American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-05-21
AN HOUR In THE DEAD LETTER
OFFICE,

"A leihaIe correspondent OF Lille
Illustrated gives the following account
of a visit to the dead letter office at
Washington:
We had been fortunate enough to
procure the entree to this place through
special favor and influence, although,
as general thing, no visitors are ad.
mitted. 1t was large, light room,
with two or three desks, at which were
seated aged officials in silent occupa-
tion among literal drifts of letters.
The walls were lined on every side with
huge mail sacks, which had been re,
turned full of unclaimed epistlcs, from
myriads of post Offices; there might
have been fifty or hundred of these
sacks, and each probably contained
thousands on thousands of letters!
GLOW rapidly you dispose of them!"
said l, watching the lightning speed
with which the clerks tore open the
epistles, glanced over them to SEQ that
no drafts, checks, or other important
documents were inclosed, and then
threw them upon an immense heap of
opened letters at their feet.
cit is all in habit, ma am" said the
gentleman nearest me. We are ac-
oustomed to open q certain number
daily, and to those who do not under.
stand the expedition and accuracy with
which we work, would be incredible. I"
AS he spoke, a tiny gold ring rolled
from the folds of rose tinted letter
whose edges were evidently written
over by delicate female hand.
"a child's ring he said, taking it up;
"would you like look at it ma am p
took it in my hand-it was a fairy
circlet of virgin gold, with the words,
"Mary to %. r." engraved within
and wondered who the Mary was, and
who never received the tiny gift, was
dead or living.
Meanwhile the clerk had been taking
arapid note of the signature, direction,
etc. s.l,
"What will you do with it?" l en-.
CURED, returning the ring to his care.
awe lay all such things aside, in
case they should be called for"
"And are they often redeemed 2"
"Not often not once in hundred
instances" he replied, taking little
gold dollar from beneath the seal of
another letter, and laying it carefully
on the desk.
We stood in silence, regarding tho
pile of open letters, which was growing
higher with letters every moment. 1t
was strange medley of styles and
hand writing. Some were inscribed on
huge sheets of foolscap, in manner
that conveyed the impression to your
mind that the writer must have grasped
his pen with both hands, and gone at
the paper as he would dig spade into
the earth, and folded with a glorious
dlregard to all geometrical precision !;
others, again, were daintily written on
colorcd tissue paper, and some were in
that easy, flowing hand that bespcaks
energy and refinement of character in
the calligrapher.
ooh, how should like to read these
letters y said |, involuntarily.
The official smiled. "That is what
the ladies say. 1t would be almost
impossible to preserve our charge from
the curiosity of the female sex if. for.
tunately, our rules did not protect us
from many visitors"
"But do you never read them ?'
"Never, unless they seem very i'm.
portant, or contain Enclosures of value.
1t is all we can do to keep up with the
arrival of the dead mails now. IF we
were to stop and read one letter in a
hundred, we should be lamently behind
hand besides, the privacy of these
letters is a point of honor with u.s.
We have no more right to read them
here, until it is necessary, than to pry
into any personal secrets"
Here one of the clerks leaned over
and handed our companion tiny pack
age.
'From one Of the letters" said he; 81
thought the lady might be interested
in it.
1t was single curl of golden hair,
tied with bit ofpink ribbon, ,and wrap.
ped in with piece of paper, onwhich
was written, "Baby's hair"
knew the history Of that letter in
an instant. Though / had never look.
cd on its folds, could see the fair