QUINTS’ MAIL

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 388, 20 March 1937, Page 3

QUINTS’ MAIL

SCREEN STAR RIVALS THE FAMOUS BABIES. Proposals of Marriage Already. (By Phyllis Griff ths). Callander, Ontario. “Nothing for you to-day. Dr Dafoe,” Thus spoke Postmaster George L. Bailey, of Callander, Ontario, many a time through his grilled wicket when Dr Allen Roy Dafoe stepped in to ask, "Any mail for me to-day, George?” But that was before May 28. 1934. On that day were born, to Mr and Mrs Oliva Dionne, quintuplets; and, since that day, the little country doctor who in their doctor has never lacks! for mail. IS fact, it comes in such large doses that the province of Ontario has seen to it that His Majesty’s mail plaices special mailbags at Dr Dafoe's disposal. A little figuring: Dr Dafoe has personalty received an average of one hundred letters -a week since the quintuplets mewed their first cry. l|.to and a hs.lt years equals 130 weeks and 100 times 130 makes 13,000. “You haven’t read them all yourself, Dr Dafoe?” Crisp-speaking, bright-eyed Dr Dafoe took his pipe from between his teeth and barked: "Certainly. Of course. Why not 1 .” “But you’re a very busy man.” “Yes, but I couldn’t let anyone else decide whether I should see my letters or not. So 1 road them. All of them.” “And answer them?” “Yes, except ' the few that are anonymous.”

"And are most of the letters friendly, complimentary?” “Yes,” said Dr Dafoe briefly. “The odd one that is abusive is invariably unsigned. I get maybe four or five a month of that kind. Not more.” The letters come. Dr Dafoe says, from all parts of a quintuplet,conscious, world—from coast to coast of Canada and from its far northern stretches; from every State of the Onion; from Japan, China, Australia, Egypt and the European countries. Apart from the cascade of correspondence at the time of the quintuplets and Dr Dafoe’s birthdays—his birthday is just one day after their fivefold celebration —the winter time is letter writing time for his “pen pals.” "In the tummer they come. In the winter they write,” he declared with a grin.

Rushed to Death. However, the Callander post office staff, augmented of necessity since the advent of the quints* testifies with fervour that, although incoming mail falls off, visitors' fairly rush them to death in the good old summer time. “Why,” said Postmaster Bailey, “we’re at it all day long selling postcards and stamps. Everybody wants to send mail from Callander.” Perhaps the bags will have to be bigger—if admirers of the quintuplets begin writing love letters as the queens of quintland grow up. Already Yvonne hat had two offers of marriage. Yvonne was hardly two when along came her first proposal it marriage from a certain young American of a place whose name is withheld by Dr Dafoe. His "courting” epistle was a work of artfulness. Next came a Toronto suitor- —and a tXjtplacent one—for the tiny hand of Yvonne. He revealed himtelf and his intentions thus:

"I am a boy seven years old. dark hair, brown eyes and handsome. I am big-hearted and kind. I have liked the Dionne quintuplets, but best of all I have liked Yvonne. If it is legal I ehonld like to marry her. Also I should like to be a movie star with the quintupets. I am in a position to support a wife. “Please. Dr Dafoe, it this is not legal, I wish you would write me and tell me. Although I ture will be disappointed.” This is Yvonne’s most recent pro-

posal—it was received only last month—but Dr Dafoe felt it best to advise the juvenile Robert Taylor to wait a little longer before pressing his.- suit. Poems are plentiful in Dr Dafoe's mail. Some they scan and most they don’t. Some are by'youthful rhymers and many by grown-ups. Begging letters seldom miss a Dafoe mail. Since it is impossible for the Callander doctor to investigate the cases he does not grant the pleas for charity. Occasionally they merit notification to a welfare organisation in the city from which the request originated. Many Seek Fingerprints. Plenty of people ask for fingerprints of the quintuplets—and don’t get them. “We have them for our own records and may have something to say about them some day,” laid Dr Dafoe, “but I have refused them to everybody.” Out of an Alabama prison camp came five hand-made picture-frames [ enclosing five newspaper pictures of the quints, with a note in pencil: “No doubt this is a very odd gift for you and the most adorable babies' in the world. I am a young and very I unfortunate fellow who Went the wrong way, but we will skip that. I had no other way of showing you and their parents how I adore these babies.”

Rubbing envelopes in • the Dafoe mail bag with childish pencillings that cannot be interpreted, the Calcutta “Medical Journal” ask Dr Dafoe for a scientific article on the birth and infant care of the quints. Dr Dafoe gets scores of letters front manufacturers desiring him to endorse their products, which he never does, and scores of letters- from people wanting to tell his fortune. A New York palmist even wanted to make the trip to Callander to scrutinise his hands so that she could explain Why he came to be the doctor of the only quintuplets in the world.