Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-12-19

The following, on the evasion of the Postofficc
laws, is characteristic of the times when cheap DOS
tage was unknown:
Before the adoption of the present rates of post
age, much ingenuity was displayed in making news
papers the vehicles OF such information should
legtinately have been conveyed by letters Nar-
devices employed to- effect this object
As the law strictly prohibited writing upon papers,
requiring that such newspapers should be charged
with letter postage, the problem was to convey in
formation by their means without infringing the
letter of the law.
Sometimes sentence of paragraph selected,
some of the letters of which crossed out in
such manner that the letters left legible conveyed
the meaning which the operator intended. By such
transmitting process, pugnacious editorials
verified into epistleS of the mdeSt and most affec-
tomato description, and public news of important
character not unrequcntly contracted into chan
mel for the conveyance of domestic intelligence.
As the construction of the law this subject, by
the officers of the department, became more and
more stringent the most amusing and ingenious in
vcntlonS to get beyond their reach resoret to.
For instance making an advertisement other
notice with pen or pencil having been declared
violation of law, attention sometimes called to
such notices by cutting round them three Sides
thus making sort of flap, and doubling it back
the side left uncut In one case which now occurs
to the author, notice served in that way thus pro-
ducing hole in the paper has the strikngly appro-
pirate caption of " y good Opening!"
The vacancy produced in the paper, in such case,
of course attracted the attention of the person who
received it, and that advertisement was sure to be
read, if no other.
The author devotes chapter to those pernicious
medders who pry into letters, not for the purpose
of robbng them, but to gain information of which
they make very Inscriptions The following
observations at the service of these gentry:
Tests have been devised, however, by which these
dealers to contraband knowledge may be unerring-
ly pointed out and detected in their contemplate
occupation. A letter may be opened, read, and re-
sealed carefully, yet by means of these tests
the opening can be satisfactorily proved, and the
opener brought to justice, at least far removal
from office can answer the ends of punishment.
\ knowledge of this secret plan rests solely with
the PostmasterGencra and his Special Agents, and
it only be communicated to the latter under the
most positive injunctions of secrecy. 1t will be APP
piled in all cases where there is reasonable ground
for believing that correspondence has been tempered
with.
The legal penalty for this offence is five hundred
dollars fine and imprisonment for twelve months"
The book concludes with interesting chapters on
the subject of decoy letters, method frequently
adopted to trap dishonest officials, and the laws
adopted by the department with reference to miss
ing letters, the carrying of the mails, &c. together
with the statuter enacted by Congress on the same
subject
If any one should be foolish enough to suppose
that clever a as Mr. Holbrook has been I'M
wise in revealing, in this book articles to defraud
and to detect fraud, which may perhaps hereafter
be employed with success by dishonest clerks, he
will be relieved when he learns that " Comparative
ly few of the secret modes of detection exhibit
ed and he who should CO lsider himself safe in
evaCing such plans here described, will find !
to his sorrow that he has made most damnable |
calculation" |
The book, which will be published in a few days,
is got up in particularly neat style, and is full of il
several of which, by barley, unusu-
ally clever and characteristic of that popular illus
traitor 1t also contains short biographical notices
Of all the Postmaster Generals from the admnistra-
ion of Washington down to the present time, Y
by well-execued ikenesses of each one of
hem. ~