Re: Bob Richardson

I am going to pass on one from Gordon Chappell; Bob richardson was a life long stamp collector also. When Bob wa in Iran he used his gift for language to go into some out of the way small place (like mud huts) post offices to buy very old time stamps. He took them back to the United states after World War II ended and sold them to collectors at a good profit.
He thought of other collectors too. In the early 1930s he knew that the WW&F Rwy in Maine was the last ng RPO in the area. Their stamp was worn to the point of being indistinguishable. He wrote to the Postmaster General as requested a new one be sent to frank the envelopes he had sent to the Maine post office. He got them just before the line died. And then he gave them away to other RPO collectors.
i sent him some first day covers and said sorry they were not narrow gauge; in fact they were broad gauge in Australia. He replied it is the thought that counts.
Ted Miles