The Washington times., 1921-10-13
$4,000
I AWAITING
I. OWNERS
Electric Power Company Seeks
to Repay Unclaimed De-
Z posits to Owners.

Depositors or their heirs, ,4d6
all told have money coming to
them from the Potomac Electric
Power Company. On making the
proper Identification they can get
the money, which has been in the
Golfers of the local electric light
company for many years and which
the company is trying to get rid
Of. At least the officers say they
want to get rid of 1t.
SI6,z9s Awaits Claimants.
II all came about through the rules
OF the company requiring a deposit
from nearly every user of electric light
IN the District. Since the rule went
into effect. 2,700 persons have dtscon-
tinued the use of electric light and
failed to obtain their deposit, and when
the company checked up it's books
about six months ago. 1t found 1t had
$3.50 inactive accounts. These de-
posits amounted to $1S.2s3.05.
Clerks were employed to send out
printed notices that the deposits were
ready to be returned to the rightful
owners, upon the presentation of the
receipt or an affidavit that they were
entitled to the money, IL they had lost
their receipt.
The Postoffice Department returned
1.814 letters with the notation thet the
addresses could not be found. An
other 1902 letters were never heard
from again after they were dropped
into the mail boxs.
So 423 Present Claims.
But 423 surprised persons were
reminded of Christmas or bonus week,
when they presented the proper
Identification and received various
amounts, which represented their
deposit. Among those who received
deposits were trust companies In all
parts Of the country. They pre-
scented claims as the trustees Of per
sons long deceased.
Other persons replied from Eu-
ropean cities and several army Off
GERS wrote to the company. months
the far-of Philippines. Some elec-
trio light company money was also
sent TO the Canal Zone, where for
mer residents Of Washington were
found.
Among the list of persons who
claimed deposits were those who in
years gone by have been prominent
figures in the political and social
life of Washington. Former Secre-
IaIy Oh war ftODeFt oHaW NylNeT,
wrote from Paget, Bermuda. for his
deposit. while the Danish minister.
C. Brun, acknowledged the receipt
of a deposit on behalf of the In
dustrial Council at Copenhagen. For
mer Secretary Of State Colby was
one of the more recent Washington
figures who acknowledged the re-
ceipt of money.
$2,819.A Paid Back.
To the total number of persons
heard from. the company paid back
$2.819.14., leaving about $4,000 still
in the Golfers of the company cloud
ly clamorfng for rightful owners. y
a. one man remarksd-s4 ~
= The recent efforts to locate the
owners of deposits is the first in the
history Of the company, 1t was said
1t the offices today.
William F. Ham, president of the
company, said the tone of the replies
received was very pleasing to the
officers of the company and that he
had received many compliments from
former users of electric current for
the action of the company. Many
of the letters were from army or
navy officers who had been stationed
in Washington.
One man, who has been In Cali
fornia for many years, wrote that
he had misplaced his receipt and
asked II there was any other way in
which he could collect his deposit
He said the receipt was the only
thing which he had misplaced dur
ing his life, that he had his birth
certificate, his college diploma his
marriage certificate and the birth
certificates of his children, but that
the valuable receipt of the Potomac
Electric Power Company had been
misplaced. The company wrote him