - sixteen so far, running to l0O0 Too ofte4 the passing of one philatelist pages. He ends the research also completed another work that Towle envis_ that is his passion. Wren Writen' aged: Unitd IIaII of Fame a U.S. Transit Markings Catalogue. After John Kay,s member Charles L. Towle passed passing, on in 1990, it appeared MacDonald served as editor of updated editions of that there was no one willing to step fonvard Kay's Directories to continue tlrc of RpOs and route ug"nt", which list lines study and publication of information that.exist on U.S. railway mail. according to postal records,-whether or not post_ Towle had begun his exhaustive effort to trace and classify marks are known. all U-S. railway postma*s in the early 1970s, Finally, Fred but the task MacDonald has authored a 196 page hard_ was farfrom complete. bound postal volume on Markings of U.S. Waterway Routes Fred MacDonald appeared almost irnmediately and took (1839 - 1997). upon himself the task of completing proJect, In the including summary, here is an author and editor who not only the almost firll time tracing work.-TowL fulfilled visions f,uO'U.eu" tlri of others, but who conoeived and brought to process of putting out a @mprehensive prinl RpO catalogue just additional high quality, well-researched, standard before his death. So Fred went to Tucson wofs that not to assemble and only serve his fellow qpecialty collectors in the take with him all Towle,s records, mobile post unpublished tracings and office field, but which hel make the comprehen_ untraoedphotocopies and covers siveness Theq overtime, he honed ofphilatelic literature the envy ofother hobbies. his tracing skills (those having been somewhat crude in the The APS Writers Unit #30 is proud New Jersey Railroad to add the rnme of catalogue he had already authored). Fred lMacdonald Eventually, to the distinguished assemblage of the very the RpO catalogue was published in three best philatelic in lirerahre by inducting him into the ApS volumes, averaging 330 pages each. It ii the most mmpre_ Writers Unit Flall of Fame. Notice All members are encouraged to take a look at the society internet website at http://www.uspcs.org. until recently' the website was focused on information for new or prospective members. at it recently you But if you have not looked will find that a significant amount of information ias been added to help existing members of our Society' A number of the new links are aimed at helping t"itn frriut"ric or historical research and provide direct links to major databases, libraries, and museums. Additionally' new links have been developed to provide information on current upcoming events and activities, such as the annual meeting at NAPEX, the details ubout ou, recent;;;;d winners (Distinguished philatelists, and the chase' Ashbrook, Perry, and Brookman cup winners), and quick e-mail links to the Society officers. *"b'"u'ter, is constantlv updating #iT::],*::Tj;,Xllil,t; the sire. rryou have suggestions ror other good links, -3- PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Fellow Route Agents: This issue of the Chatter contains details about our Annual Meeting, scheduled to take place at NAPEX in Tysons Corner, Virginia on the first weekend in June. I very much hope that I will see many of you there. I am quite pleased at the number of fine exhibits of U.S. Classics that will be on show. Of special note is the Friday Dutch Treat event which includes a private tour (after regular hours) of the Na- tional Postal Museum in downtown Washinglon, DC. We are able to arrange this because our Vice President, Wilson Hulme is the Curator of Philately at the NPM. This involved costs (transportation and museum security) not normally associated with our social events; I want to offer many thanks to three of our dealer members: Har- vey Bennett, Charles Shreve and Scott Trepel who each have made generous donations to cover much ofthese extra expenses! If you plan on coming to the Annual Meeting, and I hope you are - please make your hotel reservations promptly and also your reservations for the Friday dinner. Ifyou are an internet surfer, I hope that you have watched the steady progress ofour Society website - the ap- pearance is more professional and the information is extremely current thanks to our webmaster, Charles Di Como and Board member Wade Saadi who has lent some technical expertise to the project. Charles has placed an update "date" on the home page which will let you know the last time the site has changed. We got an excel- lent review in the April 2003 American Philatelisl column, "The Glassine Surfer" (page 310). On a different note - I have not had any response to my appeal in the last issue of the Chatter for a volunteer for Society Publications Sales (Back Issues) job. This is an extremely important position. If you have some inter- est in the job, but doubt you have space, it might be possible for the Society to cover the cost of renting storage. Please contact me if you might consider undertaking this task. (P.O. Box 99, Lisbon, lvD 21765 or walke96@attelobal. neO Yours in philately, Pat Walker THE be appreciatd too. A couple of months ago I received a letter, by way of Rob EDITOR'S Lund, from a young lady in Decater, Illinois.