Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-07-01

Illustrated gives the loiiOWlnS &c
count of visit to the dead letter Office
at Washington:
We had been fortunate enough to
procure the entree to this place through
special favor and in1uence-although,
as general thing, no visitors are adj
mitted. 1t was a 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 Oh every side
with huge mail-sacks which had been
returned full of unclaimed epistles
from myriads of post offices. There
might have been fifty or hundred
of these sacks, and each probably
contained thousands on thousands Of
lettersl
''How rapidly you dispose of them!"
said l, watching the lightning speed
with which the clerk tore open the
epistles, glanced over them to see that
no drafts, check, or other important
documents were inclosed, and then
threw them upon an immense heap Of
opened letters at their feet
at is all in habit, ma'am," said the
gentleman nearest me. 1--WE are ac-
customed to open a certain number
daily, and to those who do not under
stand the expedition and accuracy with
which we work, would seem almost
incredible"
AS he spoke tiny gold ring rolled
from the folds of a rose-tinted letter,
whose pages were evidently written
over by delicate female hand.
"a child's ring" he said, taking it
up; would you like to look at it,
ma 'am?"
l took it in my hand. 1t was a
fairy circlet of virgin gold, the words,
Mary to E. V" engraved within
and wondered who the Mary" was
and whether the little "E. V" who
never received the tiny gift, was dead
or living. Meanwhile, the clerk had
been taking a rapid note of the sigma
lures. direction. etc.
"What will you do with it?" in
quired, returning the ring TO his care
1--WE lay all such things aside, in
case they should be called for"
And are they often redeemed?"
"Not often-not once in hundred
+ instances, he replied, taking little
gold dollar from beneath the seal o.
another letter, and laying it carefully
ON the desk
We stood in silence. regarding the
pile Of opened letters, which was grow.
ing higher with letters every moment
1t was strange medley of styles and
handwriting. Some were inscribed
on huge sheets of foolscap, in man
, ner that conveyed the impression tc
Your mind that the writer must have
grasped his pen with both hands, ant
gone at the paper as he would dig {
spade into the earth, and folded with
a glorious disregard to all geometrica
precision; others. again. were daintily
written on colored tissue paper, anC
some were in that easy. flowing hant
, that bespeaks energy and refnemen
of character in the calligrapher.
E 40, how l should like to read thes'
, letters!' said l involuntarily.
The official smiled. That is wha
the ladies say. 1t would be almos
. impossible to preserve our charge from
the curiosity of the female sex, if, un
: fortunately, our rules did not protec
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 tn
arrivals of the dead letters now. /
we were to stop and read one letter il
hundred, we should be lamentabl,
behind hand; besides. the privacy O
i, these letters is point of honor wit
us. We have no more right to rea'
them here, unless it is necessary, thai
! to pry into any personal secrets"
Here one of the clerks leaned owe
and handed our companion a tin,
:, package.
From one Of the letters" be said
. Il thought the lady might be inter
ested in it."
1t was single curl Of golden hair
/, tied with bit of pink ribbon. wrap
ped iii piece of paper, on which wa
written, "Babv's hair"
l knew the history of that letter i
an instant Though had never look
> ed on its folds. / could see the fai
young mother parting the sunny tress
es from the infant head, and placing
: with half smile and half tear with
d in the closely-written pages that wa
n to gladden. the heart of the far ava
d husband. And he never received tn