Time to head west for December cartoon caption contest

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

The design of the covered wagon approaching Mt. Hood on the 1959 4¢ Oregon Statehood commemorative stamp (Scott 1124) always brings to mind the theme music from the movie How the West was Won and its reference to the promised land.

What was in the mind of those intrepid people who picked up and headed west to seek a new life?

I think that we are not so far removed that we can’t imagine what motivated them; how they reacted to problems they faced during the journey; their hopes, fears and expectations of what they might hear by mail from their friends and family back home; and what they might say in their own letters.

The 1959 4¢ Oregon Statehood commemorative will be the cartoon caption contest stamp for December. So, here is your chance to reflect on what they might have thought or said about their motivations, their observations on the future and how they dealt with the rigors of the journey.

The challenge for Linn’s readers is to put words in the mouth of someone inside the covered wagon or its driver. Your subject can be specific to the era of Western expansion and the importance of postal service to the pioneers. Or you can bring the scene up-to-date with thoughts about politics, philately, the breadth of the United States or whatever else comes to mind.

Entries with a touch of humor or irony stand the best chance of winning the contest.

There will be two prizes given to the winners: one for the best philatelic line and one for the best nonphilatelic line.

Put your entry (or entries) on a postcard if possible and send it to me, John Hotchner, Cartoon Contest, Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125; or email it to jmhstamp@verizon.net. If you send an email, it is essential that you include your postal mailing address.

For each winner, the prize will be a 13-week subscription to Linn’s (a new subscription or an extension).

Entries must reach me no later than Dec. 24.

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