Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-01-31
STAMPS BY THE MILLION.
The Astonishing Result of the Simple Scheme
of an illinois Woman.

" of an Illinois Woman.
Several persons in this place who
received requests by mail for ten can
celled postage stamps, to aid cripple
in Illinois, will be interested in the
scheme and its astonishing result Mrs.
Edna Gordon, of Kanesville, ILL.,, has
sister-in-law who is a cripple. For
the purpose of raising money for the
cripple, she conceived the idea of col
lecting stamps along the line of geo..
metrical progression, several persons
in the East buying cancelled stamps.
One day she deposited three modest
letters in the local postofice, addressed
to three different persons, asking each
for ten cancelled stamps, and request
ing each to write similar letters to
three friends, and so on, until the
fftieth link in the chain, was forged
A few days after the dauntless three
letters went forth the postmaster be-
gan to receive good many letters for
Edna Brown. 1t surprised him. His
surprise soon deepened into astonish-
ment, his establishment into consterna-
ton, and his CONSERVATION into dis
pair. The letters for Edna Brown
kept increasing. They soon filled
bushel basket daily. Then they filled
several baskets. 1t rained letters.
Instead of the usual small pouch, the
Kanesville mail required several.
Not only letters came, but boxes
and bundles of cancelled stamps from
well-intentioned people. The stage
coach became so crowded by mail bags
that there was no room for passengers.
The postmaster was obliged to hire an
assistant to help handle the stuff.
"The chair" is still not half COM
pleted, and an average of from 5000
to 10000 letters day are received at
the postoffice for Miss Edna Brown,
to say nothing of boxes and bundles
of stamps by mail and express. We'd
nesday the number received was IT,
000 The mail clerks on the trains
are in condition Of collapse.
Postmaster Shellhorn would like to
throw up his commission, but he dosn't
know exactly how to get about it.
Should he resign no man could be
found to take his place, 1t is the
same with the mail carrying contract.
Stage-driver Gardner wants to let 60,
but he can't, The little corner in
Postmaster Shellhorn's grocery origi
nally used as the postofice is no longer
of use, the mail matter having out
grown it many weeks ago, and the
postmaster doesn't know which way
to turn. Mail sacks and letters are
stacked up all about the place; the
stock of groceries and other articles Of
merchandise can't be seen because Of
the postofice matter, and the only re-
lief the postmaster gets is when some
kind hearted farmer hauls away a
wagon load of letters for his family to
sort out and open when they have
little spare time on their hands. The
Brown house is swamped with letters.
There are stamps everywhere, and it
is an impossibility to stem the tide.
Boxes, drawers, barrels, the cowshed,
the cellar-every available receptacle
is filled. Scores of sacks remain I'M
opened, and there are thousands of
letters whose contents will in all prob
ability never see the light.
A mathematical crank has figured
out just how many stamps will be re-
ceived if the chain is unbroken and
carried out to its fftieth link. He
says: The number of letters received
would equal the sum Of all the powers
of 8 from l to SOL, for the letter
No. l would, be returned with 10
stamps, while the multiples of 8 do not
begin until the letter No 2 is returned.
On each letter returned with ten
stamps) will be stamp, making to-
tai of II stamps for each one returned
to her. The problem then becomes:
Sum of all powers of 3 from l to 80
plus l times II equals number Of
stamps, substituting;-l,l79 ,592,547,-
585, lO2, 1888, 1882 plus l times II
equals 65,518,O23, 436, 13l, ia
709092 stamps. Assuming that 5000
stamps weigh one pound and 10000
pounds to car, it will require just
l01 $40, 797,056, 094, 779 cars to carry
the stamps to Kanesville.