The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-06
DEAD LETTERS.


Openers" ut WOrk-An Hour with
the Experts-The Returning Depart
ment-Some Odd Notions.
In my last letter we stood for half an
hour at the sorting table of the Dead
Letter Office and listened to our guide |
as he told us of the different classes of |
letters that are sent here from all the |
post-OttIces in the country. We wiz |
continue our stroll and note what is
done with these fugitive letters.
THE OPENERS"
Here is where the opening is done"
saws our courteous attendant as we ap- |
proach long table around which are
seated eight men. Zach has pile of
letters before him and is armed with a
thin, sharp knife. With rapidity ac-
quired by long practice, he slips his
knife through the fold of the envelope
and takes out the letter. \ glance
shows whether it contains an incloSure
of any kind. If it has money or any
thing of value it is laid aside and passed
into the Lands of a clerk whose duty 1t
is to take charge of such letters. Those
which contain nothing, or only, photo
graphs as $4,000 every year do-locks
of hair and such articles, are carried,
each with its own envelope, to the re
turn department. which we will viSl:
before we get through.
ut keeps the boys pretty busy" says
the guide, "to open letters as fast as
they are carried in. In fact we are
running behind in spite of all we can
do. Each man opens from 1900 to
1900 letters day. That man
pointing to one who seemed to handle
knife and letters with singular adrOit-
ness-''has opened 5000 in day, but
there are not many who can do that.
VETERAN.
You see that old gentleman at the
head of the table? bis name is F. S.
Evans. He is nearly eighty-three years
old, but he is just as spry as any OF
them in opening letters. He was APP
pointed to the Post-O!lice Department
by Andrew Jackson in 1929, and with
the exception of two or three years that
he published the Baltimore Patriot, he
has been here ever since. He has served
this department for more than fifty
wears. He was editor Of the Patriot
when TIE war broke out. Hewas strongly
opposed TO slavery, and during the eX.
L..
pletely DESTROYED his press, types, etc,
and he very narrowly escaped with his
life. Mr.. Evans has seen some changes
since he first came into the post-oliice.
Yes" remarks the pleasant faced
patriarch, laying down his knife for
moment, Il was here when two men
did all the business that now keeps two
hundred busy"
may remark in passing that the en-
ploves are not permitted TO converse
with Wis tors. One of the clerks did
speak to PIE and | replied briefly, or
rather started to do SO, when the at
tendant gently took me by the ear, Jig
uratively speaking, and politely in
formed me OF the existence OF this rule
[ begged his pardon, remarking that L
was but answering question by the
clerk to me- 'Of course it's ali right
as far as YOU are concerned, said he.
s.but that clerk knows what the rules
are"
At THE DESK OF 4 'GUESSER.
"An the letters opened at this table, y
he resumes, "are dead. They have
been advertised according to law at the
various offices where received and re-
turned here as uncalled for. Now
will introduce you. TO one of our eN-
perts. who | am sure will be able 10
interest Won. She is the most s&illful
of those who correct, as far a il is pos
.sible to do it, the misdirected letters,
and deciphers the awful penmanShip
that has fioored the postmasterS from
Maine to Tcxas will leave you with
her for little time. All! l see what
Won arc going to ask. You may talk
with her as much as you please; we
make an exception to the rule in such a
case.
The sscredness of the mails is duly
regarded in the highest degree possible,
in all departments of the Dead Letter
Office. No letter is OPENED if it can be
delivered without ii, to either the writer
or the person addressed. In the case
OF dead letters there is no alternative
they can only be opened and returned
to the senders. But those bearing in
complete or erroneous addresses, or 50
badly written as TO almost set human
skill at defiance, call for different treat
ment. Many of the errors are easily
corrected and the letters Immediately
forwarded to their destination. Others
tax to the utmost the ingenuity of the
and the letter is sent OF to try that ad
dress. If this fails it comes back and
another is tried. There have been eases
of letters sent out four or five times
the result of rs many different gueSSeS
and finally, after months of wandering
about the country, being delivered Il
the right persons. Clerks are forbid
den, on pain of instant dismissal, tc
divulge the material contents of any
letter opened aud examined.
But the lady to whom we hive beer
introduced invites us to a seat beside
her. We are soon convinced that She
is most truly an expert. Her pleas
ant face betnkens the quick intelligence
necessary 10 success in such perplexins
employment. She retains in her minC
the names of post offices, the countie:
and States in which they are situated
and streets in the various cities to ar
extent that is almost marvellous
Thousands of these are at instant com
Eand, while for reference when neces
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