The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-08-11
Washington Letter,

q. 3. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT AND
DEAD LETTER OFFICE,
FROM our special Correspondent.
Washington. D. c., Aug. 1. 1877.
The FIRST building erected for the ac-
comnodation of this department, and
which was also used for the Patent Of
fee, was destroyed by fire In 1896. The
present building was built III 1855. The
style of architecture is a modified Cor
inthian, and the material of which it is
con Structed Is New York and Maryland
marble. The lower story of the north
front is occupied by the Washington
City post. Office, and the rest of the
building is divided into rooms suitable
for the business Of the department,
which Is Of no special interest to visitors
excepting the Dead Letter Office.
There is more business done in this de-
partment than most people have any
idea of. Some parts of it are the most
tiresome and others the most interest
ing of any government business / have
seen transacted. Men sit there, where
they have grown old and gray headed,
whose sole employment consisls 1t cut.
ting open the ends of envelopes and
packages. A one table the contents of
letters are examined and given over to
the various departments in the Office
| Those containing money, to the money
division those inclOSing photographs,
to the table assigned to them, and so
on, where they are closely examined for
the purpose of a>cettaining to whom
they may be returned. When this is
| discOverable, these letters are given
into the charge of ceitain clerks who at
teEd to that part of the business. Scores
of letters are daily thceived without
stamp AMI many with no direction.
These are examined, aid in case where
the writer's address can be obtained,
circulars are sent them requesting
stamps and proper address for their
fowarding, the circular to be returned.
The chief clerk of the division that has
thls part is lady, who shperintends to
clerks, and who told me that an aver
age of 800 of these circulars we're re-
turned daily with the required stamps.
or the "portable property" received
through the mails, that IL returned TO
the Senders whose address can be ascer.
taihed, and The rest is variOusly dis
posed OF. Articles that are curious or
wonderful, or in any way particularly
Interesting, are placed in what is termed
the dead letter Office Museum" kept
IN small room adjoining the Dead Let
Ter Office. Such other things as are of
any value are sold at auction az stated
intervals in two or three wears.
perhaps and the rest, useless and val.
neleNs articles, are burned after being
allowed to Temain q reasonable time to
be claimed. The money coming from
these auction sales, with that received
IN letters, the writers of which cannot
Oe known, is used by the Government.
he mu'eum Is, of course, more inter-
estlng to visitors than any other of the
lOSt Office Department. All sorts of
maiiable objects are there, and MANY
that one would suppose unmailableE
Such as wal OF gunpOwder, and sew.
eral snakes of different kinds, which
were sent and received Here alive. The
articles are arranged on shelves, which
extend over three sides of the room,
ana are protected by glass doors. fhc
serpents are now disposed of i'm glass
Jars OF alcohol, but were sent in tin
cans sealed up tightly aud perforated
10 admit the air. In one of these iarj IA
large Tattlesnake, which was alive
and In good condition when il came TO
hand. We can but pity the person Who
was such great lOser-the one for
whom this truly magnificent gift was
intended. Indian relics abound in this
Observation-Disclosures, arrOw.heads, wam-
pun, pipes, quivers, bows, and even
sca|ps That haYe been torn from human
neads' All countries are represented.
/ saw upon the same shelf a pair of
Chlnese shoes, one OF Indian mOccasins,
one OF Japanese slippers, some Turkish
sandals and tiny pair OF baby's mo-
rocco shoes. There ATE all SORTS Of tOi.
let ornaments for ladies, hair. pins, COS
mtllcsi rats " aud mice" ieut
switches, brushes, combs, lockets and
crlmps. A pair or two of white Kids
are suggestive of an incomplete party
OF wedding costume several watches
aud large case of rings-rlngs of
every description, from bone and rub
Der ones TO diamonds aud pearls. There
are many interesting notes connect.
ed with articles, relating to their his.
tories or to circumstances connected
with them. will only mention sim
gle case, most pathetic-that of an old
ilnSel brooch, b ackened aud battered.
attached to a slip of paper upoa which
Is written the words, " | took this pin
when l worked in your fathers family.
l now return it TO you. am sorry"
MATRHA NJ. WHITNEY.