The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-03-04
DEAD LETTERS
How they are Dealt with by Uncle Sam
Interesting Facts Relative to Misdl~
rected and Miscarried Letters.

7
'''i
,prcirI ,orre> r0l,.ieuc. 81 the Woo
me- - ''' q" So
'''''' III IL ''oi l"s' now S'''' account VI
the Dead Letter division OF the Post Office
Department NAV be of . neral interest
Tn. ,r,b,r az I,t.r. ,.t o., ,.,r,, aud
Va ''''''' ~ - - ""'
never feaSh the persons lor whom lhes were
intended, is, OF course, very small in com
harrison 10 th. whole number uoiu,r throuuh
.,;,
:. :, - " 7i, wv
n w. "
:'., AZ ~, n''i
7 ,,,,,,. n,t;,,.,,',.',,,. u t,'I.',, ~
i,r, ~ w 80, ,.,,.
~ 'l ~. ~:
w. III, '''"i' VI we i'''' '',,e ,i
i in 'ne r,,,I ,3,"'i, a. '',,rs >" ~. .,I
,rra,i '',i,,. ror.. taI,. - 49,, It,,
-, ,ia'1 h'..,,, ,ot, =; ,,o.a 49,
,. 49,, ,,.,.;. e.; D. ,, d, -,
al a,I ,',s,,oa ,,.a f,,l, ,,,.,.,,,T't;,,.
n,,,, e. ora 3,IIe ,,',,h;,,<, nf ~.
t,,II i -, w., - 'h.; -, L;,,i,
on, ,,,,,,, ,.,, trn,, ~, ,,,,;,I n,i ,,,ra.s;,n
n ' ~ ~ w. ~, -, ,t',. ;r.s
s..,i which wa. ,ha,, ,,,.,o,,,r Snma of
th.., rar,.,rl..,lls Ill ,at,.r, "a .,;li IN a..
''.,,, j., 49,. n,,,I ,,,a. ce;', IT,. ,ou.
fl.l I;,,,, - ILL. ,>,,r,,,.,., H.,
800. .t'. Gnu s'''" ,
,,;,,'f y" Nv rs -, -, " INV.
i, .'' ,rrn,,,II.,t ,''tt '''
Er,,n \or - ~ D., 100 tw.Ira
,..,r, ali ,h, l,,.r. ,ho, ,..,,+ .,r,,, ,,.r
-, =. -. 49, -, ~;
:; N ~ :. ""a W. no i'i,e
III 800, -, 49, -, ~. ,;,,i, ,an
~ oy..r ,,,,'. ,,,;II;na Id I.tt.rs ,y.ra r,.
na;s} -, 49, Dos, n,E,. n.n,r,mort VIII
III 49,, 49,, c,;I;,; ,,,;l,1 f,r ,I,a
49, ,'',,.'.,i, ; ''>, i,:n 49, ;, =;
~ 'a'i INV ". va" ~
ni,a "e WY ~ n'', ~
,t,;tI, ''r ,,.;t,, 49,, 49,, s,.,a,, r.,
',"' D. na;oa M
s,s." wv '.t ~ Wv" ,,'nnof
pi NV 10 "., ii,'
-. a. ''i .,,. ill., :, .,..,.
ti;I.. ", ',,, ~, l,;,,,i.', rinn..nas.,t
-. ~, ;,l ,,,,,,, ,,.i,;.I, H., IL,
',,,, ,,,,,,';I and =,
,,,r ,s., H., ,,,.r.c,. nd lra.sad Inv.
''''' ''7 nv nv ',. 80:
-. 49, .,,I -, '.,, ;t 1 ~
property sealed ana stamped WIN no adj
w.. I,, ,,r f,',.., ,,,,n,.. ,,i,.,, NV ron,,,r,
,I.,,I.. ~ .h',;r 'r rs,id.rce, ,ri,h no
inr;,;,,,,. nos, n,f;'.. nv ,nuntr rhasa ava
- In,'.r ,,,.', ,,,i ,h..;r +h., Da.d
NV, '.., 'i''' ~, ,t'i'' ~ s Ill,
nrrn,i, wonld w. immedi,telv returned to
the writer II his name was on the outside OF
the envelope Many are never heard from
because the writer fails to attach his name
even 10 his miSslve. All this leads to the
reflection that we are an absent minded peo-
Pile.
For opening. asserting, and the work OF re-
turning this immense number of dead let
tiers, Il hundred clerks, two-thirds females
are employed, and they are kept busy. 1t
is easier to talk about millions of letters
than to handle them one by one three or
bur times. Each must be inspected, mark
> and recorded, and majority are return
y o the writer. They are first opened by
LIe squad of clerks sitting at long ia
H. a cheerful room. If anything valua
-, lund i'll them, they are handed over
er division, where the contents are
80. and placed III large safe for fl-
rl, pllon. Ii there Is nothing IN them
". y are sent up stairs, where they
.n :; f,n,,,, and if the address of the wri
= - letter Is enclosed in an Off
, - ~ I'd returned to him free of
.r has been held for postage
'.,,r,...J ;nfo the person 10 whom 1t
h.',' -, -, ,ling him that there has
- r., -, Dead Letter Office, Il
,rd..I ,,,,,,,, r.,,.;r+ which will be for
/ ,,,' ,,.h;,i, :; n,,.iIt the necessary post
IT,. ,si,, r,.',,', rein. To this cir
III. "'it, 'AN - $500, many very funny
/ 49,. L., :, ~. received within
I t..4a 80 - ID ordinary
Th. ,,r..,t ,,r,,b.r,nd -,
cant ,hrnr,,I ,h, ,u,iI---sn,nety or articles
,..,iu.hI,.,s ,uaI,m,, mad them very
,i'..,,, .,,,,.;,,,, r,.n'I;rr n',c. 'alogue Of
,. ,a, ~ ai' Sc ,t..', ear the
,,,,, ,i,,n',.,,rII. r,;l,Ia, NJ aimed
,'.,r,..I. ~ i,,,.s iii. rihhon. .[mall
- 'r.,.,n.n,r ',n,.'.. nart,,,,,r,. w, red
far H. All hshi.s tr;nl.,S nf .,iarv otr
-, t,n o,;IJr,, ,.,,,nr,. ;,,,i. -
81 t,;.,a. tar,,,.nr 49," I'D ,i,,,'. In
80; .tr ,I,a,.,',r,,i,' f.is, '' a.,
the mail, is nor so large rs before the money
o,der svst.u was est.,hlished but il will he
seen ,hat If is sill enormous from the f,ct
tb,t ont of de,d letters nlon. over so OOC
in rnrr.,cv,rd rn,rIvtwn iI1ions in dratts
and commercial noncr was taken durino
| tho last va,r ,r.,t shar. OF This comes
from the mis-dlrectea or n"h-dlrecftd let
ters. i"ople seem I" be Solh'eht upon WHAT
goes mo th+lr letters mat thcy forget the
superScrlpflon There Is Il Sha"e OF sadness
III the reflection that IN many cases great
! anxiety ana even actual suffering Is caused