1897 J.w.scott Advertising Cover

Hello everyone, I just wanted to post a scan of a cover I recently acquired. It is an 1897 J.W.Scott (Scott Catalogs) business/ advertising cover. I think the reason I like this cover so much is due to his contributions to and impact on the hobby we all enjoy.
Thanks
David

David, nice early example of a Barry machine cancel. The rectangular city stike is common but I have not seen that particular killer before. I will research it this weekend and update if I find anything.

Hi Russ, That will be great. I wondered about the cancel.I'll be looking forward to the information.
Thanks
David

David, This cancel is from a Barry Postal Supply Co. (aka Barry Rapid Cancel Machine Co.) who had a plant in Oswego, NY and produced canceling machines from 1895-1909. The cancel has an open rectangular dial (where the city and date is) and "jagged" or "lightening bolt" diagonal killer bars. There is a place for a machine number slug but no slug is installed (which is not uncommon).

This type of cancel in very common with straight line diagonal killer bars but this is the first example I have seen with the jagged diagonal bars. I have seen Barry cancels with jagged horizontal killer bars (I thought I had a scan of one but was unable to find it. I will post if found)

Below is an example of a similar Barry cancel with the straight diagonal line killer bars



Here are a couple of my favorite Barry cancels


Chicago "Mail Delayed Train Late"


The ornate Oswego, NY

Hi Russ, I have some of the straight line diagona types but this is the only one I have like this.Thanks so much for getting me this information, it is incredibly helpful and informative. You came through once again
Thanks
David

train late-- good excuse!

Not just a good excue but also often. I know of this cancel from Chicago and New York. They used it enough that it was setup on canceling machine that could do thousands an hour.

That "train late" marking makes me curious about something. Back in the day of those postmarks (1898-1908), why would it matter if the train was late? What did a postal patron expect for their two cents?

If the train was late and the mail arrived some hours after its expected arrival time, perhaps it would be processed to the recipient the next day, to which I would say "So what?" Was mail service all that efficient back then that anyone would take notice of a letter being received a day or two late?

Fast forward to today's mail and if you send a letter to certain addresses, it may take a day or two to get there, and occasionally a bit longer ... but no one raises much of a fuss about it, so I just wonder why it was such a big deal back in 1900.