The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1883-04-25
Curiosities of the London Post ofice.

We find not only every conceivable article
which can be found in . pawnbroker's or
haberdasher's shop. but birds, beasts, reptiles,
fish, insects, and mollusCs. 4 short time ago
a wasp's nest was among the temporary
treasures Of the department. Shortly before
a lizard and 4 slow-worm linsufioienty di-
recied) found their way 10 the same Office.
They had been packed in the same box, and,
when opened overnight, appeared TO be living
in peace and amity. The following morning
il was reported, as 4 remarkable phenomenon,
that one Of the creatures had vanished from
the closed box; on examination it appeared
that the lizard had indeed gone from signl,and
the slow-worm was enormously swollen in his
digestive parts. On one occasion a number Of
torn letters were forwarded to the department
from letier-box into which a mouse had
been thrown by some playful spirit. 1t turned
out that the mouse had left all Of 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 it 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 con-
tain 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 Groun6 floor
to the upper story, where they are examined
IN an iron lift fitted outside the walls, which
halts at the window of the examining room
The parcels can thus be opened and inyesti-
gated without the offensive smells penetrating
into the room itself. Sometimes a slice Of
paste or Of old plum-pudding is found in a
letter. Why such a thing should be sent at all
is q puzzle, till a close examination shows
that it contains soyereigns, hidden in it with
view 10 escaping the restriction fee. For the ..
same reason sovereigns are often concealed In |
newspapers. II frequently happens that un-
addressed letters, when opened, are found to |
contain checks, sometimes to 4 very large |
amount These it is Of course easy 10 return, |
through the banker, TO their owners But, |
with the best viii in the world, the depart
neut is left with a mass Of articles Of every |
conceivable kind on its hands, which, at |
intervals Of three months, arc sold By auction |
Among these are empty, unaddresse6 purses,
which are constantly found in leiter-b0xes,
put there by thieves who have transferred the
contents TO their own pockets House keys |
are frequently 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 and
AAAANoo VI tut lAllAiDllf tlAs INK 10 nun
tina; he may look out for another and mure
solvent occupier. From the old name Of the
Dead Letter Office popular belief arose that
all inquiries as to persons dead or missing, or
as to soldiers or sailors who have not been
heard Of by their friends, should be made
there.
Some OF the instructions Of letters are very
curious. One to owl o Neill " was Tor
time a source Of much perplexity, till Al
length some quck-caTed official, caught by
certain similarity Of sound, suggested, as it
proved correctly, that it was meant for Crow
land Hill" the writer having apparently
often heard the word pronounced, but never
seen it written. An envelope containing
pair Of spoctacles is sent, apparently by a
servant girl in London, to MY dear Father in
Yorkshire, in the white house with green
palings." There is q letter by a mad person,
5ummoning friend to appear on a certain day
for judgment in the next world, whence the
letter is dated. A woman writes to say that
the foot and mouth disease is caused by the
prevalent practice Of burying people alive,
and signs herself by her professional name "
Of Anna the Prophecies" and by her
- general name" Of miss R" The
attention Of the department is particularly
,alled by the Prophecies to this balefu-cus-
ON. She calculates, with as much truth as
Iervor, "What an awful position TO be
placed in l'-SatiEdgyR-rislr.