The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-26
BEGGING LETTERS.
How Chauncey M. Depew's Are Sorted
and Disposed of BY Him.
New York Tribune9

How Chauncey III. Depew's Are Sorted
and Disposed of BY Him.
(New York Tribune.)
The letters which come under the
head CT begging are preserved in a sep
arate file, and these are invariably
brought to the attention Of Mr.. Depew.
"Of course" said Mr.. Du Val. most Of
the letters come from professional beg
gars, but occasionally there is a case
worthy of investigation, and in order
to do justice. and for the purpose OF
study, Mr.. Depew reads most CT these
letters. Requests from "a person hun
dIeds of miles away for money to pay
funeral expenses, to pay the fin Of a
man whose family must starve while
he is in jail, from a man who cannot
set married until he has money to buy
a new ccat and from young women
who want juss enough money to buy a
small outfit are among the daily lat-
ters, and added to these is a s~prinkling
Of pleas for money TO pay doctors bills,
to buy a glass eve or a false leg, to
perfect an invention which will net the
promoter a fortune, or to prosecute a
claim.
AT this time of the year letters of
this class come in double quantities,
and to the usual plea the writer adds
something about Christmas. The auto
graph hunter is in evidence with every
mail. In cases where the letter indi-
Gates that the request comes from a
person who really wants it for a collec-
ton, h autograph is usually sent, but
requests from vendors of autographs
are usually filed in the paper basket
and the stamps turned into the char
ity fund"
Mr.. Du Val has selected from the
collection of begging letters a number
of curious specimens. They are humor-
DIS and pathetic; they come from all
parts of the world, and from all classes
of society, but they show that the de-
sire to get something for nothing exists
in all circles.
Mr.. Depew's collection of letters
would be of interest to managers who
are in search Of young women with
phenomenal voices.
Fond mothers write about daughters
who have voices which would give them
the fame and the income of a Patti or a
Sembrich, IF the voice could only be
properly cultivated" These writer's
usually say that the golden result could
be attained by the expenditure of a
few hundred dollars, and they ask Mr..
Depew for this amount and promise to
return it. A trip to Paris for the pur-
pose of visiting the schools OF music is
also among the ordinary requests, and
these letters are frequently followed by
second communications, enclosing the
photograph of the prima donna that is
to be.
A letter from the far west is from a
woman who asks Mr.. Depew to save
ners which he attends. They will
make a very fine collection" she
writes, land, if you will put your name
on each one, it will make them more
valuable"
During the war a new class of cor
respondents came to the front. They
were people who wanted war relics,
autograph letters from men N the field,
and favors for husbands, brothers and
s~weethearts. One OF these correspond
EMS, who asked Mr.. Depcw to use his
influence to procure the discharge of a
soldier, who was i'll and unfit for
duty" succeeded in enlisting M. De-
peW's sympathy. The mar vas dis
charged, and then the fact developed
that the man neither wished ncr was
entitled to a discharge The urgent plea
of the woman asking for the soldiers
relief and the soldiers letter to the ef-
feet that he was perfectly willing to re-
main in the army are fled in one en-
velope, and this has been marked, He
would not leave the army"
One part of the begging letter file is
given over to the correspondents who
beg for advice. Youths who wish to
take a college course and have 10
money ask how they may accomplish
their purpose. What shall they do to
raise the necessary funds? Women
write to find OUT where their children
may receive the best education for the
least money, and hundreds Of young
men send long essays, giving a true
history of their lives, and ask Mr.. De
pew to tell them into which profession
they should enter. One of these learned
letters, which was received recently,
had a postscript, in which the man
wrote: If you will send me a pass 1
will call and give you further particu-
lars"
Dcpsite the fact~that the correspond
ence is enormous. nearly all letters are
answered.; but the burden of the work
fails upon Mr.. Du Val and his assist
ants.