The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-09-15

queer Letters That are Written by
People ina Search Of Charity.

People in Search of Charity.
Sir Rowland Hill, had he calculated upon
the numerous ills that the penny post
would bring upon the world might have
hesitated in his great work. For the penny
post is not altogether boon and bless
ing. That it has facilitated in marvellous
manner the transaction of business, has
soothed pains of absence and has been in
strumental in great MEASURES in the diffu
sion of useful knowledge, it is true But
1t is also true that the reduction in the rate
Of postage has brought upon the public in
general, and the man of means in particu-
lar, vast army of persons whose attentions
are of a nature to be avoided. Middle
class houses are flooded with circulars from
dealers in coal, clothing and every commod-
ity under the sun. Ministers of all denomi.
nations are pestered with prospectuses Of
gold mining companies, and young univer
sity and military men are informed tina
they can always raise few thousands Sc
cretly and at moments notice on their
notes of hand simply by every post. It
'eems to be taken for granted that the
clergy wish to invest and the military to
borrow,
The most Objectionable persons who have
ayailed themselves of the advantages held
out to them by the cheap conveyance of
their communications are the beggar-letter
writer's None but the various Societies for
the regulation of charity have conception
If the articles and ingenuity brough to beaI
oy this disreputable tribe
We have before us as we write a number
of letters selected at random from the col.
lection of well-known and benevolent no.
bleman. In dealing with them we are
breaking no condolences, for the letters are
all ten or twelve years old, and we shall not
diyulge the names of the writer's That
they are genuine any philanthropist of note
| will testify.
The most common form of begging let.
er is that which comes--or assumes tc
come-from "tradesman in difficulties.
have heavy payments to meet by Satur
day morning next, and the loan of f35 70,
a few days only would save me from utter
ruin" writes one man on n memorandum
note, but his lordships secretary appends n
few lines which tell us that the tradesman
in difficulties lives i'll comfortably furnished
apartments at Highbury and is well known
to the police. " make the confession with
much difiidence, and should not thus ad-
1ress an absolute stranger were not suffer
ing terribly and seeing my children starry
ing for the want of few shillings," is the
concluding sentence of another letter This
was "a genuine case" and was promptly
relieved
Some of these letters are of grent length
Indeed, there is before us one of one-and
twenty folios written in a beautiful hand
Much of it is n complaint of ill treatment
relatives, and if the fncts be true, must
have been a particularly unhappy story.
Another is in French, several are in bad
English, and evidently written by French
md Italian refugees. The willy foreigner,
indeed, is particularly adept at this species
of composition.
Inventors seem very fond of attempting
to attract the attention of the benevolent.
a. feel sure that you would see the use OF
my patent roasting jack and plate warmer
if could exhibit the same in your lord
ships Kitchen" says an ingenious scribe,
who has also discovered a new method for
coupling trains and a substitute for boot
leather. He is not the only one who wrote
in the very same week about his inventions.
An American, who has come over to exhibit
anew cartridge, narrates painful story of
his treatment by our authorities, which may
or may not be true All he wants is the
money to return to his native land, land
E5 will do it."