Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24
HOSPITAL FOR INFIRM AND FAIL
ING LETTERS.
Guessing, Detective and other Work
At the Dead Letter Office.

Guessing, Detective and other Work
At the Dead Letter Office.
The Dead Letter Office is not accurately de-
nned by Its name. TO be sure, deceased letters
OF tne common sort undergo cremation there,
ano Inc more important and illuStriouS dead
are honored, like the great among the ancient
Egyptians, by embalmtng; but for all that the
Office is not so distinctively a sepuichre for the
aehes or other remains Of dead letters as hos
pltai where sick, deformed and manned letters
are doctored, cured, and sent on their way re-
JolclDg, TO fulfill the ends for which they were
created. There is a fascination about the Dead
Letter OH1ce Nearly every one will acknow'-
edge certain excitement in reading and build
Ing romanceS upon the letters Of strange, j.
Nearly every one takes an interest In work ing
OUT ingenious methods of solving puzzles,
whether they be REFUSES, enigmas or letter-ad-
dresses un1ntelligtble to the unintiated. Near
~ every one can understand the attractions of
a detective work, which hunts down some care
less letter-Writer to do him favor. And every
one can appreciate the pleasure Of officially
find gold watch, or diamond ring, or skull,
or Iattlesnake; and OF learning from letters
the dearest secrets OF others, even though they
are never to be divulged. More than
THREE MILLION LETTERS YEAR
are now received at the Dead Letter Office.
muncations and furnish an epitome of the cor
respondence of the country. The first step in
their treatment is to examine them In order to
discover whether they have received the proper
ana prescribed consideration from the post
master who forwarded them, originally, or who
forwarded them to the office. II neglect on the
part or any postmaster Is discovered he Is hand
ed over to the tender mercies OF the "blowing-
UP Clerk" who then states facts to him.
vigorous lecture In which the bureau expresses
its amaZement and surprise at the unpardOnable
ignorance, etc, ETC., is the most severe punish
ment Inflicted 1t is only recently that an effort
has been made to establish the death enalty
In aggravated cases. A few days ago clerk in
the city post Office had occasion to handle a
parcel addressed to the Smithsonian Institution.
1t was sent through post Office in Texas and
label On the outside informed the public that 1T
contained two live scorpions, a live centipede
ana Mexican spur. The clerk was somewhat
hurried, 1t Is alleged, at the thought that he
held poisonous varmintS' in his hands His
agitation was not decreased when he received
1rom hole In the box what he imagined to be
himself upon projecting rowel of the Mexican
spur. Nevertheless he thirsts for the blood Of
that Texan postmaster.
DISCOVERING vALCABLES.
AT the opening table the contents of such let
tiers as need to be opened are discovered. In
former times the champion letter-opener was
he who turned In the most money as the result
OF his labors, and much ingenuity was exercised
10 the selection Of letters likely to prove valua-
Die. One OF the numerous improvements In the
by the present Chief Mr.
whether containing money or not, the test of
efficiency. But the influences of the old custom
still make the eyes OF some Of the clerks gllsten
when the opening OF letter brings to light
crisp bill OF large denomination. Special ef-
forts are OF course made to return or forward
letters containing valuables. Over ninety per
tiers containing small amounts, sent under fic-
tltious names for improper purposes, and some
communications sent to lottery dealers, after
... fsng OF delivery either thr2,,oh order Of the
postmaster general, as In the latter case or Tor
disclaim all knowledge Of them. Thus the com.
munication is left suspended after the fashion
OF Mahomet'S coffin between writer and
in government bonds are the largest amounts
that have been taken from letters In recent
years. Twelve thousand dollars is the largest
amount that has ever been found In a single
letter. A draft unclaimed and consequently
bogus, found in one letter, was for $4,000 900 So
1t Is noticed that since the fractional currency
has been retired, postage stamps to about the
This establishment OF stamps as currency IS a
blessing 10 the prudent pOotmaSterS who in
vested In their Whole stock On hand lust before
tne change Dy which the number OF stamps sold
ceased 10 De the basis OF their compensation.
DEAD LETTER CONUNDRUMs.
The guessing" desks at the dead letter Office
are of interest. Long practice has made the
clerks experts at their work. at one desk ad-
dresses are translated, misdirectiOns detected
and writer's saved from the natural conse-
quences OF carelessness. The editorial capacity
into an inky labyrinth or words run into hort
zontal line, the power OF putting ones
self In the writer's place, an acquaintance
with the usual mistakes of misdirection,
and minute knowledge OF localities and d1rec-
tories are necessary for success in this work.
The Office has no blind reader to tell the correct
address by the sound Of the misspelled names;
who examines letters that have been sent out
from the dead letter ofice unsuccessfuIly
guessing powers OF different kind are required
he reads the returned letters through carefully
and seeks for q clue which will enable him to
find the sender. A person must write very
guardedly indeed to prevent the dropping OF
any hint which will enable this amateur de-
tective with his discovery circular to trace the
letter to him. One astonished individual who
received Information from the Office OF q letter
containing money which he had mtsdirected
was at such loss to comprehend how his
whereabouts had been discovered that he wrote
to the clerk telling him to keep the money and
by which this had been accomplished. AS his
request could not be complied with, he is per-
haps, still in state OF wonder.
WHY LETTERS GO AsTRAY.
It Is curious to examine into the different
causes which bring letters to the Office. An
astonishing number omit the address entirely,
ately more valuable enclosures than any other
class OF letters. Most OF them are mailed by
business men, who, In the hurry, forget to ad-
dress them. The writer, who painfully verl-
mes each letter OF the address by a correspond
lDg movement of the tongue, doesn't send much
money through the mails. Others are un-
stamped and held for postage. This Is found to
De especially the case where letters bear q
printed address or where they contain money
orders. II the stationers would agree, the $4,000
letters month held for postage might 90 for
Ward with certainty, through the universal use
OF government stamped envelopes. But the
Stat1Oners do not agree The bulk of letters that
come 10 the Office are OF course those that are
Unclaimed, through the death or removal of th.
person addressed. Stress will be laid In the new
pOStal regulations upon the requirement. that
postmasters return the specific cause OF the
non. delivery OF letters. 1t has often hap oened
that the news OF the death of a correspondent
Is mus nrst brought to the knowledge Of friends
In another locality.
"WASHED STAMPS
very Few letters, comparatively, come to the
once because they bear washed post age stamps.
lhere are many different ways In which good
stamps may appear to have been used, and
poslInasterS are not apt to pass harsh Judgment
upon thelr patrons. Perhaps from so to Is let
teIS month, which come to the Office for other
causes are FOUND to bear reused stamps che
iact that chemicals have been used 10 remove
Ine cancellation mark is more easily detected
aIter some time has elapsed There are no data
on Whlcn 10 Dase the eXtravagant estimates
tnat have been made of the loss 10 the govern
" IN n npd