Harper's Round Table, July 16, 1895 Part 14

"The ---- ----, tall and bland, The ancient ----, austere and grand."

9.

"The ----'s whistling lashes, wrung By the wild winds of gusty March."

10.

"Take what she gives, her ----'s tall stem, Her ---- with hanging spray; She wears her mountain diadem Still in her own proud way."

11.

"Look on the forests' ancient kings, The ----'s towering pride."

12.

"O ---- ----. O ---- ----!

How faithful are thy branches!

Green not alone in summer-time, But in the winter's frost and rime!"

Fill blanks with names of trees, and give the authors.

Answers to Kinks.

No. 87.--Book-worm--Bookworm.

No. 88.--A Study in Cats: 1. Cat-alogue. 2. Cat-aclysm. 3. Cat-amaran.

4. Cat-fall. 5. Cat-block. 6. Cat-salt. 7. Cat-achresis. 8.

Cat-erpillar. 9. Cat-aract. 10. Cat-ling. 11. Cat-aplasm. 12.

Cat-echism. 13. Cat-afalque. 14. Cat-acomb. 15. Cat-o'-nine-tails. 16.

Cat-adupe. 17. Cat-alepsy. 18. Cat-sup. 19. Cat-tle. 20. Cat's-foot. 21.

Cat-acoustics. 22. Cat-aphonics. 23. Cat-aphrect. 24. Cat-echumen. 25.

Cat-silver. 26. Cat-nip. 27. Cat-apult. 28. Cat-agmatic, 29.

Cat-enation. 30. Cat-egory. 31. Cat-gut. 32. Cat-kin.

The Helping Hand.

The Harry Harper Chapter, of Newtown, Conn., gave an entertainment the other evening in aid of the School Fund. It scored a success, of course, though at this writing it is too early to have a report of the proceeds.

The Table thanks the Chapter and gives the programme, that others may adapt it to their purposes. The Chapter had the help of an older person in Mr. Andrews, who gave many hints, decided hard questions, and on the programme gave a talk on "Mother Hubbard." There was an introduction by Curtis Morris, who told about Good Will, the Order, and the Chapter. A solo followed, "Ten Little n.i.g.g.e.r Boys," by Charlie Jonas, and Katie Houlihan gave a recitation. Arthur Platt rendered well a violin solo, and the entertainment concluded with a very funny farce, _The Frog Hollow Lyceum_.

The Order's New Patents.

Late applicants for Patents in the Round Table Order are asked to wait a few days for responses. Patents of the new design are being prepared and will, of course, be sent as soon as possible.

More About Young Journalists.

Two of the most creditable specimens of amateur journals that have come to the Table in a long time are the _Club Register_, 51 Third Ave., Long Branch, N. J., and the _Markletonian_, Markleton, Pa. The latter, published by Fred G. Patterson, is about as neat in appearance as any amateur paper we ever saw. He wants contributors, and will send a sample free. Harris Reed, Jun., president of the Nineteenth Century Club (Chapter 604), of Philadelphia, is much interested in the _Register_.

This paper wants contributors, and the Club wants members. Sir Harris's address is 1119 Mt. Vernon St.

Questions and Answers.

W. H. LEGGETT.--What you have made is a truss, not slings at all. Slings are chains running from a mast-head cap down through the hounds, and are used to support a lower yard which is fastened to the mast by a truss, and is not intended to be raised or lowered. A yard which is to be hoisted and lowered should be secured to the mast by a parral of leather, and should be raised by lifts and halyards. (2.) Clew-lines lead from the deck through a clew-block under the yard, and through the clewline block in the sail, the standing part being taken between the head of the sail and the yard, and made fast to the arm of the truss.

(3.) Lead the braces to the main-top. (4.) Your dimensions are not good, unless your draught is to be increased by a heavy lead keel. Your proportion of more than five beams to the length is bad. She ought to have more beam--say, sixteen inches. The capstan ought to be on the forecastle-deck. The dimensions of spars are good.

FRANK J. SMYTH.--Such a set of rules as you ask for would occupy too much s.p.a.ce in this paper. The racing rules of the American Model Yacht Club were printed in _Forest and Stream_ for November 24, 1894. Send ten cents and postage to the office of that paper, 318 Broadway, and get a copy.

HERBERT ARNOLD.--Dimensions of a good dory would be sixteen feet long on the bottom, seventeen feet over all, three feet six inches wide on the bottom amidships, four feet eight inches wide at the gunwale amidships, and two feet deep. You could not have a safer boat in any waters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STAMPS]

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Quite a number of inquiries have come to me as to what is "embossing" or "grilling." Both words mean the same thing in philately. Above are two ill.u.s.trations from the 1867-68 stamps. It seems at one time the government feared that cancelled postage-stamps could be used a second time. They therefore adopted (in 1867) a method of impressing or embossing on the backs of the stamps after they had been gummed a series of small squares, each square having a sharp point. The idea was that these points or squares would break the fibre of the paper, so that the gum and cancellation ink would go right through the stamp, and thus make a second use impossible. At first the entire stamp was grilled, and these are now quite rare, and the 3c.-stamps are worth about $20 used, or $25 unused. This was soon given up, and a grill measuring 13 x 16 millimeters was used. These stamps were in turn soon discontinued, and are now scarce, this 3c.-stamp is worth $5 used, $20 unused. The grills were then reduced to 11 x 13 mm. and 9 x 13 mm. Of the first variety of grills the 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, and 15c. are found. Of the latter all values from 1 to 90c. are found. In 1869 the new issue of stamps brought a still smaller grill into use, 9-1/2 x 9-1/2 mm. Then in 1870 the new issue had a grill 9 x 11-1/2 mm. The 1, 2, and 3c. of this issue are common, but all the other values are rare, especially the 12c. and 24c., which are worth from $25 to $35 each. In 1871 a grill, 8-1/2 x 10-1/2, was used on the 1, 2, and 3c. only, but soon discontinued, and since then no U. S. stamps have been so made. Peru used the same grills on some stamps, but has also discontinued the practice. A number of double grills and odd-sized grills are known, and are much sought after by specialists.

H. M. POYNTER.--The 5-franc piece 1809, France, is sold by dealers at $1.

L. A. D.--The 1861 and 1868 U. S. stamps are printed from the same dies in the same colors, but the 1868 are "grilled." An early number of the ROUND TABLE will contain ill.u.s.trations of these grills. The Costa Rica, Honduras, Salvador, etc., unused, are probably remainders.

F. EDGERTON.--Postmarks have no value.

J. G.--The quotation was on one million a.s.sorted, and the value depends altogether on the number of varieties in each lot. Apply to any dealer.