The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-16


comes serious difficulty, an auction sale is
had, which any person has the privilege of
attending, and all the stock Is sold But
each sale, with the price obtained, is re-
corded, so that If an attempt Is made to re-
clSim the lost package, the owner can have
the equivalent in cash. when he proves the
justice of his claim. But this is seldom the
ticles seldom wander back to their original
owners.
THE COST OF CARELEssNEss.
1t would be an interesting task to calculate
what the carelessness of its citizens, in this
particular, costs the government, but any
thing like an spproproximate would be diff
6cult to determine. About one letter in
$50 that are written goes to the dead-letter
Office. Hence I-ls0 of the expense of the
service should be charged to the Office,
which would be about 81 100000 per year.
There are % clerks employed in the dead
letter Office proper, at an a. gregate salary of
$9i 000 but ofcourse this does notiuclude the
cost of transportation, stationery, nor the
labor of handling the 4, ZOO, 900 of dead let
ter5 that are sent annually from the
different postoffices in the country
to Washington, and the more than
But the service is really invaluable. The
amount of money that is shown by the re-
port to have been returned to it's owners dur
ing one year demonstrates that. Individ-
usl instances demonstrate IL. Some time
ago, in a bank in New York, the person who
bad charge of the mails and express pack
ages c3relessly allowed a package, which
was intended to have been se1t
by express, TO get into the mali
bag. It was sent to the postoffice and
from there came to the dead-!etter Of
flee, because the postage was unpaid. When
opened here it was found to contain fifteen
81 900 bills. The assistant postmaster-ge
ersl at once telegraphed the cashier of the
baak from which it came other to come to
Washington Immediately himself or to send
a person in whom he had confidence. 4
gentleman came in response to the telegram,
bearing the prescribed credentials, and was
very much astonished when he was pfesen-
ted with SIS 600. / mentioned among the
list of cnriOsites in the cabinet valu.
able diamond ring. This has its romance.
The passion that was iorsworn."
The ring came to the dead-leiter Office in
an envelope marked "uncalled for" It was
post marked ST. Louis, and addressed to
San Francisco. The letter enclosed
the parties interested in this very
delicate matter, but this may come to the
eyes of one of them, perhaps, and ne may
find out in this way why she never sent him
back his pledge OF love, and She-wby he
never acknowledged this kind but cruel
letter: SCI don't know that it is necessary for
me to write anything to accompany this or =
closure. Think the ring itself has a language
that you can understand, and will carry my
message as we'll as paper. But I can
not let go without at least expressing
my esteem and regret for him who
Our past, Henry, has been, until this differ
euce, nothing but happiness; but think it
best for both of us that from this time our
aths in life lie apart. 1 have considered it
again, as you asked me. but 1 can not alter
my decision. Spare me the pain that any
more thought on this subject must cause. i
wish you much joy hereafter. 1 hope that
you will find heart that will be a thousand
times more precious to you thsnever mine
would have been. Forget me, but remem-
Der that no love, however unworthily be-
slowed, was ever wasted. Z. II. S."