The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-06-05
UNCLE SANS MUSEUM.
The Miscellaneous Collections of
Unclaimed Mail Matter at the
Washington POstOffice.

The Miscellaneous Collections of
Unclaimed Mail Matter at the
Washington POstOffice.
Washington Dispatch to Baltimore American
The new museum OF curiosities at the
postofiice department contains queer
collection. 1t comprises mail matter
that failed to reach its destination, either
because the person to whom II was all.
dressed could not be found, or because
the matter was an unmailahle article
The museum occupies a good sized
room, and the cases reaching from floor
to ceiling, are full, and might haze been
80 hundred times over. Among the
articles is huge rattlesnake coiled in .
glass jar, with open mouth and -forked
tongue. He was put into the mail alive,
inclosed In perforated tin can. Beside
him is another snake, perhaps four feet
in length, and mkt to that couple o.
centipedes, equally poisonous in their
bite, and almost invariably fatal They
we're all put into the mails alive. On
the other side of the jar containing the
rattlesnake is baby alligator, and the
head OF another perhaps year old -
Below is collection of specimens from
various mines in the West, the value of
which is considerable. One little pack.
age among these contains about 800
worth of goll. On shelf above is a
collection Of coins, which would pro-
woke the envy Of the most self denying
collector Of articles of this nature.-
Some OF these are verv rare, several
coins dating back full 1000 years being
among the number. There is a locket
bearing on the back this inscription -
"Mrs. Lucy Randolph, died 17S3"-a
Hundred years ago. The locket con.
tains a picture of soldier, and it is
supposed that he "confscated' it some
where in the South during the war, had
bis own picture inserted instead of the
one whose name it bore, and sent It tc
his sweetheart, who never called for i
at the office of delivery Beside it i.
another picture-a gentleman and lad,
in gold frame-wh!ch has been in the
department over forty years awaiting .
claimant. Here, too, is a set OF falls
. teeth on gold plate, and Just below il
bottle of beer, which some kind hear
ted person had sent to beer drlnkin.
friend, bat which failed to reach Its des
tination There are several brides, va
rions parts OF a saddle, horse-shoes, an,
light iron hitching post-everythins
as the lady in charge OF the museum
oddly remarked: Everything but
horse. A gentleman who was here tn
other dav," she said "remarked that W
had everything but tomahawk and
Bible. That same day l discovered
tomahawk up there on shelf, and
day or two later gentleman who wa
looking at the collection pointed ou
that book as being Chinese testamen,
Over there on that piece of parchmeu
looking paper is the Lords PRAYER i
fifty-four Languages" There is alst
some beautiful penwork In a calenda
for 1888, accompanied by very finel
executed sketch of summer scene, a
OF which must have taken an immens
amount OF work, and which might hav
reached its proper destination or bee
r returned to its owner il little care ha
, been taken in mailing it. A ghastl
l feature of the collection is a skull, an
! near it is human ear-the latter petr
! fed and blood red There is saw.
. chisel, pair of revolvers, lot of cor
h tinental and confederate money, a larg
pound cake, hard and dry;a box {
, brides cake, tied with white ribbon
' miniature bale OF cotton, nesrly foe
in length and OF proper proportions;
: baseball and catcher's mask; lot of C
k gars, fire crackers, and other explosives
3 a telegraph instrument. tamborines, an
accordeons, dancing dolls. Indian q
rows, string of sleigh bells, cob pip
a couple OF wash boards, horned loa
9 garden hoe, field hoe. couple
collars inclosed in glass jar, three uu
brellas, and good sized valise. On
shelf Is little package or sachel, COT
! tanning fine powder, and bearing th
! inscription: "Dust collected around tt
urn in which, at the end Of 1880, we
:, placed the sacred remains OF the serapl
ic patriarch st Francis, which RENAME
Z there until 1918, at which time they wei
o fortunately discovered. and at presel
lie in the Patriarchal Basilio and Pap
Chapel, erected and de Heated to Il
: same most glorious saint, possessed
. the R. R. Father Conventuals, with
: the walls of the citv of ASSIST
!. Tho yifuof,o,, ,,, E|uas;o