The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-03
FEAR FLOOD OF
CHAIN LETTERS
IN CITY'S MAIL
Postal Heads Anticipate
DeIuge to Reach Here
in Few DAYS.

out Of the West, where they have
wrought postal havoc, the "send-a-
dime" and nd-a-dollar" chain
letters are now pouring into Indi-
annapolis and it is probably only
question Of days until they will be
flooding the mails here.
Since there is a fluctuation in the
Indianapolis postoffice Of as high as
$4,000 letters daily, there has been
no noticeable increase yet that can
be definitely laid TO the chain.
But, Just as in Denver, where 100
extra postal clerks working on a
full-time basis still were several
hours behind in handling the terrific
influx Of the chain letters, so, con-
fldently expected postal men here,
Indianapolis viii soon be clogged
with them.
Send dime" chain letters ar
rive with this bait for the individual:
Fantastic, But
It costs only a dime to participate,
but, if the chain remains unbroken,
the sender will receive in return
Sl56250. 1t is fantastic, but math-
ematically 1t is true.
There are six names and adj
dresses at the top of the letter. You
make five copies of the letter eX-
actly as you find it, except that you
remove the top name and address,
send that individual a dime, and
put your own name and address at
the bottom.
Your mailing will be five letters.
Each of those receiving the five
mails five (25); each of those mails
five Q25), each of those mails five
(625). each of those mails five
(3125) and each of those mails five
Q5,625).
Name Eventually on Top
BY that time your name is at the
top So, theoretically you receive
15625 letters each containing a
dime, or S156250. Both neat and
quite gaudy! Dollar letters are even
gaudier!
The mathematical fallacy lies
herein. If every man, woman and
child in the United States and Can
ada were to participate, bar none,
there would be enough people for
only 6751 cycles as described above
The letters contain this message:
This letter and chain were
started in the hope of bringing
prosperity to all. :. Have the faith
of your friends and this chain will
not be broken. Faith - Hope -
Charity"
Law Under Handicap
In spite of the mathematical
paucity of chance that you or any
one else entering the chain SO late
could hope to benefit largely, and
with every chance of fakes and
falsely started chains to operate,
the rage Is on.
The letters are against the law.
But the postal department must get
a search warrant for each suspected
letter be re it can open it or con-
flScate it. There is little chance
AIldJ IillS Will De QOle.
Some IF the letters now flooding
Indianapolis are typewriter on thin
papers; some are mimeographed;
some are printed. The addresses
and names often are sketchy; some
are taken probably from an In
dianapolis telephone book or city
directory maintained for reference
il libraries and hotels in other
cities.
Once Used by PiOus
The Reference Department of the
indianapolis Public Library has
found that chain letters are alluded
to in many pieces Of literature. One
of the volumes tells that chain let
tiers once were used by the pious and
contained prayers.
Every one receiving a letter was
supposed to copy out the prayer on
nine others and mail them.
There was a theory that repetition
of form of words would produce
magical results. The Reference
Department found one statement
that the first chain letter is pur-
ported to have been written by
Jesus just before the Cruciflxion
and deposited by him beneath a
stone at the foot of the Cross.
Flanders Chain Recalled
One of the most widely discussed
before the "Send-a-dime" letters
was that supposed to have been
started by an American Army officer
and entitled the Flanders Chain
of Good Luck This went over the
entire world, it is reported.
One of the first chains to deal in
money was circulated II years ago
in this country. 1t offered the re-
Ceiver the right to sell a certain type
of crude oil burner in his territory
in return for $4,000, together with Is
other contracts which he could then
sell for what he wished.
The man who originated this was
sentenced to seven years in Fed
eral penitentiary for using the mails
to defraud.