The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-12-18

To persons mailing Letters for California and the Terri
tories Of Washington and Oregon Thousands of letters sent
to the Pacific coast become dead letters. To remedy this evil
the Post Office Department, under the authority of Congress, has
adopted as an auxiliary to its operations the following plan for
Pacific region, in a list called Z" Pacific Mail List" the names of
persons to whom letters have been sent by mail to post Offices in
this system, a letter may be sent to any post office in the Pacific
region for q person whose location is unknown, save the mere
Oregon and Washington if the letter be published in the Pacific
Mail List, its ultimate reception by the person for whom It is
intended will be rendered highly probable. To enable those who
may desire to extend to their Pacific correspondents the advan-
tages thus offered, the following illustration is given:
Suppose it is wished to send to the Sacramento post Office a
letter for George Wilson, who emigrated to California from Pike
county, Missouri, but it is feared that he may have changed his
location, and hence may not receive the letter. In this case,
direct the letter to George Wilson, Gate of Pike county, Missouri
Sacramento, California. Then, in order to publish the letter in
the Poetic Mail List, copy the address of the letter upon a
piece of paper or card, and enclose the card, together with a
three-cent postage stamp, in an envelope to the Pacific Mail
Last, n. Y. Deposit the letter, as nSuat, in the mail for Cali
fornia, and at the same time drop the envelope, containing the
card to publish the letter, in the mail for New York. From
the address on the card thus received at the New York post office
the name, George Wilson, will be entered in its appropriate place
in the Pacific Mau List, which is printed and sent by mail to
each and every postmaster in California and the Territories of
Oregon and Washington, and by them posted in a conspicuous
place in their respective offices. The list thus being distributed
over the entire Pacific region, George Wilson may at once learn
from it that a letter for him has been sent to the Sacramento
post Office. No person of a similar name win receive the letter.
for the address on it points out that it is intended for George
Wilson, late of Pike county, Missouri. Thus MANY letters will
be received that would otherwise be transmitted to the dead
letter Office.
The envelopes containing the advertising cards sent TO the
Pacific Mail List, New York, pay postage like ordinary mail
matter, and must be pre-paid. The addresses of letters copied
on the pieces of paper or cards should be written in a plain and
distinct manner. The three-cent postage stamp enclosed in the
envelopes defray the expenses of publication, and must NOT be
pasted to the cards, but simply enclosed with them. In the alb
seuce of postage stamps, three-cent coins may be substituted.
1t is believed that this circular has been drawn up so explicitly
as to REQUIRE no explanations but should this prove not to be
must be addressed to the Pacific MaI List, New York, and not
to the department.
The first of this series of lists will accompany the mail of May
5th, and viii be forwarded by each succeeding mail.
OLIVER E WOODS.