The true Democrat., 1856-01-01
MO-. l2.

supescription of the letter just deposited by the little fellow. The address on the letter was simply To my dear Grandmother, Louisiana" Doubtless some good old lady, whose memory, in the mind of her innocent grandchild, was redolent of cake and candy, and of all the va rlous "goodies' which grandmothers are gene rally so ready to supply, to say nothing of the varous we'll meant offices of kindness to which their sometimes blind affection prompts them. "Look here, my little man." said the clerk, "what is your grandmother's name and where does she live?"
 "Why, she's my grandma, and she lives in Louisiana"
 "Yes, I see that on the letter, but it will never get to her, if her name isn't put on, and the place where she lives"
 Well, please put it on sir.' "But shall not know what her name Is un- less you tell me-"
 "Why, sir, she's my grandma-don't you know her? She used to live at my house."
 After the display of considerable ingenuity on the part of the clerk, and good deal of innocent evasion by the child, the old lady's name and place of residence were finally ascer- talned and added to the address; after which the little one went on his way, rejoicing in the assurance given by the clerk that now his dear
 
 portant epstle from her darling.
 Here are some specimens of the address, po- tetcal, whimsical, or simply ludicrous, that oc- casionaly appear on the outside of letters The first was mailed at San Francisco and is probably from some homesick miser to his wife and children:
 Go, sheet, and carry all my heart;
 q would that thou couldst carry mel Freighted with love thou wilt depart Across the land, across the sea. Ger thee will bend a loving face, | To thee will listen little ears; Thou wilt be welcomed in my place, And though wilt bring bothsmiles and tears. Across the land across the sea, l Thy homeward course thou pursue; may not see them welcome tho, Yet know well their hearts are true Then swiftly swiftly go, thou ocean steed l Roll on ye rapid iron wheels Bearing away with careless speed,
 The itessage that my soul reveals.
 This is going to my tailor | A trust worthy man is he | Like "a clock forever ticking, | He keeps his account with me. 1 To send my bill here request him l For the br-chcs he has made 1 Thanks to good old Uncle Samuel, 1 He must send it on Pfe-pdad.
 The following on the evasion of the post office laws, is characteristic of the times when cheap postage unknown:
 Before the adoption of the present rates of postage, much ingenuity was displayedi in mak- ing newspapers the vehicles of such information as should legitimately have been conveyed by letters. Various devices were 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 information by other means without infringing the letter of the law.
 Sometimes sentence or paragraph was se- lected, some of the letters of which were cros- sed out in such a manner that the letters left legibe conveyed the meaning which the oper- ator intended. By such transmitting process, pugnacious editorials were converted into epstles of the mildest and most affectonate description and public news of an important character not unfrequently contracted into a channel for the conveyance of domestic intell- gence
 As the constructions of the law on this sub- ject by the clerks of the department became more and more stringent, the most amusing and ingenious inventions to get beyond their reach were resorted to.
 For instance, marking an advertisement or other notice, with pen or pencil, having been declared a violation of the law attention was sometimes called to such notices by cutting round them on three sides thus making sort of flap and doubling it back on the side left uncut. In one case which now occurs to the author, a notice served in that way, thus pro- ducing hole in the paper, had the strikingly appropriate caption of "A good openng."
 The vacancy produced in the paper, in such a 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 a chapter to those per- nicious meddlers who pry into letters not for the purpose of robbng them but to gain infor- nation of which they make very unscrupul- ous use. The following observations are at the service of these gentry:
 Tests have been devised however, by which these dealers in contraband knowledge may be unerringly pointed out and detected in their contemptible occupation. A letter may be opened, read and reseaed never so carefully, yet by means of these tests the opening can be satisfactorily proved and the opener brought to justice, at least so far as a removal from of- flee can answer the ends of punishment.
 A knowledge of this secret plan rests solely with the postmaster-general and his special agents and it can only be communicated to the latter under the most positive injunctions of secresy. It will be applied in all cases where there is reasonable ground for believing that correspondence has been tempered with.
 The legal penalty for this offence is five hun dred dollars fine, and imprisonment for twelve months.