The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-05
THE MEANEsT OF THEM ALL.
Industry and Ingenuity Exercised
10 Save Tyvo-Cent stamp.

10 Save "a Tyvo-Cent stamp.
The meanest of them all is he who
tries TO beat the Government out of the
trife of 2-eent stamp for carrying
his mail" said an official OF the Post
Office Department to whose lot it falls
to examine suspicious looking letters
and newspaper wrappers
Before the adoption Of the present
rates of postage" he continued. much
ingenuity was displayed in making news
papers the vehicles of such information
as should IegitimateIy have been convey
ed by letters. Various devices were en-
ployed to effect this object.
As the law strictly prohibited writ
ing upon papers, requiring that such
newspapers should be charged with letter
postage, the problem was. TO convey in
formation BY their means without infring-
ing the letter Of the Law
Sometimes a sentence OF q Daragra ph
was selected some Of the letters Of which
were crossed out N such manner that
the letters left IegibIe conveyed the mean
ing U,l'-~h *iaA -nnsrator intended By
such process. pugnacioUs editorials were
converted into ePisties of the mildest and
most aftectiOnate description and public
news OF an important character not in
frequently contracted into channel for
the conveyance OF domestic intelligence
As the construction OF the law on this
subject by the officers OF the Department
became more and more stringent. the
nest amusing and ingenious inventions to
get beyond their reach were resorted to
For instance. marking an advertise
Eent or other notice. with pen or pen
ell. having been declared q violation Of the
law. attention was sometimes called to
such notices, by cutting round them on
three sides. thus making a s5Tt Of ZAP.
and doubling il back on the side left IN
cut IN one ease notice served in that
way. thus producing hole in the paper.
had the strikingly appropriate caption OF
4 good opening
The vacancy pl oduced in the paper in
! such a case. of course. attracted the al
tenJtOn Of The person who received il
J and that advertisement was sure to be
read If no other
HierCglyphics we're some times en-
ployed for conveying contraband ideas.
1 remember one case especially Il was
neatly drawn on the margin of a newsDa-
per which came 70 q Western postofiee
from town in New England The mes
sage intended 10 be conveyed was The
children are all we'll. and this is the wav
the meaning was depicted. Two children
a shoem9kers' awl and we'll which
means literally. children. awI. we'll. The
significance is plain enough to need no
further explanation.
But such specimens of the fine arts
are seldom attempted under the present
low rates Of postage. % the saving of ,
cents would hardly pay for the required
tlnle or labor But there are those even
| nowadays who. for that paItry consfdera-
| ton. are found willing to COMPROMISE
their cousciences. If that be possible. bv
resorting to some of tire less laborious
methods, in attempting to carry out their
prudential designs
You may call it Yankee ingenuity or
whatever pleases you, think it's down
right robbery, and a man who Will cheat
the Government out Of a 2-cept hostage
stamp will steal the savings of the widow
| and the orphan. and viii do most snv-
thing to gain his own selfish purposes