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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.

Last week we followed the route from Chicago to Waukesha as far as Lippencott's, on Fox Lake, advising the rider to make the distance from Chicago to Lippencott's in one day, running as far as Wheeling in the morning, stopping there for dinner, and continuing to Lippencott's in the afternoon. It is possible to make the rest of the journey to Waukesha on the second day, and by referring to the map in the last issue of the Round Table the reader can follow the route from Fox Lake to Salem—the rest of the distance to Waukesha being shown on the map given this week.

The distance from Lippencott's is about fifty miles. Leaving Lippencott's, ride to the south about three-fourths of a mile, then turn sharp to the left instead of continuing back towards Wheeling. Hold this road for about two miles as it turns northward, and then run straight along on or near the shore of Fox Lake out to Antioch, the only turn being about half a mile before entering the town of Antioch itself, which is evidently enough to the right, as the town is in sight.

From Antioch, after crossing the track, proceed northward along the main road direct to Salem, a little over five miles from Antioch; thence run on out of Salem in the same direction about a mile; take the left turn at a junction of five roads, and ride out toward Fox River by Silver Lake, which will be on the left. Cross the river a good five miles from the fork beyond Salem. After crossing the river keep to the right, and follow the river itself all the way into Burlington, along an easily found road. At Burlington recross the river again, and follow a somewhat winding road to Rochester. Burlington is about eight miles from the bridge over Fox River, and Rochester is five miles from Burlington. Keeping on through Rochester, continue two miles to Waterford, and there turn northwestward and run a good eight miles to Mukwonago. The road is not especially good here, and there are some opportunities for losing the way, unless the map is followed carefully. It will pay to make inquiries occasionally. On leaving Mukwonago run on about five miles to the north, and at a fork, which is evident on the map and will be easily found on the road, turn to the right, and run to Saylesville. Thence proceed direct to Waukesha, seven miles away.

Burlington is the place to stop for lunch; that gives a ride of about twenty-five miles or more after lunch and twenty-six or twenty-seven miles before, thus dividing the journey in halves, and making a pleasant two days' run from Chicago to Waukesha. That is, leaving Chicago, stop for the noon rest the first day at Wheeling, and spend the night at Lippencott's; on the second day stop at Burlington for the noon rest, and reach Waukesha in the late afternoon.

From this point the rides about Waukesha, which have already been described in the recent numbers of the Round Table, can be taken, and a good fortnight's bicycling trip can be spent to great advantage in this one district alone. All the country along the route is made attractive by the conspicuous absence of bad hills and by the constant appearance of water, either in the form of ponds or lakes or rivers.

During the next weeks we shall give some especially interesting trips in Illinois, in the vicinity of Chicago, such as trips about Ottowa and trips to St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. All of these are carefully chosen trips, adapted to the average bicycle-rider—not the long-distance century-runner—and it will well repay any wheelman to study these maps in and around Chicago.

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.

The American Philatelic Association has just held its annual meeting at Lake Minnetonka, Minn. The membership is 1046, and the treasurer reports a surplus on hand of about $1300. The annual dues have been raised to $1.08, being exactly nine cents per month. The following were elected officers for the ensuing year: Messrs. Olney, president; Vanderlip, Toppan, and Kilborn, vice-presidents; Chandler, treasurer; Beard, Phillips, and Doeblin, secretaries; Mekeel, superintendent of sales.

Plate Nos. and U.S. Revenues continue to increase in value, and now a long-neglected department of philately is exciting widespread interest, viz., U.S. entire envelopes. I have always advocated collecting entire envelopes, showing the different dies and colors of papers, leaving to specialists the different varieties in shapes, sizes, water-marks, gums, etc. The only objection has been the necessity of having separate albums for the envelopes. One of the curious facts connected with auction sales is that frequently a perfectly clean entire envelope could be bought cheaper than a cut square envelope of the same die, and on the same paper. A few collectors have availed themselves of these opportunities to their own profit.

The issue of the Columbian series of U.S. stamps seems to have led large numbers of persons who know nothing of stamps, except that some rare ones bring big prices, to buy quantities of all the Columbians and lay them aside as a speculation. These hoards are now coming into the market, and every week quantities are purchased by the dealers at a discount on the face value. This is especially true of the denominations 50c., $2, $3, $4, $5. Very few of the $1 stamps are offered, thus their price is fairly well maintained. But the others are bought at a discount of ten or fifteen per cent., thereby breaking the speculative prices. Still, every lot that comes into the market reduces the quantity held in reserve, and prices may advance materially at any time.

A. Carey.—M. stands for German marks, worth 25c. each; F. for French francs, worth 20c. each; £ for English pound sterling, worth $4.88; also for Italian liras, worth 20c. each.

