T 2 THE DINGEE & CONARD COMPANY'S 



This letter contains no money ! Will the thief who has stolen three 



PREVIOUS letters FROM THE WRITER, PLEASE ALLOW THIS ONE TO PASS, AND 



3IUCH oblige! 



He did allow it to pass, and it proved to be the third letter written to 

 ENQUIRE why an order of $20, sent to us six weeks before had not been filled ? 

 The letter containing the order and Postal Order for the amount had been 

 stolen, and two subsequent letters of inquiry also. Great indeed must have 

 teen the faith of the writer that we were not thieves ourselves. We still owe 

 her a debt of gratitude for the perseverance she exhibited under difficulties 

 that would have discouraged most persons. 



It seems likely that it will be impossible to prevent stealing from the mails, 

 as long as money is sent loose in letters. We therefore urge our friends to 

 always remit by Postal Order, Registered Letter, or Bank Draft, thus avoiding 

 risk of loss themselves, and removing temptation from others. As soon as 

 the thieves find that letters do not contain money, they will not care to incur 

 the risk of stealing them, and the business will be abandoned as one that 

 does not pay. 



Being desirous of doing our whole duty in the matter, we this 'year offer to 

 send a Premium Rose — Purchaser's choice — in addition to all other premiums, 

 for every remittance made in either of the ways named above. As Letters can 

 be Registered at every Post-Office, and Postal Orders and Bank Drafts can 

 be had at every little village in the country, there is really no excuse for losing 

 money in the mails. 



Lost Orders. How to Find Them. Please Read Carefully.— 

 When remittances are properly made, very little trouble or delay need result 

 from stolen or lost letters, if customers will only comply with the following di- 

 rections : 



First. — Always make remittances either by Postal Order, Registered 

 Letter or Bank Draft. 



Lost Orders. — If not heard from within a reasonable time, send a letter of 

 inquiry, and always remember that this letter of inquiry may be the 



FIRST letter we HAVE GOT FROM YOU ; THEREFORE, ALWAYS REPEAT YOUR 

 original ORDER WITH FULL NAME, POST-OFFICE, COUNTY AND STATE IN EVERY 



LETTER OF INQUIRY, SO that, if not already sent, we can fill your order at once 

 from the letter of inquiry without having received your first letter, and without 

 waiting to hear from you again. The following is a good form for a letter of 

 inquiry : 



Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana, March, 16, iSjs- 



D. & C. Co. — On March 4th I mailed you PostalOrder number 987, on Prince- 

 ton, Indiana, for $5 to pay for (here give list of articles exactly as ordered) to 

 be sent by mail. I have received no reply ; if not already sent, please forward 

 at once. Signed, Mrs. Mary E. Smith, 



Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana. 



Observe that this inquiry states the form of remittance, the number and 

 amount of PostalOrder, a list of the articles ordered, tells how they are to be 

 sent, and gives the name and address of the writer in full. Now there is no 

 trouble about such an inquiry as this, it is perfectly clear, it states the whole 

 case. We refer to our files, and find that this order has not been received be- 

 fore. We fill and send at once, and apply to the Post-Office Department at 

 Washington for a Duplicate money order, and the matter is ended. 



No difference how many letters of inquiry may be necessary ; repeat the 

 original order in full every time, and the goods will surely come. Do not sup- 



