Indianapolis Times, Volume 47, Number 46, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 May 1935 — Page 23

MAY 3, 1935

FEAR FLOOD OF CHAIN LETTERS IN CITTS MAIL Postal Heads Anticipate Deluge to Reach Here in Few Days. Out of the West, where they have wrought postal havoc, the “send-a-dime” and “send-a-dollar” chain letters are now pouring into Indianapolis and it is probably only a question of days until they will be flooding the mails here. Since there Is a fluctuation in the Indianapolis postofflce of as high as 25,000 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 teriffic Influx of the chain letters, so, confidently expected postal men here, Indianapolis will soon be clogged with them, “Send-a-dime” chain letters arrive 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 $1562.50. It is fantastic, but mathematically it is true. There are six names and addresses at the top of the letter. You make five copies of the letter exactly 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 <l2s>; each of those mails five <625); each of those mails five <3125) and each of those mails five <15.625). Name Eventually on Top By that time your name is at the top. So, theoretically you receive 15,625 letters each containing a dime, or $1562.50. 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 Canada were to participate, bar none, there would he 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 pf your friends and this chain will hot be broken. Faith Hope Charity.” I.aw 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 cnains 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 confiscate it. There is little chance that this will be done. Some <f the letters now flooding Indianapolis are typewritten on thin papers; some are mimeographed; some are printed. The addresses and names often are sketchy; some are taken probably from an Indianapolis telephone book or city directory maintained for reference in 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 letters 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 a form of words would produce magical results. The Reference Department found one statement that the first chain letter is purported to have been written by .’esus just before the Crucifixion 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 17 years ago in this country. It offered the receiver the right to sell a certain type of crude oil burner in his territory in return for SSOOO, together with 18 other contracts which he could then sell for what he wished. The man who originated this was sentenced to seven years in a Federal penitentiary for using the mails to defraud.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TEVIES

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