The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-11-28
a Curious Phi1amt1.rophy.

gentleman OF means and generous heart Delng
in our post Office noticed large pile OF letters
on a table about to be placed in mail bag Tor
tho dead letter Office at Washington. After In
curing why such disposition was made OF SUCH
a large number he learned that all of these let
ters had been placed in the post Office without
stamps, and that according to the postal laws
they were "dead" and nothing could be done
with them but to send them 10 the national dead
letter Office. The gentleman was allowed to
look over the lot, and he could see by their re-
spective addresses that they came from all
classes of people and represented every kind
of domestic and business letters. Here was
evidently the short, curt letter of the banker
containing a valuable check or draft, which
s,me house afar off was then anxiously await
lag, which had been placed in the post office
without stamp by careless clerk; then there
vas the well-flled envelope containing the
oiessing and advices of mother to her wan
dering son, and the love missive, the dunning
letter and in fact every kind OF eplStle that
goes to make up the mails.
While considering the trouble and even dis
tress that might be caused by the failure of this
gentleman conceived the notion of taking upon
himself the responsibility and expense of for
warding the letters. He made arrangements
with the post office officials that all letters
ceived without stamps should be stamped at his
expense and sent on their way the same as if
the proper stamp lad been plat ed on them by
the writers.
This went on for three years, thousands of
| people receiving valuable letters during that
| time from our city, not dreaming that they
would never have received them, or not known
of them for long time, had it not been for the
action of philanthropi stranger. At the ex
piraton of the time it was suggested by post
| Office clerk that u tickle >f some kind should
| be placed upon each letter forwded notify
| ing the person who received Il y i had been
so stamped This was adopted ..4i the result
was the following ticket, which has been placed
IN every letter so stamped since
| LETTER
Was detained in the post Office at Newark, N.
J., on account of the non-payment OF postage.
One who realizes how important it may be to
| have letters forwarded Immediately, has placed
| the necessary stamp upon this letter.
| To repay him, please send postage stamp OF
equal value, addressed to
Box 5S2, NEWARK, N. J.
In course of time some of the letters with
| this little card attached not reaching the per-
sons .hay were addressed to, Oh account of re-
movas, deaths, ETC., were sent to the dead let
ter Office at Washington. The officials there
noticed the ticket and so astonished were they
| that the Postmaster General sent letter to our
| Postmaster asking him if this really was an act
of benevolence as it appeared or did it cover
some mercenary, sinister design. Our Post
master in his reply assured him that it was
true act Of benevoence. TIE press of Wash
ngton published the letter and in this way the
matter for the first time became public, with
out the knowledge CT the plilanthropist.
For full eighteen years this movement has
been in operation. During that time over So
| 900 letters mailed without stamps or with can
| celled or revenue stamps on them, have been
stamped and sent on their way rejoicing
They have gone to every part of the civilized
or semi civilized world. Persons in Africa,
| Asia, Japan, China, Australia, Russia, every
| country in Europe AMI South America, even
| far - 49, ''-~ -
If Iotters thus forwarded Since the ticket has
| been placed on them about one out of every
| five letters so sent has evoked reply contain
| ing the amount spent for stamps, and some
| times more than necessary for that purpose
with the request that it be used for the stamps
for the general fund. Many of the letters so
received are very grateful in tone and all ex-
press surprise 1.-THE plan.-Ne,oGrk Advertiser.