The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-16
HELEN GOuLD,S MAIL.
She Receives Two Thousand Begging
Letters Week.

New York, April 16.-Miss Helen NJ.
Gould probably receives more letters
every day than any other woman in
New York city. and nearly all of them
contain requests for financial assist
ance. Her mail averages between 800
and 1000 letters and packages per week,
and on single days as many as 400 COM
mIunications have been delivered at her
house
To supply the demands in a single
week recently, would involve an expen-
diture of 81 54S, 502. Nearly every part
of the United States was heard from,
and everything imaginable was asked
Tor, from peddling horse and cart to
house for a girl who wants to get mar
ried and 81 600 600 with which to found
colony in Cuba.
Nevertheless, each epistle is care
fully gone over by two secretaries en-
ployed for that purpose, and if the case
is worthy one some response is made.
Crank letters naturally are ignored
Everything imaginable is asked for by
Miss Gould's correspondents, and if she
were to grant every request it would
not take very long to dole out her
twenty millions of dollars.
AS an example of what Miss Gould
and her secretaries have to contend
with, here is a classified list of letters
received during one week:
One plan to form colony in Cuba,
amount asked for, 81 100000; 231 re-
quests for money 149 not naming sum-,
$1S1,S80; 81 requests for loans DC rot
naming sum-, $156, 203; 149 requests to
raise mortgages a not naming sum-,
S77,575; 43 requests to aid churches ct
not naming sum-, $56,981; 81 requests
to aid educational institutions (22 not
naming SUM, So, 400; 26 donations to
libraries ga not naming sum- $4,000: 5
requests to buy places, 5000; anti
| saloon league of Idaho, $1,000; "a re-
| quests to aid religious and charitable
| institutions go not naming sunni, $4,000;
/ - fcrt7 hG1ra
| toward trousseau g not naming sum-,
| $4,000; II requests for pianos g not
naming SUM, 81, 400; y requests to buy
| inventions 90 not naming sum-, ST, 200;
l wishes to sell ring, $1,000; 1 wishes to
sell brooch, $525; one wishes donation
to patriotic league, $500; one wishes help
to redeem Jewels, $3.50; one church or
gan, SIZE; IS treatment Cancer, NOR
phine, Kelley, etc.), $3.50; one wishes
passage to England, $75; one wishes tC
| sell quilt, $50; one wishes expenses de-
| frayed to secure prisoners release, $50;
one wishes to get goods from storage
$50; one wishes help to publish music
S25; one wishes to buy set of false
teeth, SIS; one wishes help to get watch
from pawn, IS; 10 requests to aid
church fairs; 107 requests for aid, pre-
| Sumably money; "a requests for ole
| clothes; three requests for watches; Il
requests for scholarships; II requests
| for advice; Is requests for tickets OF
| passes; one request to buy railroad
stock; IS requests to have embroidery
or lace work sold; 10 cranks; 8 requests
for autograph; II German letters;
French letters; 4 Russian or Swedish
letters; Wishing to sell manuscript;
silk for quilt; naming child after Miss
Gould; want sewing machines; 2 helI
to publish book; want Bibles; want
bicycles; 10 advertisements, circulars
etc; So requests for places; 80 requests
for interviews: 5 wish to sell books:
wish to use Miss Gould's name; 10 wish
donation toward church organ; one
wishes help to become medical mission.
airy; one wishes help to bring out opera
one wishes help to bring out oratorio
one wishes electro platter; one wishe:
so American cards; one wishes farm
and three cows; one wishes to sell hay
claim and cows; one wishes help tt
open photograph. gallery; one wishe:
peddling horse and cart