A.B. Hervey.—It is impossible to say which of the Plate Nos. are rarest. One dealer may have a large quantity of certain Nos., and lack those of which another dealer has a superfluity, and vice versa. A priced catalogue of Plate Nos. can be bought of any dealer for 25c. The prices are a fair indication of present values, which, however, are fluctuating. The following list of Nos. wanted has been advertised by one of the largest dealers. They must be in strips of three, with full Imprint and Plate Nos. attached, either tops, bottoms, or sides.

UNWATER-MARKED.

Nos. 2, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 49, 50, 53, 54, 56, 59, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 84, 85, 88, 89 (will pay $25 for this), 90, 92, 93, 94, 97, 100, 104, 105, 106, 109, 110, 111, 123, 125, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 146, 151.

WATER-MARKED.

Nos. 24, 29, 33, 35, 60, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 82, 84, 90, 93, 100, 102, 105, 109, 110, 116, 123, 126, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 159, 258, 259, 260, 261, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289. Nos. 24, 29, 33, and 35 on water-marked paper are worth $5 each and upward.

There must be thousands of these sheets in the smaller post-offices.

R.B.B.—The U.S. coins mentioned are all current, and turn up constantly in the ordinary course of trade. The foreign coins are no longer current, and are worth bullion only. The red Centennial is listed at 50c., the green at 25c. I would advise you to buy a 25c. catalogue, as it will give you full information on values.

D.H. Wilson.—Foreign copper money has no value in this country.

J.M.S. Carter.—To see water-marks, dip the stamp in water, and try it in various positions and in various lights. The letters on English stamps are control Nos. (see Round Table for October 8, 1895). Rare stamps are more valuable on letters. Common stamps are common in any way.

A. Sachs.—Certainly. Buy a catalogue. If you intend to collect stamps systematically, you must have a catalogue.

E.T. Syms.—Spanish stamps cancelled by heavy lines straight across, and those having holes punched in them, are both remainders. They are genuine stamps which could have been used for postage before they were "barred" or "punched."

A. Chambers.—O.S. on British Colonial stamps means "Official Service." The New South Wales stamps with different initials were used in the different public offices. For instance, those with the surcharge L.C. stand for Land Commissioner, etc. Some of these stamps are very scarce, and all are worth more than the same stamps without the initials.

H.D. Jackson.—There were so many varieties of Revenue stamps that it would be impossible to answer your question accurately. In general the imperforated stamps ate worth much more than the perforated. The average perforated Revenues can be bought at from 1c to 25c. each in all values up to $10.

M. Shrene.—A complete set of Columbian stamps, from 1c. to $5, is worth $25, either used or unused.

Lura E. Cosley.—All the U.S. stamps are now water-marked. A portion of a letter is to be found on every one. The letters are U.S.P.S. (see Round Table, August 6, 1895).

S. Isabel Carter.—They are not coins, but are "war tokens," which are extremely interesting, but at present have no monetary value. They were collected from 1862 to 1864, but the dies were in the hands of the manufacturers, who immediately struck a quantity whenever there was a premium. This discouraged the collectors. Some day they will doubtless be much sought after, and will then become valuable.

Honesdale.—V nickels without the word "cents" can be bought of dealers for 10c. each. Your dime and copper are still current and quite common. The "Exigency" is a "war token." Letters on U.S. coins show the mint at which they were coined. The Philadelphia mint, however, does not show any special letter.

Philatus.

OLD TREES.

On the slope of the Sierra Nevada, five thousand feet above the sea-level, there are a number of trees varying from 250 to 320 feet in height and from 10 to 20 feet in diameter. The bark of these trees is from 12 to 15 inches in thickness. In 1853 one of them was cut down and 21 feet of the bark from the lower part of the trunk was used to make a room, and when completed it was large enough to contain a piano and seat forty persons.

On one occasion it held 150 children. The tree from which this bark was taken was reputed to have been three thousand years old. There are many old trees in the world standing to-day, of which we name the following:

The camphor-tree of Sorrogi, in Japan, is hollow, and will hold fifteen persons. Superstition relates that it grew from the staff of the philosopher Kobodarsi, and Siebold thinks the tree may have existed since the time of that sage at the close of the eighth century. The cypress of Soma, in Lombardy, is perhaps the oldest tree of which there is any record in the world. It is generally supposed to have been planted in the year of the birth of Christ, but the AbbÉ of Beliz states that there is extant at Milan a chronicle which proves that it was in existence in the time of Julius CÆsar, b.c. 42. It is 121 feet high. The olive-tree at Pessio is probably the most ancient in Italy, and is stated to be 700 years old. The dragon tree of Orotava, in the island of Teneriffe, is considered to be one thousand years old. It is stated to have been as large and as hollow in the fourteenth century as it was when found by Humboldt, late in the last century. There is an extraordinary tree in the neighborhood of Finale which bears something like 8000 oranges in one year.