Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-31
TONS OF LETTERS FOR EVANSVILLE.
How woman's Plan for Securing Can
cellsd Postage Stamps Is Working
Results of Running a Chain of Fifty.

How woman's Plan for Securing Can
celled Postage Stamps Is WorkinE--
Results of Running a Chain of Fifty.
Recently many Wilmingtonians have
received communications from their
friends and acquaintance outside of the
city in which is contained o statement to
the effect that q certain medical in
stitute has offered free treatment 10
a young lady of Kanesville, Illinois,
who is lame, who has been cripple
since 6 years of age, IL she would collect
1000, COCO postage stamps. Each letter has
number. After this statement comes q
request to each one TO make three copies
of the letter to be sent to three other
friends, only changing the date and put.
ting the next. highest number at the top,
numbering each of the three copies made
the same. Then request is made to return
the letter which each one receives, together
with 10 or more cancelled postage stamps.
to Miss Edna II. Brown of GAINESVILLE ILL.,:
also the name and address of the three to
whom each person has written, andthey are
IN turn asked to do the same. Anyone not
wishing to comply with the above request
is asked to return the letter received to Miss
Brown go that she may know that the
chain has been broken. A break in the
chain, it is said, would cause loss 10 the
whole enterprise. The highest number in
lHt ltltCIo 10 W anu buO pEIsOtA ICtGlNlHk
such letter is requested to return it with
out making any copies, as the chain ends
there.
The following Chicago dispatch from
the New York World of January 10th, ex-
plains the whole matter:
Mrs. Edna German resides in Kanesville,
Ill. kanesville is not on the map. nor on
railroad, but every postal clerk in the
country has recently heard of it. 1t has
jumped into universal nOtoriety.
Mrs. German was Miss Edna Brown.
Her husbands sister is cripple. Mrs.
German conceived the idea of collecting
cancelled postage stamps for her sister-in-
law along the line of geometrical pro-
erosion. The next day after the inception
of the idea three Notwithstanding letters
> left tho Kanesville postofiice, addressed to
three different persons, aud signed by Mrs.
Germans maiden name, Edna Brown.
The letters went on 10 state that she was
q cripple and desired to collect q million
cancelled postage stamps In order to secure
treatment in medical institute. Each of
the three persons addressed was asked to
send Miss Brown 10 or more cancelled
postage stamps and to write three letters
containing similar requests, their CORE
spondents to send stamps and write other
letters, and so on, until the fiftieth link in
the chain should be forged. Those receiv-
iuR itLhEIS w NGit nshGu uOt 10
write other letters, but to return the 10th
letter to Edna Brown, thus ending the
chain.
To appreciate what happened 1t must be
remembered that GAINESVILLE is cross.
roads town on the prairie. nine miles
northwest Of Aurora. The nearest railroad
station is Sugar Grove, five miles south
Comprising the town there are perhaps &c
houses, and % letters day would be big
10. 70
Grove by train, and from there is taken to
the postoftlce by stage twice day.
A few days after the dauntless three
letters went forth the postmaster began
to receive good many letters for
Edna Brown. 1t surprised him. Knowing
every man, woman. child and dog in town
he was aware OF Miss Browns marriage
His surprise soon deepened into astonish
ment, his establishment into CONSERVATION
and his CONSERVATION into despair. Th,
letters for Edna Brown Kept increasing
They soon filled a bushel basket daily
Then they filled several baskets. II rainet
letters. Instead of the usual small pouch
the Kanesville mail required several.
Not only letters came, but boxes anC
bundles of cancelled stamps from we'll
intentioned people. The stage coach be
came SO crowded by mail bags that Their,
was no room for passengers. The post
lhdotti was ObIlStu " lllEc dsslSLdub u
help handle the stuff.
"The chainn is still not half completed
and an average OF from 5000 to 10, O0t
letters day are received at the postotiic,
| for Miss Edna Brown, to say nothing o.
boxes and bundles of stamps by mail anc
express. Wednesday the number received
was 1900. Monday IL reached 5000
The mail clerks on the trains are in
condition of collapse.
Some of the letters even contain money
orders sent by sympathetic persons. Oftel
| whole sheets OF stamps are cent Just a
they came from the postoifice, except w.tl
an ink line drawn through. of cours
one person cannot look over all of thi
mail, so it is parceled out among tn
farmers wives, who, for the satisfaction
of reading the letters, open them and trim
the stamps for the little cripple. She passst
the 3,0OO,O0O mark long ago, and thsr
seems To De no way to stop the avalanche
No medical institute wanted million
cancelled stamps or even thought Of sucl
u thing. The only one who seems to b
making anything out of the scheme i
| Uncle Sam, who Is receiving from 500 t,
$500 o day postage on the letters sent I,
Edna Brown Of Kanesyille, Ill.