Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-06-15
CnreIcssness or fPost-onice POrters,

We gave our readers a week or twC
since few facts concerning the loss Of GER
tain letters intrusted TO the care Of Uncle
Sans officials, which letters, after travel
ing some underground mail route, were
6shed out from pile Of waste paper pur
chased at the Boston Post Office. We have
since learned few more interesting facts
which will be particularly interesting tC
those who wish TO send money or articles
of value through our mails. We would re
mark in the outset that this statemen
which we here make is true in every par
t;cular, and we challenge a contradiction
let it come from what source il may. w,
might ifit was necessary mention names
and places more fully, but as they are {
matter Of comparatively little consequence
We have through special request suppress
ed them. 81
There are 10 this town two establish
ments for The manufacture of paper, anc
like all other paper mills purchase from
time to time bales of waste paper 10 be con
verted into pulp for the manufacture o
their goods. One Of these mills-and fol
aught we know both-frequently obtain
their material at the principal post Offices
where large masses necessarily collect, and
among this rubbish are found many letters
of importance and much value. Some idea
of the number of letters thus disposed Of by
our careful (?) Postmasters may be obtain
ed from the fact that more than two thous.
and letters Of various descriptions have been
thus received at one of our mills during the
last two years! The public documents Of
our Congressman contribute their share
also, and it may be interesting for them 10
know that more than five hundred docu-
ments mailed by one Member of Congress
were received at one time and from the
same post-ofice. 7-ii7a'aH 7si q
Among these letters are a great many
written by business men, and of much con-
sequence to their proper owners. They
came from all sections Of the country, quite
a number mailed at California and some
foreign letters. On large majority oi
these letters the postage had been prepaid
so that the notion that a prepaid letter is
more likely to be safely carried to its right
destination is at once shown to be incorrec,
by the startling fact revealed BY these ''losi
lletters."
We have said that among these letters
were some Of much value. Now, in sup
tport of this assertion, we would state few
particular cases. Among a lot Of paper
purchased at the New York City Post-Of-
fee was one letter mailed at California, d.
rected to gentleman in New York, which
contained check for $1o5. The proprie-
tor Of the mill remitted the letter to the
Postmaster at New-York requesting him
to be careful enough not to lose it again,
but forward it to The proper owner. Also
from quantity of paper purchased a! the
Post Office at Springfield, Mass, was a let
ter containing SIC in bank notes. The per-
son by whom il was written was notified,
and he replied by return of mail, giving a
correct description Of the letter and its con-
tents, and a check was sent him for the
amount. Out Of seven or eight sacks from
the Post Office, Providence, Rhode Island,
about half bushel of letters were found,
and among them one containing money and
insurance papers Of value. A lot of paper
frem the Hartford Post-0ffice contained,
among other things, letter mailed at Pitts
field, Mass, directed to firm in Hartford,
which contained check for $50. o=s
And we might in this manner mention
many other similar cases, but enough is
here told to arouse the indignation Of any
sane person. 1t is but justice to the gen.
| tfonn ani,, vroDr;asor af fka ro;lI ;n nsortioo
to state that in each the above mentioned
and in many other instances where money
has been found the amount has been for
warded to its rightful owner; but in some
instances his endeavors to return the prop
erty have from various causes proved inef
fectual For instance, We have now in our
possession letter written by W. H. Rpen-
barry. No So East Twenty. .eight-st New
York City, and mailed at that Office, inclos-
ing FIVE dollars 10 bis wife, Mrs. D. L. Rip
enbary. Danyille, Warren County. N. Y
This letter we believe was recently receiv-
ed at the mill among quantity Of waste
paper from :he New York Post-Office.-
Mr. R. was written to in relation TO the mat
ter, but whether this letter shared the same
fate as his or from some other cause We
cannot state. but at any rate nothing has
been heard from him.
The lovers missives, too, upon which so
much care and pains have been expended,
are here found among the cast-otf rubbish
received from the Post Offices we have
mentioned. and sample of one Of these is
now lying on our table. It IS very hand
some valentine, neatly folded, mailed at
Boston and sent to Miss -. Well, we
came honestly BY il, and yet the person to
whom it was addressed never saw or per-
haps heard of ii. Other little articles Of
small value, except as tokens Of friendship,
are found in this great nav from which
We have taken two very pretty stamped
collar patterns which were also mailed BY a
lady at Boston; but instead Of being deliv-
cred to the person for whom they were in
tended, were packed of to our receptacle
for waste paper, which is indesd q dead
letter Office on no small scale. M
Those letters containing money are seem
ingly Of more consequence than the others,
but in fact they are of less real value than
the numerous "home letters" written by
anxious relatives and friends, commuuica-
ting intelligence of great importance, and
in many instances referring to sickness and
other misfortunes. Who can estimate in