The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-09
QUEER LETTERS TO MKINLEY
Some of the Curious EpistIes Which Reach
the President

Washington, Sept. 8.-There Is one
branch Of the White House business
which shows almost no midsummer dull
ness. The letters to the president Of the
United States show little dimunition in
volume, and require about the same
force to take care Of them as in mid
winter. A good many Of them are ad-
| dressed to the president at his vacation
residence. and are forwarded to the
| White House. OF these letters from the
| people, in distinction from the political
leaders and men of note, il is safe TO
say that the writer's generally expect
that the president will personally read
and attend to them. To make this as
surance doubly sure, they put the word
PERSONAL or private in the corner Of
the envelope, and sometimes in a burst
Of over caution strictly private" Occa-
sionally the words Private Secretary
Porter please not read are added. This
last direction is religiously observed. for
the mass OF letters addressed TO the pres
ident never get so near him as the pri-
vate secretary, but are opened. read. an
swered and filed away by the executive
clerks and their stenographic assistants.
1t is said that anybody who RAIDS this
mail addressed to the president would
be able without ever looking at news
paper to know wha: is going on in the
world. Every important event is reflect
ed in this popular correspondence. A few
weeks ago a story went the rounds of
the newspapers about the turning up OF
some counterfeit 81 900 bills at the treas
NJ,
OF thousand letters TO the presidents
mail, and il comes about in this way:
The green goods men in the large cities
are constantly sending out circulars set
ting forth the profitabIeness of the coun-
terfeit money business. They are espec-
tally active whenever the public prints
contain an account OF the successful
working off Of any bogus money, and
the clippings portraying the transaction
are frequently enclosed with their circu-
lars A very considerable percentage OF
the people who receive these prospectus
es from the green goods men deem II
their duty to acquaint the president of
the United Stateswith the facts. They
usually begin their letter to him with an
Apologize statement for having received
such a dishonest proposal from any quar-
ter; they assert that IL the president will /
only make inquiries in their neighbor-
hood he will find that their reputation is
a sufficient guarantee that the counter |
feiters made great mistake in address |
ing them
Sometimes. however, the victim" |
takes a single step in the path ot sin. !
by nswering the circular and asking for |
further particulars. Many OF the green 1
goods concerns in such cases, send out. i
as a sample Of their wares, a real dollar
bill. so that the intended victim may /
have a chance 10 see whether the goods
are OF kind mat could be safely hand
led in the "neighborhood. Many a man
stops in his downward path RICH: here.
and writes 20 the president. enclosing
the sample that he, TOO, may Sc how
easy Il is % victimize the treasury. TIE
letters on this subject are often pathetic.
and usually interesting in the extreme.
Their authors no; infrequently want a
reward for iheir honesty. and usually re-
rite in asking for II their tremendous
need Of the funds whica the Counterfeit
srs offered them. OAe-r persons write a
most glowing eulogy OF the United
States government. and set forth IN pst-
rlo,ic terms the duties OF ne citizen
toward l. One man. in letter received
AZ taeWhite House a few days ago. dis
,ourssd IN tina: line as follows:
Il though, as I was working in ny
is,d The other day ;hat. poor as an.
IND hard az have ,o!ied tor forty years
could no: believe j: rigat 20 cheat IT, !
,IesSsd government % the United States
IS l felt IL w0ui Be . handle tleSz 3
goods II o:ae- people are doing i: al !
round. and (; seems from ne re9or.s !
ley are that's no: my concern / an
-: responsible for the dishonesty % :
,aer people. Bat I Do ho2e. Mr. Nc /.
linlsy. now that I have b-JuSa: this
natter 20 your aeser,ion. y51 VIII take
nsas1res 20 roo, out the EVIL :, once
Z you wan; any further help from re =
a tracking the rsscalS. ! shall D S,sd
} -esp0nd. 5a; = !; sa5u.i require any
-ea; amour; @: travelling On ny pa.
Oh roli3 have - supply ne EI1a All
osi passes. as ! nave 10 uo1ey fo- ca
ares