The Washington times., 1895-05-26

are usually engaged In some dishonest
scheme, aud that they desire their identity
aud residence to remain unknown to both
the police aud the public.
Green goods men have their mail sent to
these establishments. Schemers, sharpers
aud tricksteTs find in them a means OF ply
ing their trade without figuring in the
transaction at all. If one would take the
trouble to look up the addresses of some of
those marveIouns offers and business oppor-
tUnities which often appear in the papers,
aud in back-coUntTy sheets especially, he
would find that, almost without exception,
the directions Will lead you to q private
mail box concern.
But there is another class of persons
who find in this feature a real boon which
renders more easy their troubled lives.
The love-sick swain seizes with avidity
upon any plan which viii enable him TO
Communicate with the object of bis
affections, and when the vigilance and
watcnfulneSs of opposing parents render
actual meeting impossible this device
affords an easy means of securing unin-
terruptcd correspondence.
A note either mailed TO or left in the box
is secured by the young lady while on
shopping expedition and no one is the wiser.
The answer is received by the smitten youth
in similar manner without undergoing
any Of those agonies caused by fear of
accompanytheex exchange ofsucb bilIet-doux
But. alas and alack, the fact must be
recorded that some of the scions of
wealthy and aristocratic families make
use of these letter boxes for sending mes
sages TO their lacy loves in the ballet
aud chorus, and that married men and
women thus carry on clandnstine cor
respondence.
DETECTIVES WATCH THEM.
The post-offioe authorities have no right
to suppress OF hinder these establishments,
aud If anyone directs that his mail be
sent 10 any particular address, they can
not do otherwise than comply with the in
structions.
Instead of affoTding a means of keep
ing the illegal and dishonest schemes
from the knowledge and the notice of
the police, these letter boxes are really
a means Of attracting attention to them
and aid in their speedy exposure. The
detectives keep a EtTict watch on all the
boX-holders and fIeCCenteIs of the places
aud are ever on the alert to nab their
man at the slightest appearance of wrong
doing
1t is said that the police authorities
prefer that the crooks should make use of
the private letter boxes, for they then
know where their meu can be found, and
can lay their hands on them at any time
The establishment which has recently
been put in opera tion in Washington has not
yet taken on the evil features here men
toned. It's work thus far has been con-
fined TO the correspondence of young
ladies' and young gentlemen. The girls
use it 10 write Ia their beaux, and the boys
find IT 4 convenient means of making en-
ga gements with their chums in. shorter
time than would be required to send
letter through the mails, it being arranged
that each will call every evening at the
store.
The proprietor, of course, loses nothing
by these calls. 1t viii not be loug, how
ever, before the private letter boxes will
find favor, and their evil features be
developed in a city over-rgn by gamblers,
sharks and tricksters from the resorts
across the river.