The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-05-20
SEQUEL TO n SELL.
The Ueddi,.g of the Daughter of the Dia
nond King Of BrazH-G45 Begging Let
fers Afdressed In Tlon Snn,U (,UbrnL-

ri SEQUEL TO Il SELL.
The Uedding of the Daughter of the Die
aond King Of BrazH-G45 Begging Let
tiers addressed to Don Samoa Cdbrat.
) Some months ago the newspapers pull
lished an elaborate description of til
wedding of the daughter of Don SAM
Cabral, the diamond king at Diamar
tina, Brazil. 1t first appeared as Ri
JaneirO correspondence of the Alban
Evening Journal, and was so ingenious
ly constructed as to deceive even the OK
perts of scissors and paste, and secure,
general publication as a bona tide de
scription of Brazilian magnifcence. 1
soon became whispered about that tn
article was ''sell," intended as a bur
lesque on the extravagant Sharon wed
uding, which took place shortly before Blu
with that presence of mind characters
tic of the fraternity, the editors who
had been sold RETAINED from allowing
any explanation to appear in their CO:
umns, and the confiding public have
| ever since envied the Brazilian luxur
liant. The article, which was one of the
cleverest impositions ever published, in
duced large number of people to ask
charity from the Brazilian diamond
king, and last week, says a Washington
correspondent of the Chicago Inter
Ocean, there were received at the dead
letter Office there, 645 letters addressed
to Don Sanza Cabral, at Diamantina,
Brazil, returned from Rio Janeiro, with
the endorsement that there was no such
place, and no such man.
The letters were sent continuously
since the first announcement of the
wedding until the last steamer, and
averaged twenty per week from the New
York post office alone, and probably as
many more from the exchange offices.
Since receiving the return package from
Brazil they have stopped at the New
York Office, and are sent from there to
the dead letter Office direct. Every few
days, now, one comes struggling in. The
postmater general received the following,
forwarded, the other day, from the au-
thor of the sell:
OFFICE OF THE EVENING JOURNAL
ALBANY, N. Y, April 6, 1876.
The Hon. j. f. Smythe, Postmaster, A.
bany, N. Y:
DEAR SIR: wish to inquire of the
PostOffice Department, through you. if 1
am not entitled to, and cannot, on appli- |
cation, receive the letters above men
toned. Don Sanza Cabral, as you |
very we'll know, is one of my own crea-
tiOn-a purely fictitious character. Am
not, therefore, his sole living represent
alive, entitled to all communications adj
dressed to him?
need not add that do not desire the
etters for publication, but would value
hem as curiosities to file in my scrap
look, as illustrating in a marked and
unique manner the success of the "Bra-
lillian Wedding" an extravaganza di-
-ected at one of the foIlies of modern
life. Very respectfully yours,
WILLIAM H. MCELRoY.
The postmaster was compelled to deny
Ir. McElroy's request, for obvious rea-
Ons.
THE LETTERS AND THEIR CONTENTS.
These letters were placed in the hands
# one of the most trusty employees of
he dead-letter Office, and were opened
nd read by her alone, then destroyed.
The writers represented every class and
ondition in life, from all parts of the
ountry. With characteristic directness,
lifts and loans were asked in almost
very case, and were unusually large
n one instance the writer of letter, be-
ng dependent upon her labor as seam
tress for support, asking for enough to
'uy a sewing machine. This, however,
vas the smallest amount asked for, the
Majority wanting sufficient aid to estab-
ish them in business; means TO trans
ort themselves to South America, to
btain an education, to pay debts, etc.
The sons and daughters of aged and in
rm parents; clergymen whose salaries
'ere inadequate for their support; wives
those husbands would not or could not
Import them; invalids who needed
money to pay the expenses of short So
)urn in more favorable climate, which
Tould restore them to health; men who
ad failed in business; spectators who
yanted the Brazilian diamond-king to
stake" them in schemes that had
millions in it"-all with the same
hildlike faith looked for relief in the
harity and wealth of Don Sanza. Many
nclosed postage stamps for reply, 9th
RS inclosed their photographs-only to
ave the clerk at the dead letter Office
0 wonder at their credulity.