this can be reversed, even after the deadline, if one complies in full to the copy quota. Like Win-Lose, the reversal of fortune points doubly to the letter as a cause. Lose-Win preys on those who perceive that they have had bad luck since failing to meet the deadline. Such bad luck could be an accident, loss of a bet or sale, illness, car trouble or not being hired. . < Start of above section
< Start of Chain Letter Evolution - Contents
3.6 Mainline Testimonials Early Versions. Officer Wins. Elliot Wins and Loses. Death and Money. Boss Wins Lottery. Lost Job - Better Job. The Unbeliever's Death. Car. Early Versions. On an early Ancient Prayer chain letter we read that "one person who failed to pay attention to it met with a dreadful accident" [1905]. This is the only testimonial, win or lose, that we have collected on the Ancient Prayer type or the following Good Luck letters of the 1920's. Testimonials reappeared in North America during the Great Depression with brief accounts of gain and loss of money. The two known Prosperity letters [1933, 1939] have three, with the pattern Win / Win / Lose. One of our two versions of the World War II Luck of London chain letter [1944] introduces the now classic pattern Win / Win-Lose, possibly having combined the latter two testimonials from the Prosperity type. From our earliest Luck by Mail type: "Gen Patton received $1,600 after receiving it. Gen Allen received $1,600 and lost it because he broke the chain" [1952]. Of course Patton is the famous World War II tank commander, but "Allen" is apparently a corruption. Patton was soon transposed to the loser's position [1958], but was spared further indignity when his name was corrupted to Bratton [1960] and never restored. Officer Wins. Elliot wins and loses. With the remarkable Bloomsbury letter of 1959, our early example of the Death20 type, we get the canonical versions of these two testimonials. By some unknown path of corruption or design, the chain breaker is now a civilian with last name "Elliot." "A U.S. officer received $7,000.00. Don Elliott received $60,000.00 but lost it because he broke the chain." [1959] Note that someone has given up on the name of the winning officer. He will eventually join the "RAF" (Royal Air Force), but apart from the expected noise of copying names and numbers, these leading Win and Win-Lose testimonials have persisted for decades. Death and Money. This Win-Lose testimonial first appeared in North America on the Death20 founder
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