The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-02-24
A CoNGLoMERATioN.
The Thousands of Parcels In the London
Postoffice.
Saturday Reuietc.

Suthrduy HeUteU.
The parcels are marvellous. We find not
only every conceivable article which can be
found in pawnbroker's or q haberdasher's
shop, but birds, beasts, reptiles, fish, insects,
and mollusks. A short time ago wasp's
nest was among the temporary treasures of
the department. Shortly before lizatd aud
a slow-worm Cnsufficiently directed) found
their way to the same Office. They had been
packed in the same box, and when opened
over night appeared to be living in peace
and amity. The following morning it was
reported, as a remarkable phenomenon, that
one Of the creatures had vanished from the
closed box; on examination 1t appeared
that the lizard had, indeed, gone from sight,
and that the slow-worm was enormously
swollen in its digestive parts. On one occs-
sion number Of torn letters were forward
ed to the department from letter-box into
which mouse had been thrown by some
playful spirit. 1t turned out that the mouse
had left all the letters untouched, except
those which contained postage stamps; but
its sense of smell had guided it to all those
with stamps in them, and 1t had bitten
through the covers and eaten away at the
adhesive gum on the backs of the stamps.
1t often happens that the parcels which find
their way to this department contain ILL.,
smelling objects, such as decayed fruit and
flowers, dead birds, stale meat, and rotten
oysters. For the comfort Of the openers
these parcels are sent up from the ground
floor to the upper story, where they are ex-
amined in an iron lift fitted outside the walls
which halts at the window of the examin-
ing room. The parcels can thus be opened
and investigated without the offensive smells
penetrating into the room itself. Sometimes
= slice of paste or old plum pudding Is found
in letter; why such thing should be
sent at all is q puzzle, till close examina-
ton shows that 1t contains sovereigns hidden
In it with view of escaping the registrati ion
fee. For the same reason sovereigns are
often concealed in newspapers. 1t frequent
ly happens that unaddressed letters, when
opened, are found to contain checks, some
times to very large amount. These 1t is,
Of course, easy to return through the banker
to their owners. But, with the best will in
the world, the department is left with mass
of articles of every conceivable kind on its
hands, which at intervals of three months
are sold at auction. Among these are emp
ty unaddressed purses, which are constantly
found in letter boxes, put there by thieves
who have transferred the contents to their
own pockets. House keys are also fire.
quently found in the same places, dropped
into them by tenants who have left their
houses without paying the landlord his rent.
Sometimes, however, they politely attach
label to the key, with the name aud address
of the landlord, thus signifying to him that
he may look out for another and more SOL
vent occupier. From the old name Of the
Dead Letter Office, a popular belief arose
that all inquiries as to persons dead or miss
ing, or as to soldiers or sailors who have not
been heard of by their friends, should be
made there.