Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-31
BLIND" LETTERS


to possess an amount of interest for the
outside world which no other department
of the public service can hope to emulate
Some of the most remarkable curiosit;os of
literature are doubtless comprised in the
letters which are constantly being received
with llieglble or imperfect directions Be.
fore being consigned to the care of the let.
ter carrier these letters are referred to a
special department, which must enioy
unusual opportunities for developing the
speculative facilities. From this source
not few amusing incidents might be
culled. 10 transmit letter "from John
oGroat's to the Lands End" with
promptitude is such an everyday occur
renee that it has long ceased to
excite our special wonder; but directly an
eplStle goes wrong" from whatever cause.
the opportunity is seized to declaim against
the service. Those letters which present
difficulties In the directions are called
blind letters, and are handed over to
the " blind men of the establishment TO
decipher or complete the addresses for de.
livery. Possibly these blind men might be
able to adduce some evidence show.
ing that the failure in prompt de.
livery of letters sometimes rests
with the writers. On more than one occa.
sion, after the expression of wrathfuI in.
dlgnation against the service. the delin.
| quent epistle has been discovered carefully
secreted III the writers pocket An alibi. it
is admitted, cannot always be sosuccessfully so
pleaded. Considering, again, the careless
way IN winch addresses are often written.
the marvel should be, not that few let.
ters go astray. but rather that any should
60 right. This ls no modern trouble. for it
is stated in "Hone's Everyday Book"
that country gentleman writing to lady
OF rank in town, put the following address
upon his letter: "To the 25th of March,
Foley Place, London" The letter was
correctly delivered to Lady Day AL.
though the public have, and with reason.
the most unbounded faith in the intelI.
gence of the postmsn, the ingenuity and
patience Of the public servant are often
severely and unfairly tried. "London {"
has frequently been supposed to be ouite
sufficient address for a dweller in tina
metropolis, and in cases of public and we'll
known persons no doubt it has proved all
that is required; but the schoolboy at Sails.
bury who sent letter addressed "To
my Uncle John in London" must surely
have contributed to the accumla-
tions of the dead-letter Office.
Another case, where the late Duchess of
Kent was addressed as "Mrs. Kent" by
tenant farmer, from hazy notion as to
the dignity to which the wife of a roysl
Duke is entitled, occasioned no trouble to
the rural postman, but only excited his
risible faculties. Possibly the most fire..
quent of the troubles which are submitted
to the blind men result from careless
caligraphy. Several postcards in the DOS
session OF the writer, which are in the
handwriting of the late Dean Stanley. are
specimens of this postal difficulty. The
trouble of deciphering the address is only
exceeded by reading the subject of the
communication. The possession of face.
tious turn of thought in the writer has
been another prolific cause of anathema
from the typical postman. Two very init.
mate musicians who were some few wears
ago we'll known and popular at civic bau-
quets, were in the habit of writing iocose
letters, the fun even extending to the di.
rection. Letters addressed to the "Surrey
| Warbler, Penton Place, Remington, be.
came 80 frequent as neither to give trouble
to the postman nor to be cause of DELAY
in delivery. A personal friend, with an
unfortunate taste for poetry and facetia,
recently sent letter with this poetic di-
rection
Dear postman, when you this receive
All anxious fears you'll soon relieve
BY leaving, plus the usual knocks,
This letter, sealed with double locks
The number OF the street you'd know?
You'll find it clearly writ below
The place, perchance, you fain would ask,
Before you can complete your task
The name is Smith the street, the Strand
| The number, 90, close to hand.
Dispatch the letter tn address is clear
Then take my blessing, postman dear
1t was sscertained that the letter reached
its destination with but little loss of time.
A very slight experience of episto!ary cor
respondence must suffice to bring sstisfac-
tory evidence of the care and intelligence
which are bestowed by the postoffice
blind men" upon the peculiar task
which they are called upon to perform in
the interest of the public. Postal Gazette.