The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-03-28
had made mistake, in sending it, and
no owner could be found.

no owner could be found.
Among this money is a good deal Of
counterfeit. The letters are all label
led, not only with the sums, but also
whether containing counterfeit or good
money. There were many bad small
bills, scattered through the piles. Ia
one case there was a bad half eagle
in another were two letters, each con-
tanning $500 counterfeit money. 1t
was on some New York Bank, new,
and very nicely done and was no doubt,
the remittance of one coun terfeiter to
another, who had been, in the mean
time, apprehended, or was suspicious he
was watched, and hence had been too
cunning to call for the wicked depos-
lite of his confederate. In the strong
box, also a box Of change, of all kinds,
and large string of rings Of various
fancies and values, taken from the dead
letters. Many a love token of this
modest kind, enveloped in letter
couched in most honied words, and in
tended, in the mind of the writer, for
the dearest girl in the universe, had in
stead of reaching its interesting desti-
nation, brought up in the dead-letter
office, passed through the practical
hands of these cold grey-haired clerks,
who never stopped to read the tender
eflusion that cost so much racking of
the heart-strings, and the delicate pledge
of affection had been tossed into the
iron-chest, instead of encircling the ia
per finger of "the love" for whom it was
purchased.
But passing out of the chest, the
matters that meet your eye on the
shelves, and in the cases, are equally
interesting. Here are books, and rib.
bons, and gloves, and hosiery, and a
thousand other things. saw one
specimen of q most splendid ribbon, OF
several yards, that seemed very much
out of place here--when it was intend
ed to adorn the bonnet of some lady.
A package lay near, that had not been
opened, 1t was from England. The
postage was S9.63. 1t had been re-
fused at the Office where sent, because
of its enormous postage, and was sent
to the dead Office, in due course of time.
Now, said the Superintendent, l will
show you what valueless things are sent
through the mails, in comparison to
their expense. do not know what is
in this, but we will see. So he opened
it, and behold, it contained about yard
of coarse cloth, like crash, worth per-
haps shilling, which had been sent to
some dry goods house in this country,
as specimen of the manufacture of the
article, by some factory in England
Of course, the postage being thirty
times its value, it was refused by those
to whom it was directed. | saw hDo
night caps that were taken from let
ter, only a few days since. If the poor
fellow to whom they were sent does
not sleep in night cap till he gets these,
his head will be cold. II is impossible
for the Department to attend to finding
owners for the comparatively valueless
things that are received; as night caps,
ribbons, garters, stockings, stays, bus
ties, &c, &C., and they are therefore
thrown into the receptacle OF "things
lost to earth," and a pretty "kettle of
fish" there is in that receptacle, you
may depend.
In these cases, arranged and labelled
for the purpose, are the legal documents
found in letters. These are numerous,
and run back for long term of years.
They are most carefully preserved.
The beneficial policy OF this preserva-
ton has been often illustrated, and most
strikingly SO, only the other day A
gentleman in distant State, wrote the
Superintendent that some seven or
eight years ago, large package of most
valuable papers had been lost through
the Post Office. They involved the
right to large estate. If he could not
find them, he would be irretrevably
ruined, and begged him to search in the
Department tor them. He did so.--
He told me that the first case he open
ed, under pile Of other papers, he saw
large package, answering the des-
cription. He took it out, and it was
the very papers he wanted. The post
age was about $1o--and they had ori.
ginally, by some mistake, failed of their
rightful owner. The package had been
carefully preserved, and the owner was
pecuniarily saved.
have given you but faint descrIp-
ton, after all, of this interesting portion
of the General Post Office operations.
Ny letter, however, has reached pru-
dent length, and must stop. The gen.