The Osceola times., 1883-07-28
alsDlRECTED LETTERS.
How They are Sent To the Place for which
They are Intended.
Hartford Pest

But few people have any idea Of the
number Of misdirected letters with igno
rant and careless persons drop into the
Post Office, and yet at the Hartford office
scarcely day passed without several
such letters being deposiSd. Still less
does the general public know oi the
methods by which the Post Office officials
discover, in a great majority of cases, the
persons for whom these mjsdirected let
ters are intended. The greater number
of the misdirected letters cons st of en-
velopes addressed for the most part in
the handwriting OF business men OF
clerks, and in which the names of the
cities or the streets are omitted or erron-
eously given. Many letters are found
which are intended for delivery in streets
known 10 be in Brooklyn, Boston, Phila-
dslphia, New Haven, Baltimore, or other
cities, but all addressed to New York.
In order that the letters may be sent, il
possible, to the proper place, directories
Of all the principal cities are kept on
hand at the Post Office and are often
consulted 10 obtain the names of streets
and business firms. Besides the facilities
afforded by the directories. the Post
Office department has issued large vol
ume, which contains full list of all the
cities in the United States, in which
there is free postal delivery, anu also
the names Of all the streets in the cities.
This volume in invaluable in the assist
ance which ii affords the postal clerks,
and pursual Of its pages and an explain
alton of its use is not without interest.
In this comprehensive directory the
names of the streets of ll0 cities are Civ
en- and from il is seen that 81 cities be-
sides Hartford, have streets named in
honor OF Washington, 73 have franklin
streets, 50 Walnut streets, "a Main streets,
to Cedar streets, 81 Front streets, Asy-
lum streets and SO on. From the above
it will be seen that where 50 many cities
discovery of the destination of n misdi-
rected letter is not easy, an6 yet so sue
cessful are the Post Office methods that
but very lew letters are sent to the dead
letter office in cases where a single part
of the address is correct. For instance,
il letter is received which is addressed
to
Henry Manchester, Esq,
No. l26 Charter Oak avenue.
City and State omitted. }
The postal clerk turns at once to his
directory of the streets and finds that
Hartford, Conn, is the only city which
has street named Charter Oak avenue.
Also letter addressed to
James McDermott,
No. So Greene street,
Springfield,
State omitted)
goes to Springfield, Mass, rs this is found
to be the only one Of the numerous
SpEingtields in which there is Greene
street; also letter addressed to
Common street, corner of Basin and
Franklin streets, is seIr 10 New Orleans,
La, rs that city alone has three streets
Of the names given. In these and many
other ways is the street directory used
successfully.
The chirOgraphy of persons who at
tempt 10 address envelopes causes more
trouble to the postal clerks than mere
niisdicctions. and it is due to defective
handwriting that the ill-iate of the ma
lority of letters sent 10 the dead letter
oiiice is due. Yet Mr. W. +, Whittelsey,
Jr., Chief of the CITY Delivery Depart-
ment at the Hartford office. and his as
sistant, meet with great sGocess in .ieci-
phering the destinations intended by
correspondents. The most frequent mis-
takes made in this line are by foreigners
who write ~reiruit;' for Detroit, "Cyco-
ga for Chicago and "Sonnkikut" for
Connecticut Yet most of these are de
ciphered, and the letters sent 10 their
proper destinations.