Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1876-10-25
Mail Service.

Yesterday afternoon. in qnss: OF items
We called upon Charley Meyers, our se-
nal Postmaster. who was somewhat ex-
erciSel over the constant transmission
through the mails Of contraba aud articles,
such as gold ani silver coin, iswelry,
&r. BY the las, postal treaty between
the United States aud the principal na.
tlons of the earth, a great many articles,
formerly mlilAble are prohibited from
entering the mail bags. Few persons.
except those connected with post-oflice,
have any idea Of the multIfarious uses
made of the mail-baes Of Uncle Sam.
1t is generally supposed that letters,
newspapers, circulars aud books make
up the entire contents of pouch, but in
truth vast number OF articles are sent
through the mails at small expense, and
this mode of transmission is exceedingly
convenient photographs, gloves, hand
kerchiefs, and hundreds of other small
articles, pass daily through the mails
and are generally delivered in due time.
Young alligators, horned frogs, butter
ties, lizards, &c, are frequently mailed
bat do not always survive the rough
handling of the agents. Other articles,
such as giant and gun powder, phospho-
rous, acids. glass, &c, are not trans
missible by mail Obscene books and
papers. and lottery tickets are also ia.
boo=d. OF late years a system has grown
up, which is designed to defraud the
Government of its revenues. This is
the habit of sending to foreign countries
Tor JaweIry. wearing apparel, sc. The
duties on such articles are frequently
very high, and the object of sending
them by mail is to procure them
Il gentleman desired to present his
sweetheart with a point lace col
lar, u Partisan handkerchief, ring, or
something else that can be purchased
abroad, at but one.tenth the cost at
home, he writes to a friend in the old
country to purchase the article and send
IL by mail, and the postage being a tribe,
he saves $50 or 800, and tue Govern
ment loses that amount OF revenue.
Others IRE ignorant of such things AS
duties, and send presents TO thrlr friends
out here as tokens OF remembrance. But
the revenue officers are keen of scent,
and attempts have been made to put u
stop to those practices. Under tha pres
ent LAWN force since July lst, 1876
all foreign mail matter il closely inspect
ed by the Postmaster, and packages that
have the appearance of containing dnti.
able articles are stamped Suspected
liable to custom duties" and sent to
their destination. The Postmaster at
the Office of delivery notifies the owner
of the package to call, and requires him
to open it in his presence. If tho con-
tents of the package are liable for duties.
and the article is present from friend
and not designed for sale, the owner can
obtain 1t only on application to the Sec
rotary of the Treasury. and the recon-
msndation of the Pos tmaster, paying, of
course, the duties. 1t is in the discretion
Of the Secretary to contiscate all such
articles. under the law, and he is the
only officer who can release them Meth
er the Postmaster, or the Collector
OF Customs can remit the duties
Many citizens throughout the country,
having relatives or friends residing or
travelling in Europe, considerable guam
titles OF valuable articles are sent through
the malls as presents, and in many cases
they are stopped as suspected and
made to pay up. A short time ago
suspected letter WAS received at st.
Louis, addressed to Tom Allen, the cela-
brated pa2ilist; it contained a pair of
sleeve buttons valued at fifty cents, and
came, no doubt, from some admrer in
England. Another gentleman received
two meerschaum pipes from Austria; u
fond mother was made happy by the
transmission of an embroidered dress for
her baby; another lady was called upon
to pay the duty on diamond ring
which proved to be only paste. A young
man opened package containing four
teen pairs of gloves; and another tender
footed youth of our acquaintance was
gladdened by the reception of eight pairs
OF socks; another received an album;
and 80 on ad ininitum. But the Post
master guessed wrongly when he "sus-
pected" package, which proved 10 be
simply piece of wedding cake, which is
not liable to duty. The best way in
sending little matters like those we have
enumerated, is to put them in the Post
office, so they can be readily examined
and the heet-winged Mercuries of the
desert that make cratic connection with
the Eureka and Palisade Railroad will
take them through on time.