The Portland daily press., 1863-01-08
MISCELLANY.


Suggestions Concerning Letters.
The following hints, originally published in
Holbrook's United States Mail, will save post
Office clerks and the public deal of trouble,
if improved by letter-writer. Mr.. Hobrook,
who speaks with authority, it will be rcmem-
bered, says:
Iwish to make few suggestions concerning
letters, and mail matters generally, for the
public benefit. They are especially designed
for letter-writers in and to places of such size,
that everybody does not know everybody else
and his business. And first, a word
CONCERNING WRITING LETTERS.
Be careful to date your letter with town and
State and to sign your full name, so that the
letter may be returned to you ii it fail to reach
its destination. have now before me let
ter addressed to "Dear Julia, and signed by
"Fanny." 1t is returned TO the office of mail
ing from the Dead Letter Office, and contains
a gold chain to be delivered to Fanny
Perhaps shall find "Fanny" and return her
the chain: perhaps not; but were her full
name signed should not put a perhaps" to
the suggestion. Write your name plainly.
The post-office rating stamp will supply de-
fcit In the date.
CONCERNING ADVERTISING LETTERS.
A safe rule in addressing letters is this: Do
not presume that the post-office clerks know
as much about y"rr correspondents as you do.
If you are addressing business man or firm
of long standing, yill be safer to presume
him well known; otherwise, it is safer to pre-
sumo him unknown, and to address him with
all reasonable particularly. Write the town
and State distinctly. Do not address New
Haven, CT, when you mean New Haven, VT,
nor New Haven, n. Y, when you mean New
Haven, KY. Do not add the county unless
there are two towns of the same name in DIFF
ferent counties Of the same State. The post
Offices in the the county towns of the same
name with the county, are weekly receiving
letters mssent to them, simply because the
county name is the most prominent feature of
the address.
If you are writing to member of John
G. Williams family, do not address Mrs. Mary
S. Williams, or Miss Fanny Williams, unless
YOU also add scare of John S. Williams" or
else add the street aud number at which you
expect the carrier to deliver the letter, II is
a sorry compliment to a man to presume that
his wife and children are so notorious that let
tiers will reach them without special address.
Correspondents sometimes endorse "Gener-
al Delicery" or "TO be kept tiH called for"
upon the face of a letter addressed to a stran-
ger in town. This is a good idea, especially
when the person addessed is traveller or 9th
er transient person, and often ensures the sea-
sonable receipt of the letter.
CONCERNING MAILING LETTERS.
The other prelimnaries being properly at
tended to- look your letters over carefully be-
fore mailing them, examining the address of
each, and noticing whether or no they are
properly prepaid by stamp. Every considera-
Office in the country is almost daily holding
for postage business letters and receiving let
tiers msdirected TO it, very excellent rem
edy for the annoyance resulting from the mis-
carriage of letters is found in the usage of ma
ny banks and business men, of printing, or
otherwise endorsing upon the envelope the re-
quest that the enclosed letter shall be returned
to their address, if not called for within spe-
cited time.
CONCERNING RECEIVING LETTERS.
The best way of receiving mail matter is at
the Box delivery. Next to this is by carrier.
Last and most insecure of all is the General
Delivery. / say most insecure" because that
in nine out OF every ten offices in the country,
a letter will be delivered to any honest seem
ing person who calls for it, it being presumed
that he is either the person addressed, or au-
thorized to call for him. Besides this in most
offices, the letters and papers are kept separate
ly, and the customer, who is 10th to make dali
ly calls for transient papers which friends may
or may not send him, is liable TO receive his
papers but tardily, il at ALL II, therefore, you
or your family receive dozen letters year,
take a box. il practicable, If not, rely upon the
letter carrier, and accept the General Delivery
only because you must, not because it is your
choice.
FINALLY.
Remember that ''to err is human" and that
both the public and the post office clerks are
alike subject to human infirmities. And be
sure you make use of the gracious gift of
charity"