Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1879-10-29
IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO
THE PUBLIC.


Matter Net Addressed to Postofice Unmail-
able-Matter Misdirected Unmailable.
We have received q copy of the
following circular letter from the
Superintendent of the Railway
Mail Service, of the Sth Division,
to Route Agent Alexander:
SIR: Under the recent orders OF
the Postmaster General and the
rulings of the Postoffice Depart
ment published in the October
number of the United States Offic-
ial Postal Guide, all mail matter
not addressed to postoifice is un-
mailable and must be forwarded at
once to the Dead Letter Office un-
less the envelope shall bear the
name of the sender or other indica.
ton whereby it may be returned to
the sender for better direction.
Military posts and forts are except
ed from this order.
In compliance with instructions
received from the Postoflice De-
partment, this Office is now COM
piling a list of ''localsu that is,
names of places not postoffices to
which mail matter is directed) for
this division, embracing the States
of California, Oregon and Nevada,
and the territories of Alaska, Ari-
IONA, Idaho, Montana, Washing
ton and Utah. The list Qncom-
plete) for California alone now con-
tains the names of 2064 "localsn or
places not postoflices to which mail
matter is directed.
In pursuance of further instruc-
lions, this Office will upon the APP
pllcation of any publishing house,
detail competent clerk from our
service TO examine their lists OF
subscribers for the purpose of elm
mating therefrom all "localso and
substituting the proper postoffices;
and will furnish any information
or render any assistance in its pow
er to prevent loss and injury to bus.
mess or Inconvenience to the pub.
lie.
10 illustrate: A letter or other
mail matter directed to State Uni.
versity California, East Oakland,
CAL, Mud Springs, Ell Dorado
County California, or to any local
ity not postoffice, is unmaila b lie
and must be sent at once to the
Dead Letter Office at Washington
d. G.
In O still later order of the Post
master-G General, dated October 10th,
is the following: "a postmaster
may complete or perfect an address
already made, but he cannot
change its direction to q different
person, or different office, or differ
ent State without authority" 1t
"Misdirected matter offered for
mailing should be returned to the
sender, if known, Immediately, or
If the sender's name does not appear
thereon, should be sent at once to
the Dead Letter Office, as directed
in ruling 102, United States Postal
Guide, October, 1879 A part Of
ruling 102 is important, and Is as
follows: "Matter addressed to
places which are not postoffices, oil
to o State in which there is no such
postoffice as that named in the ad.
dress, is unavailable" etc. Hence
to illustrate, letter directed tc
Sacramento, Nevada, or to Vir.
ginia City, California, or to either
of these, must be sent to the Dead
Letter Office. Why? For the
reason that there are six postolflces
each in different States, by the
name of Sacramento, but no post
Office of that name in Nevada.
Consequently, how can postmas-
ter determine whether the letter
should be sent to Illinois, Kentucky
Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania
or California? The same reason
holds good when applied to Vir.
GINA City. There are seven Post.
offices called Philadelphia, three
New York, eight Cincinnati, fif
teen Louisville, four Chicago, ant
four Saint Louis. There is only
one in the United States called Sar
Francisco, consequently mail mat
ter directed to San Francisco Is no
likely to be sent to the Dead Lette
Office, as Postmaster can com
plete the address with safety. L
may not, however, be very lon!
before Cnero may De several Iosl
offices by the name of San Francis
CO in other States and Territories
The hearty cooperation and as
sistance of all Postoffice officials
ali newspapers, all teachers in the
t public schools aud all intelligent
> citizens should be given toward the
/ successful accomplishment of thi
great work of the Postoffice De
| partment for the correction of al
already overgrown and growing
) evil, dangerous to the business ant
social interests of the public ant
: threatening utter confusion to thu
legitimate business and duties o
s the Postoffice Department; which
as now defined, are to carry in thu
mails such mail matter only as i
directed to Postoflices with State o
{ Territory, and to such Postof1ice'
: only as can be found In the Stat
j or Territory to which such mai
!. matter is directed. To continue tn
3 present imperfect system woul'
a,Iu anoo,1rapa carelasanpSg and in