The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-01
FOREIGN MAIL.
A FLOOD OF LETTERS FROM THE
CRANKS OF EUROPE.

Anarchists, Fortune Seekers and Just
Plain Cranks-Some Gifts FOR Him Also.
Many strange appeals are made to the
President In the letters which form part
of his foreign mail. The writer's evidently
believe that the President has but to speak
me word to create or reinstate fortunes,
build churches, endow hospitals, orphan
asylums, colleges, publish an authors
works, furnish the Laboratories OF aspiring
scientists, and provide the dowries Of love-
lorn maidens.
There are many requests made OF
him for information demanding nothing
less than omniscience. A family suddenly
awakens to tho recollection that q long
forgotten kinsman or ancestor emigrated
in the dim and distant past to America,
and must naturally have died and left a
fortune. He may have gone to Chicago,
or he may nave gone to Brazil, 80 far as
the knowledge OF the afeotionate relatives
extends, for America" conveys an idea
only Of vast riches and has no geograph-
ical precision, and the President is requeated
to furnish the desired information. A
woman writes begging him to discover
and restore her recusan husband, or a
forsaken girl her lover.
About the most surprising OF all the de-
mands made upon the Presidents ex-
chequer are the applications which arrive
yearly for the redemption Of Confederate
notes. Perhaps the bits Of paper were dis
covered with great delight among the
effects Of a deceased relative who was not
suspected Of having left a fortunes and
treasured with Jealous care until the pro-
pitious moment should arrive for the full
flmeut Of a cherished dream-emigration
to the United States, the setting up Of a
business, the marrying Of a wife.
The precious legacy around which dreams
and air castles have been gathering Is then
presented to bank after bank, and all in
vain. Finally it becomes the task Of the
United States Minister promptly and
cruelty to burst the beautiful bubble.
There remains, however, the President.
The holder writee to the President that he
Is satisfied he cannot legally demand the
value OF the bill, but he refuses to believe
that the President, whose honor and gener-
osity are world renowned, will, by refusing
to make 1t good, subject the unfortunate
owner to a loss so cruel and unmerited.
It is clearly a case Of "noblesse oblige.'
Numerous proposals are made to the
President to purchase foreign curios Of
every description-coins and medallions,
books and manuscripts, works Of art, gobe-
lin tapestries once familiar to royal eyes,
gems, sacred relics. Remedies are offered
him for every malady which has vexed
mankind. Every discovery for which the
world has YEARLY waited is brought to his
attention, from the certain direction Of
balloons and the avoidance Of accident by
sea and by land and the squaring Of the
circle to the exterminating Of the kissing
bug and the White House rats.
OF course there are letters from every
description Of crank. They represent the
vagaries Of cranks Of every degree, from
him who implores the President to give
heed to his wise oounsels to him with the
special mission from the Almighty.
Certain characteristics Of the hand
writing come to be recognized as evidence
Of insanity. and a marked preference Is
shown by the insane for red ink. There
is a Paris crank who for many years has
not omitted to write to the President ex-
pressing his good wishes for himself and
his family at the New Year and declaring
his intention of adhering to his invariable
practice Of donating a million francs to the
Door Of America. There is Moline Of
Arragon,' after the Spanish war an In
oessant correspondent OF the late President,
to whom he wrote to negotiate the marriage
Of his son to the Presidents daughter with
a view to securing the succession OF his
heirs to the crown of Spain.
Though most of us may nave read tales
Of how beautiful queens and prinoesses
ave captivated the i~maginations OF ro-
mantic youths, we would hardly have con-
ceived Of a boy clerking in a shop in Con-
stantinople as pouring out his despair in
letter after letter to the wife Of one Of our
Presidents, protesting against her cruelty,
declaring that he had no ambition but to
live and die for her and was ready to lay
down his life to crafty her slightest whim.
II the distress into which his imagination
had plunged this youthful adorer was not
genuine, the letters at least bore an appear
ance of a~rtlessness and reality and were
curious specimens OF the freaks OF the
human mind-or heart.
Letters containing threats or warnings
have not proved to be of importance. The
following, however, sounds a note of warn
ing of which it is safe to take heed
II defy you, President. You owe me a
living or to pay me for my electricity. I
snap my nngeTS al puDlc oElnlon' 1 give
you twenty-four hours
From the South of France came a letter
after the Spanish war relating a oonversa-
tion overheard upon a train between two
Spaniards felioitating themselves Upon
the ease with which they could retaliate
upon the United States by writing to its
President a letter containing a deadly ex-
plosive.
A German woman after the assassination
OF President Mckinley claimed to nave
written urging him to beware Of a man
with his arm in a sling. She declared that
she had three times witnessed distinctly
in a dream all that had occurred.
That dreams are not to be regarded as
infallible ~prognostics, however, is shown
by a letter giving warning that harm would
befall the President at Prince Henry's
reception.
Sometimes 1t is not quite easy to determine
whether n OF these letters is the product
of a diseased brein or not, among which
may be classed the following to the Presi-
dents daughter
MApEMoIsELLE-If I took the liberty 10
address TO you on the 10th OF June a letter
and my photograph, 1t was with the Arm hope
that my simple and loyal request, accom-