A crucial aspect of candygrams, like the similar FTD flower delivery,
which is unappreciated in this day of credit cards and telephone- and
on-line ordering, is that they could be ordered in one city and
delivered the same day in another. They relied on Western Union's
ability to "wire money", first introduced in 1871. (See Tom
Standage's excellent _The Victorian Internet_ for a description of the
development of the system that allowed them to verify that money had,
in fact been paid at one location before it was released at another.)
phrase (even a dead one), and if you do a web search, you'll find a
lot of companies that will send them for you. (Not, of course, using
Western Union anymore.)
