United States families used postal loopholes to mail children

In the early 20th century, families in the United States utilized a loophole in postal laws to send children through the mail. Following a 1913 restructuring of the U.S. postal system that allowed for heavier packages, the lack of explicit regulations prohibiting the shipment of living beings led some families to use the service as an economical way to transport children to relatives.

These children did not travel in boxes; instead, they were supervised by postal employees in mail train cars. Notable historical instances include Jesse Beauge of Ohio, who sent his ten-month-old son to a relative for 15 cents in 15 cents in stamps, and 6-year-old Edna Neff, who traveled over 1,100 kilometers from Florida to Virginia. Another famous case involved 4-year-old May Pierstorff, whose parents affixed postage stamps directly to her clothing to send her to her grandparents in Idaho.