Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-03-06
4 ACONGRESSMAN'S MAIL
The Great Stacks Of Letters and Papers
He Receives.
NEN FROM COUNTRY DISTRICTS
Receive the Most Letters Because Each Of His Con-
sttusnS Wants Seeds and Things-Each
Nan Gets Five Daily Papers and
Most Of Them Forty or Fifty
Country WseklieS.

WOGlQ furnish material lOt EOuduSo'
one might naturally conclude that the
thousands OF letters distributed among
members each day dealt only with claims
against the Government, pension cases
aud the details OF legislation, with here
and there pathetic appeal from power
erty for assistance; but there is great
deal more than this in Congressman
mail. An average Of eighty thousand
letters per month pass through the
House pOstOffice into the hands OF the
Representatives 10 be read and answer
ed. During last month, the shortest Of
the wear, IT, no letters were received ans
nearly as many sent out. a careful
selection out OF these would result In a
collection Of extraordinary interest Tor
museum of curiOsitieS in literature.
The study Of them has opened up
great field for observation OF human ma
ture, and one could derive from them
more varied experience as TO the char
acteristics, peculiar ideas and condding
simplicity Of people throughout the
CO otry than he could get in ten years
Ira .el. The quaint philosophy contained
IN some Of them, the simplicity OF oth-
ers, and the pathOs and romance OF 9TH
ers would appeal 10 one who Is OF sen
timental or sympathetic nature. Many
Of these letters would be treasure TO
the dialect writer, and would prove 10
the students Of literature how far from
accurate the average educated literary
man is in his attempts 70 reproduce the
language of the ignorant and
the idiOms OF remote COM
munities. The writer has seen letters
from the mountain regions Of Tennessee
and Kentucky, from the dwellers on the
Santee, and from the Scandinavian set
Elements on the northwest, while writ
ten in EngliSh-Or at all events In no
other known language-were utterly
unintelligigible until translated by some
one familiar with the dialect, the spell
ing being phonetic and an exact repro
ductiOn Of the local dialect. One letter
from the mountain district of Kentucky
was almost musical in its phrases and
sentences sounded exactly as written,
bit conveyed no more intelligence than
tie Greek description OF the blacksmith
a. work on his anvil would 10 man
who did not understand Greek. Yet
this letter was written by native-born
American whose parents and grandpar-
entS were Americans and among the
early settlers OF that region. Being
translated by one familiar with the dia-
lect, the corruption Of the language
was easily traceable.
One could hardly imagine the curious
subjects in relation 70 which people
write TO their representatives In Con-
gress and the confidence which is shown
In these letters. A member from the
South showed a letter the other day
written to him by woman living In
the country, the simplicity OF which
proved its sincerity, and the object OF
which is 10 seek his aid in matter OF
virtue and morality personal TO the
writer. IL is not an uncommon thing
for parents who cannot agree upon a
suitable name for their young offspring
10 refer the matter to their member for
advice. Some OF the West Virginia
members get a good many letters OF
shis sort. Que member got letter the
other day from the mother OF a pre-
sumably buxom and beautiful country
lass just budding into womanhoOd,
asking his opinion as 10 the advisabili-
" of allowing the young lady to
marry young man who was
paving court 20 her, and giving full
description Of the young mans charac-
ter and prospects in order 20 enable the
member the more readily 20 come 70 a
conclusion. Another letter came from
a young lady whose true love course
was running the usual rugged way and
who sought the members wisdom for
the solution Of problems which she and
her lover could not settle. These are
but examples of a great many such let
terS which are received by members
who represent remote districts where
the simplicity Of uncultivated nature
prevails. Some Of the questions pro-
pounded by these simple people would
puzzle a Solomon. aud a member eX-
perienceS no little embarrassment in an
swering them, though he who has the
wisdom to speak like Delphic oracle,
IS i'm fair way 70 make himself solid
with his people, getting the credit for
IL where his advice proves good and
not running much risk Of censure in
any event.
The number Of letters received by
L nbers in the House varies from five
10 en- a day, which is about the extent
Of the mail OF Mr.. GeiSSenhainer, OF
New Jersey. 70 two hundred and fifty
zach day. which is about the average
sber OF letters received each day by
Harter. OF Ohio. Mr.. Harter hav-
't,-1 Segt anti-silyer circulerS all over the
country. is reCoivisg replies which swell
bis daily mai! TO the highest notch. But
one other member OF the House equals
him That other member Is ODonnell,
of Michigan. who, being an avowed can
didate for the nomination as Governor
of Michigan, is writing TO and receiving
letters from people throughout the
state Mr.. Dalzell, who is playing big
no,itical game in Pennsylvania aud laying
his wires 10 succeed Mr.. Qaay in the
Senate. receives an average OF about TWO
hundred letters day. representatives
HUFF and EnOchS have been gettinS
about 9OOletters day during the session.
Lodge. Of Massachusetts, has STEADY
run during each session of Congress OF
about $50 every day, while Wilson, OF
Kentucky; Peel, OF Arkansas; Pendle-
TN. Of West Virginia, and HeuS, OF
Tennessee, run close up to him In their
averages. As q rue members repre-
sentlng city districts receive less mail
than any Others n Congress, and alto
eether are very much less troubled by
their correspondence. The seed season
is Just now beginning and the members
from rural districts are overwhelmed
with letters from continents asking
for seeds which are given out by the
Agricultural Department, . certain