The Dillon tribune., 1881-07-09
Correspondence.
WASHINGTON LETTER
tl'rMn our regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, unc IS 1851


ted star routes and dead" letters, yet in-
asm,ch as postal matters are receiving a
goesi share OF public attention now a-days
some account OF the way the Department
ti>poses OF misdirectcd and lost letters may
be Of general interest. The number OF let.
ters that go astray and never reach the per.
sons fsr whom they are intended is small
, compared to the whole number going
through the mails, yet it is far srearer than
any one unacqu qu,inted with the facts guess
Hundreds Of cpisll-s q; one sort aAd anoth T.
some both precious and import ,n:--mi
their mark every day ana hundreds ot
hearts are made sick by hope deferred. IN
the early colonial times, So the Old yellow
pha,nphlet in the Department, archives tells
us, great pains were taken to recover Letter,
that had been lost. a letter in those days
was AT expensive affair, comparatively.
Paper cost great deal and the postage was
from Is cents to $,.oo, to :>ay nothing OF
f1he trouble and annoyance OF having to
whittle out your own pen from the quill
and impressing on the back Of TIC nissivc
that immense seal which Wa, then custom.
airy. Some Of these rcmarha5'. cd epstics
are still to be seen at tn. - .ld Letter Office.
Their faded lines and yellow appearance
lures one into deep revert. oi lons gone
days and mind pictures ot the writer's who
years ago have crumblcd into dust.
From November 1777 to December 1880
Twelve ye:rs-all the letters that went
..stray are recorded in Il book OF torty-onc
pages. This is quite Il contrast With the
record one !.ua>!red year, later, when dur.
ing t., single year 1877. over four m;'i; MS
Of dead lett rs wcr, received ut ,h'' Post
O.;i1c Drpa tn,nt. With al. ,..l 81. ...l
facilities provided i.r til, transportation
and delivery OF t:,c mails il ma. he wonder
cl Why so many letters s" a>;ra.. The
SAUL: J.. not witt, the postal o!i,ia'> or ~"
postal cy>trm 1t i, very rarely indeed
tina. u Letter correctly addressed and ro>t-
great many letters are deposited upon
which tn. a,i,r 'ss is wrong Or the postage
unpaid, and in many Other I .>c> th' p r,nn
AL Seu has removed or l. ii "a pl &C.
lii 81 are the letters that find their " y tn
the Dead Letter Office. In many CASTS
they could CON, directly h sch tn til. wri.
ter ii his al irc,> r.. on tn" out side OF the
envelope. O.t.n l,t:cr> arr Il p',it 'd prop.
cry sealed an! stamped with no address at
all, and MANY mi>carricd letters are never
hear. from l,v the writer because no ,n.inC
was signed to them. Ali this ly:,t!- tu the
rc11-> on that NC are an ais II, minded
people.
For opc..in. asserting and The work OF
returning this immense number Of dead
letters ninety clerks, ,~o-third> ladies. arc
employed, and they have enough = - At
thai !ti> easier to talk OF mili" III itt'
te. than l., handle thcm one b.. one ..acl
ma ); bv Inspected marked and recorded
and majority arc returned to the wriivr
They are opened by Il squad OF clerks sit
ting at long table, in Il large cheerful room
Ii anything valuable is contained in then
they are handed over to another divi>i"
> where the contents are registered ant
placed in Il large safe for future redemption
Ii there is nothing in them Of value. the,
ar. sent w stairs, w.,crc the ladies inspcc
: them. and if thu, address OF the writer !,
found the letter is inclo>cd to the person
bv whom it wa> written. Ii the letter h..,
! been held tor postage, circular Is sent tt
the person to whom it is addressed, inform
}. ing him that there his been rrc.i. cd 1T til,
Dead Letter Office Il letter directed to him
which will bc forwarded upon the reccip
I of the necessary postage. TO this circular
: the Department receives very man. iunn,'
replies. Ii no response is mad,' With,
: thirty days, it is treated As AN ordinar,
4 dead letter. Tho great number and vari,t,,
:. Of valuable articles sent through the mail
G is amazing, and u catalogue of them """l'
,. he amusing. Once 4 year tl,c Dead t.c,tr
$ Office has sale OF these unclaimed an,
!, unreturnablc articles. There are small
;. parcels OF lacc>. silks and ribbons, cn.broi,!
n cred undcrsarmcnt,, gloves, pcr't.n.crv AM