Why This Toddler was Found in a Mailbag: A Surprising Piece of History

Here's a surprising fact about the American postal service you might not know.

Today, we use the postal system mainly to send letters, clothes, or items from place to place. But back in 1913, it was perfectly legal in the United States to send children through the mail.

Stamps were attached to the children's clothes, and the mailman would board the train with them.

Many people took advantage of this 'service' because it was much cheaper than buying a train ticket. At that time, rural populations were often considered poor and couldn't afford train tickets. So, the American postal service introduced this option, allowing parents to mail their child from place to place via the mailman.

This photo was taken during one of such 'transfers' — a toddler being sent to visit his grandmother, who lived just a few houses away. It wasn't until news stories began to spread globally that this practice was halted, citing it as 'abuse' of vulnerable individuals.