The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1851-02-22

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examination of the inside necessary. Nine
tenths OF such letters are thus usually sen
TO their intended destination. or restored {,
their writer's. When the remittance /, lcss
than one dollar no trouble is taken with it
The systematic means used by those oil
GERS to ascertain the proper owners of If
tects coming into their possession, and {,
respond TO inquiries for lcu ~, is anos
incredible to one unaequainied with the OPP
erallons of their Office They have pr;net
io'ns OF inquiry respecting persons; creu
lars to pos,nas'crs whose omission to seuo
up dead letters has been detected, with re.
proof Tor the same, aud directions as to The
RICH, mode Of procedure; circulars to post.
masters enclosing letters Of value, with 20.
eral directions, form OF receipt 10 he taken
and returned to the Department. &c, cir.
culars in response to applications for letter.
not received at the dcadleiter office aud
many others, adapted to almost every ease
I that can arise
Mr.. Byngton, ia the third room, j. occu.
pied chiefly in keeping "a account of all
letters aud vanablcs other than money re-.
ceised, and of all forwarded to their dcs,in.
cd places; and by reference to his book $
any important fact connected with this
branch of the service can be at all times
clearly asccttainod.
Mr. Wallace has committed to him the
duty of registering and sending ett,fs orig.
limiting in the executive Offices to those
offices respectively; of returning to The
House of Representatives, during its scs-
sion, all free letters emanaiing from the
Capitol; and of receiving all applications
for lost or missing letters, searching for the
same, and answering inquiries. These ou.
ties, ut times, involve 4 reference to the bu.
rcan of dcpfodatious. conducted by MAJOR
'rrotl Of which we shall hereafter have oc-
cas,on to speak.
This whole division of the postoilce De-
partment i, in counectisn with strer i'm.
portaut duties. under the supervision and
control of J. barron. Esq, Third assistant
Postmaster General, and Ill the officers we
have named operate under his special drec.
ton. 1t is to him that communications in
relation to the deal.lctter Office are al.
dressed.
The dead letters containing no remiitan.
crs are never read, aud those containing
enclosures are looked into oul y SO far ~ is
necessary to obtain a clue TO their proper
ownerhip.
The whole number of dead letters return
ed to the Department we can ouly vaguely
estimate. Thus, in one quarter. toe bulk
OF opened letters cqnalrd about GO0o bush.
els, crammcd; each bushel Is supposed 10
contain OOO letters. The number return.
cd in quarter is therefore about six mil
lions. or twenty iour millions YEAR
I ncljmcd moneys. less the discount, are
handed over to the general treasury. sub.
icct so the demand, at the righllul owners; ,
bat, we believe. that Tor the hali-Near end.
ing June Both, 1870, the amount OF these
was not more than about s 700
Drafts, deeds, aud other papers of value,
and also lcwelry, mcmcutoes, DC. are pre-.
served in the dcad.leitcr Office. These are
often recovered by their owners with much
delight !" one Instance "'' s'.'. VIM
s''cp sIn'''''.''' ,'' ",'' VI ~, ,.',' 'J'
''.'''s ",','',D ~ i,' H.. 'Y o a., no.
'l'''' 'I,'' "'''s.'' ~ Wv .,,,r :, "L;cL
sc'"PU'ous VS." ~ "'''' t ~
properly ~ ''' ','''"''' " '''' a.,
'",s ' ~ a, nns';i'ln rnc.rs If oh,,inira
,'''' - oa,'l;'J T., ,Lo ,d'lclter
o,g.i mad IN ahou, ,hrcc minute. they were
nrnlnecl, Tho paekage had been iinprop.
crly addressed
nj l.,,o,s ara usnsIly upoaiJ letters