West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-03-07
THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.

THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE,
freaks and Humors or Those who Use
the Mails-Thc Museum AT the Dead
Letter Onice-A Rare and CurIo,ss col
lection-Droll Franks OF Letter Writers
The greatest attraction to visitors of
whom there are hundreds daily, is the
museum, where are displayed. in
glass cases. n very large collection of
strange and curious articles that have
been taken from the mails. Few of
those who are accustomed to patronize
the post-oifice in the usual wav would
believe that many of the articles here
shown could ever have found their way
into the mails, but we have the assur-
ance OF the officials that everything in
the museum was sent, or tried to- be
sent, by post, and we do not feel at lib
erty to doubt their word. Some of
them found permanent reS,ing-place
on these shelves by reason of their be-
ing dead matter, others because they
exceeded the limit of weight allowed by
law TO be carried in the mails. or for
hon-payment or postage-not enough
or none at all-while many come under
the class of articles excluded bv the
regulations of the Department. 1t may
be SAID, in general way, that the
transmission by mail is prohibited of
anything that is of perishable nature.
or that can iniure other mail matter or
is liable to harm those who handle the
mails. Liquids of every kind, anvthino
that can produce combustion. loaded
weapons and vegetable and animal mat
ter, except under certain harmless con
ditions, may be cited rs examples of
the excluded class. No one can fail IN
see the necessity of strictly enforcing
these regulations. Doubtless manY
packages containing unlawful articles
are daily received and delivered, i'm all
parts of the country, but if by any ac
cldent or other means the contents of
such parcels become known they arc at
once taken from the mail and carefully
forwarded to Washington.
A very pleasant lady OF fifty-fve is in
charge Of the museum. She knows the
history OF every article, and answer. n
thousand questions day, more or less.
Our attention is first attracted to
SEVENTEEN SNAKES
OF different sorts and sizes, one of them
rattlesnake between two and three
feet long Although we have been told
IN general way that everything i'm
sight was taken from the mails. n shade
crosses our mind and we nquire Did
those reptiles really come in as mail
matter?"
Certainly, they did" she repl;es
" That large RATHER and five or six 9TH
ers arrived in one lot, and they were all
alive, tool They were coilcd in tin
cans, with holes TO let i'm the air be.
Ieve they were mailed i'm Florida. OF
course if their contents had been known
they would not have been forwarded
The big one got out Of the can into the
mail pouch, and his loud rafting re-
Yealed his presence 10 the man vino
was handling the bag, The others
nave arrived at different time, duriuo.
the past three or four wears"
me snakes are all picked in alcohol
il happened that while we were falkip.,
clerk came in with a bottle contain
lng q small snake that had lust been
FOUND IN OF, ming dead package. n
was lmued ately placed on the shelf be-
side its fellows
There is also quit, LARGE assortment
81 tarantula-, cen'ipade- THAT the bot.
ln the army used tO cell "rTeta- bnJ-
fellows horn q toads. lizards and
scorpions, and several juvenile alira.
tpf-. % arIy aIl %. which were alive
when they ach d Washington. There
arc several very iiu card 0f 6u rai s.
ana Insects, ard 1000 .r.meut Yf stuffed
birds and small animals. N.arfl fl.
very la-ga
IuuAN SKULL
Wh "a- mailed 600 doctor tr pEu.-
NtlphIa nu' or some reason Doe re- use 3
~ receive 10 and n was sent h.re
Am NJ other rurIOr. fhf.y- .u fLf.