Another Doremus From
KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS? Type A?
By the Editor A J Savakis
[From Machine Cancel Forum April 2005]

Updated September 30, 2006

This very worn cover came across my desk, cancelled Chicago, Illinois, with an incomplete International machine cancel January 5, 1901 (8:30 am). A piece of the postage stamp is missing, and the edges of the envelope are worn. The back of the cover, however, offers more interest, with a January 5 (4pm), 1901, backstamp from Kankakee, Illinois. See Figures 1 and 2 below:

[Chicago Cover Front]
Figure 1: Chicago, Illinois International postmark dated January 5, 1901 (8:30 AM) 		The machine cancel on the back of the cover is not recorded in any of the machine cancel books in my library.

The strike is not as clear as one could hope for. But the bars appear very solid but for some occasional skips. The breaks in any event do not follow any regular pattern, like the Type B Doremus which groups the horizontal bars at regular intervals.

Robert Payne supplied me with data on Doremus used at Kankakee. See Figure 3.

[Kankakee Cancel Detail]
Figure 3: Kankakee, Illinois, machine cancel, used as backstamp dated JAN 5 / 4 PM / 1901.
Is this a new Doremus Type A use for Kankakee?
The height of the seven bars is 22mm. 		Bar Height = 22mm

Figure 3:
History of Doremus Machines at Kankakee, Illinois, as recorded by Robert Payne

DO IL KANKAKEE B Bar Groups 1900 0326   00-01
DO IL KANKAKEE C Dashes 1901 0819 1902 0511 01-02
DO IL KANKAKEE CR Received 1902 0103 1902 0308 01-02
DO IL KANKAKEE D Vert Bars 1 1902 1003 190(6)0711 02-(07)
DO IL KANKAKEE DR Received 1 1903 0206    
DO IL KANKAKEE D Vert Bars 2 1906 0827 1906 1015 02-(07)

So is this January 5, 1901, a new Doremus Type A listing for Kankakee? Your thoughts appreciated.

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