Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-22
CURIOUS BLUNDERs
Made by Persons Dealing with the
Postofice.
Some Of the ludicrous lncidents--HOw Let
!. tiers are ost-Paekages Held tor
+ Cause and How Missing
Ones are Traced.

.Poor fellow! i wonder what he's IN
fort" -.
A middIe-ssed lady. evidently from the
country, and on sight seeing expedition
Gin tia city, stood before the delivery win
dow of The postofice, yesterday, and gave
expression to>this sentence. She appar-
emily mistook the postofice tor prison
ED thought the delivery e,erk In the wiz
dow was 10 DURANGO. Yer husband, whom
she dragged by the arm, was evidently In q
ausndsry abont the matter, and the worthy
couple passed out without having been en-
lightened. As they went by
.Se window where Superintendent
Wysrs ,at Al his desk. thev Glanced at him
as though they thought him the custodian
of the prison. This only one OF the anus
ing mistakes made at the poststfice. A
LADY once asked the fsne to Cameron, OF the
astonished Capt Cowan, at the stamp
window, and a Apsitiye iDdiVldual once de-
manded 10 know wethera certain indlyidqsi
had written a letter his sweetheart. He
even got angry because the clerk wouidnt
let him run over the lady's mail
There's letter for me in this once ana
If il can't be delivered I'll know the reason
why." This was said in loud tone OF
voice by a woman, recently, as she thrust
her head into the delivery window. she
was referred, politely, to the carriers win.
dow, but the bland carrier could not lind
the letter. She knew it had been mailed
and was terribly angry. Finally another
carrier. who heard her give in her name,
remembered having left letter at that adj
dress, but on another street. Her aodresS
was No. - E1ff street, but the letter hau
gone, as directed, to the same numoer on
Chapline street. She went away, satisheu
the carrier had done her personal INJURY.
II spppuse YOU have many cases ike
theseY' said a REGISTER reporter to SuPt-
Myers, one day.
:tOh YES, he replied. "People come in
here and inquire for almost everything,
and sometimes the matters they ask after
have no connection whatever with the
postoffice. Because this is the inquiry de-
partment they seem 10 think that IL Is
general intelligence office. They can't
seem 10 understand. Why, lady came in
the other day and wanted to know II
carrier could call around at her house on
Fourteenth street at o'clock in the even.
ing. Another lady had letter remsiled
from Bellaire, as she said, TO friends
house in this city. 1t was taken there
by a messenger boy, but the lady had re-
turned to Beilaire, and the boy was instruct
ed to remail it. Between all the changes
the letter was lost, and the lady came here
to find out about it. She mistook the mes
senger boy for q carrier, and held the post.
office officials responsible for the loss. The
letter was evidently taken out OF the post
Office by some friend and given to the boy
to deliver All sorts Of queer mistakes
happen. Not long ago a fellow came in
L. he hal Il loft r,
the box without stamp The clerks fooled
around long time, but could not find it.
A few days later he came in and said his
friend bad received the letter all right, so
he must have stamped it, after all"
1t would not be q difficult matter to
write good-sized book on the number OF
odd incidents that occur IN the postotfice.
There is probably not day in which
something amusing or ridiculous does not
take place. A letter was recently sent to
lady in Philadelphis, informing her that
q letter was here addressed to her, held
for postage and by forwarding one cent
she would receive ii. A once cent stamp
arrived by the next mail, and the lady
was so Oyerjoyed at receiving tidings OF
the lost epistle that she wrote the follow
ing letter to the superintendent OF the de-
psrtmeDt:
DEAI SIs: As l have to comply with
your request. your postal arrived here
this forenoon, which took me by surprise
when you receive this note please make
no delay. Send it forward to me. must
decline BY thanking you sincerely for
your compliments Toward me. remain
yours sincerely. B. A. NJ.
Some time ago. during ]. NJ. Reiley's
clerkship at the post office, the writer was
shown some of the numerous articles held
at the office for various causes. Among
them were the following:
Two pairs OF thick wooden socks were
fled away without any direction whatever.
Then there was set OF false teeth,
couple of fret-saws and sample of cheap
man ufacturing glass. A package wrapped
up very carefully was labeled: Two hair
switches, one dark and one light" There
were a number of packages of calling cards,
and such tritles as pepper cans, toys, etc.
Among the unavailable matter also sent
there were grapes, candles, cdke-probably
wedding cake sent To some friend to dream
upon. One little, inotfensiye looking pack
age contained piece of pie, addressed to
an employe at the Capitol. He had been
duly notified that such package was
awaiting his orders, but he evidently did
not banker after pie, as he never called.
The collection embraced pretzel attached
H.
Being unavailable matter il is, of course, re-
tanned, but the party to whom it was ad-
dressed has been regularly notified There
was also large package which had printed
on the top: This side up with care. Ink"
The sender evidently took the United
States mail service for an express compay.
Recently a loaded six shopter was inter
Cepted in the mail, followed the next day
by box Of cartridges.
1t is not only with missing packages that
the department has tn deal, but also with
misdir, cled or insufficieutly stampei let
ters and other blunders occasioned by the
csrelt SsneSs or stupidity of the sender. In
reply to all inquiries the following form is
sent out:
Your favor of the Is received. TIE
matter has been referred to the proper
official. and will receive PROMPT attention.
The following form of complaint will
serve to show the manner in which the
missing letter or article is traced and identi-
fed:
Letter or packages
Name and address OF writer?
Mailed by writer or messenger?
Date of depoSiting?
AT what hour:
Exact location where mailede
What maiu.otfire, stat on or lamp-poSt box
Give address OF letter or package inquired
Tor III Iull.
CoutentSS
State value OF package.
IL currency, state denomination of bills.
Was the letter registered?
| Did 1t bear a card or request to return on the
| envelope?
Amount OF postage paid?
To whom shall the result Of search be COM
/ municated?
When and where circulars Of Inquiry sent
to?
Final report.
Valuable dead letters from Washington
containg drafts or money orders. are fire.
| quently sent here signed Hattie, 'or "El :"
/ or some similar nickname, with nothing
! 10 identity them. II il is a postoffice or
! der, the humber is sent TO the postmaster
! who issued it, with a request to forward
| the name of the person who sent it; ani il
4 draft, the same thing is done TO the bank
at which it was obtained In cases where
currency is inclosed in letters bearing no
signature. IL is almost impossible to
Il liz. a.