Sunday, April 19, 2009

2 Cent Documentary Battleship Calender



This is the July 1898 page from Henry Tolman's 2 Cent Battleship Calender. It is typical of the forward months of the calender through the tax period requiring these stamps. Most of the dates are occupied by cancels from railroads. Some dates the origin can't be determined and the remainder dates are completed by banks, industrial concerns, and other companies.
For those unfamiliar with calender collections of the 1898 tax period, dates are filled in by stamps cancelled for each date the tax was valid. July 1898 was the first full month that individuals and businesses were responsible for the taxes payable through stamps during the Spanish-American war. The month of July is complete for most dates except for four Sundays, when business was not normally transacted.

Railroads to note for July 1898 include:

Michigan Central RR July 1, 2, 4, 14, 16, 22, 23, 30, 31
Great Northern RR July 5
Deleware, Lackawana, and Western RR July 6
Wisconsin Central July 7
Illinois Central Railway July 8
Blue, Canada and Southern Lines July 12
Chicago, Burlington and Northern RR July 13
Burlington and Missouri River RR July 15
Chicago and Alton Railroad July 20
Wabash RR July 21
Grand Trunk RR July 25
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern RR July 26

Tolman placed notes in the margins. In the left margin is a note for the Great Northern Railway; in the top margin is a note identifying the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska.

Note the Michigan Central cancel for July 4 and the Michigan Central cancel for Sunday, July 31.

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