The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-05
THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.

THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.
The Dead-Letter Office at Washington
is situated on the second floor in the
general PostOf1ice building-a magni-
ficent structure of creamy-white marble,
which is justly considered as one of the
handsomest editices in the national
capital. 1t fronts north on Z street,
facing the Patent Office opposite, En-
tering through one of the doors on this
street, we ascend, armed with pass
and letter of introduction from the
Third Assistant Postmaster-G General, to
the second floor, and present our pass
TO n messenger on guard in the ante
room of the Dead. Letter Office. With
a courteous bow we are at once adj
mitted, through an iron wicket, into the
sanctum-a large, oblong, well-lighted
room, with a skylight in the roof, and Il
broad gallery running round the four
walls, supported upon slender iron
pillars. This room is plainly but sub
stantially furnished, and looks not un-
like tirst-cass banking establishment,
with it's numerous desks and tables, all
occupied by clerks, who are counting,
separating, asserting, opening, register
ing, and mailing multitudes of letters
Going toward the center of the room,
we observe a large table in the middle
of the floor, at which are seated about
twenty clerks, each with knife in his
hand, which he employs in opening a
pile Of letters before him. This work
is performed with marvellous degree of
precision and rapidity. In less time
than it takes TO tell it, huge pile of
letters has disappeared and in its place
are waste basket half full OF opened
envelopes, on one side, and, on the
other, Il box full of neatly folded and
arranged letters, minus the envelopes.
At another table, facing the window, we
find half dozen clerks busiiy engaged
III asserting the letters which are coming
III every moment in bags, large and
small, of black oil-slSin, painted, in
white letters, DEAD-LETTER DEPART
MENT, WASHINGTON. These are the
hearses which convey the dead letters
to this great mausoleum, 30 be given in
charge of the force of clerica! under
takers that we see around us. In comes
IA huge sack-say from Philadelphia
and Is empted out upon Il e table, form
ing small mountain in the center of it.
A dozen hands Immediately grapple
with it and gradually it sinks down
until, after a few minutes, there is moth
ing left apparently, and fresh sack is
opened, emptied, and disposed OF in
like manner. We step nearer, and,
before they have yet disappeared, ex-
anime the contents of this second bag.
IN hnf - - 4 l.
table, surrounded by the busy clerks,
eager TO " tackle their prey. The pile
comprises letters of all sizes, weights,
shapes, colors, "cut of envelope, and
degree of cleanliness. There is the
large official letter, in its foolscap en-
velope; the heavy, fat, bankers letter,
indorsing bonds or other papers of
value; the ordinary, oblong, "J-size, s.
buff business letter, with "A card printed
III the corner of he envelope; the
modern, "cold-pressed," rough, and
square envelope, with an intricate
monogram in colOrs on the flap
the dainty little lilac, or rose
tinged cOurcrt, directed in tlmid
lady's hand; the blacl,-edged elvel-
ope (alas much more numerously
last but not least, letters without num-
Der from the kitchen-regions, in thin,
greasy envelopes of uncertain colors,
with the direction written, in yellow
ink, diagonally from the upper left cor
ner to the lower right one and with
blotches and corrections innumerable.
We shall now see what is done to the
letters after they have been assorted.
In the first place, all domestic letters. j.
e., letters originating i'll this country,
and prepaid with q two (for local) or
three-cent stamp for ordinary letters,
are carried at once, in large baskets,
like clothes-baskcts, to the table of The
"openers already spoken of, where
they all undergo the same process of
the knife. Such letters of this class.
however, as have the card or adj
dress Of the sender printed or written
on the outside, are not opened, but at
once sent TO the request-desk, in the
Return-Letter Department, which is
located in the gallery up stairs. a sim
liar course takes all letters which are
" franked " by the signatures of MEM
bers of Congress, or other persons en-
ioying that privilege and also all
official letters emanating from the vari-
Gus departments. None of them are
opened, but returned according TO the
name and address or inscription on the
envelope. Still another class of dead.
letters escape opening, viz, all foreign
letters, or letters which, originating in
foreign countries, are addressed to per-
sons in the United States. These are,
at the expiration of a certain time,
during which they have been adver-
tised, sent, from the postoffice in this
country where they have been received,
20 the Dead Letter Office, from which
tLey are again, at stated periods, ac-
cording to the international postal ar
Engagements, returned to the General