The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-06-14


might be POLITICALLY suggestive of the
Yule-log if it were not keeping com.
pany with skull, a clothes wringer, an
alligator's skin, horned frog, and SER
penis in state of such beastly intoxi-
cation that they VIII never wriggle
again, for they live and move and have
their being in alcohol. There are boxes
of wedding cake tied with satin ribbon,
Jumbo" babies, birds nests, artificial
roses, so exquisite one might fancy
them cluster freshly plucked, dolls
enough to fill many a child-mother's
arms, and scrap albums enough, when
supplemented by pots of paste, to make
the same class supremacy happy, while
driving the same number of tidy house
wives to desperation. The array of
combs is sufficient to represent every
manufacturer, and to straighten all the
tangled hair in Christendom. There
are pots of caoti well fortified for any
manner of defense, which arrived at the
office brown, angry and brstling but
10 when they had been given of that
which they lofe-brown earth, a sunny
window, and plentiful drink-they
burst into gorgeous blossoms of tropi-
cal richness. A coat of more colors
than Joseph's and much more bizarre
in design than any that could have been
constructed in those primitive times,
was puzzle even to the white-haired
lady who lives among these curiosities,
until one day gentleman came in. who,
upon CHANGING at it, exclaimed Show
in the world did that Sandwich-Islander
lose his coat:s" He then explained that
this garment, which is made of cotton
cloth, printed over with cards, kings,
aces, diamonds hearts and spades, as il
they had been thrown pell-mell upon
its surfa e, is sought after by those peo-
pie with much eagerness, and that they
send to the United, States and have
them manufactured, the possession of
one being considered quite distinc-
ton.
Perhaps it will give better idea of
what beasts of burden poor Uncle Sans
mail-boys are if, in addition to what has
been mentioned, we add that this mu-
scum also contains horned frogs re-
ceived alive, case of Lees as full of
sting, if not of honey, as if they were
abroad in a clover field, two centipedes,
patent hitching- post, Chinese MSS,
samples of barbed wire fence, q sau-
sage grinder, thermometer, tidy,
tambourine, sets of false teeth without
number, army badges, wash-board, an
umbrella, ring set with amethysts and
diamonds, beautiful collection OF min
erals, and one of coins that would make
any collector pc rish with envy, min
ialure cotton bale, and hundreds of
other things for which, generally speak
ing, the mail would scarcely be consid-
cred the legitimate means of transport
tation.
The Dead-letter Office is sometimes
facetiously called ''Botany Bay" and
again it is dubbed ''Siberian Mines. -
However appropriate or inappropriate
these titles may be, it bears the reputa-
ton of being one of the 6est-conducted
bureaus under the Government, and if
it is also one of the hardest. worked,
perhaps one implies the other.
One branch of the work which always
seems to particularly interest outsiders
is the "blnd-reading, " or supplying adj
dresses to misdirected letters Only
''live'' letters or such as have come d.
rectiy from the mailing offices on ac-
count of this deficiency, are treated in
this manner. All carrier Offices make a
daily return of such matter. but the bulk
of this class of matter is received from
New York, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Allan
ia, Washington and Chicago. Some
times the errors or omissions occurfrom
ignorance, but quite as often from care
lessness, and not unfrequently the add
dress is wholly illegible, exec pt to the
eye of an expert. In this way 100000
letters are annually sent forward to
their proper destination with the seal
unbroken. The difficulties that compass
this branch of the service can scarcely
be understood save by one who has made
study of it. For instance, letter is
addressed, 'Mr Charles Hall, No. AZ
Gregory Street, Newport, Mon" Where
shall 1t be sent north, east, south, or
westp Alas! there is not only New
port by the sea, but ''seas" of Newports,
or there might as we'll be, for the Postal
Guide gives twenty three; but the num-
bered streets narrows the matter con-
siderably, since only two Newports are
large enough for this distinction. But
that mon. what does it mean? A
dead-letter lynx, if she had time to stop,
would tell you in a second; but she
hasn't. She silently adds to this super
scription' monmouth Co., England, -
and sends the delayed missiye on its long
journey.
"Mr. Thomas Richards, corner Main
and Eagle streets, City" Doubtless
Mr.. Richards is very well known to
his correspondent, and his local habi-
tation also; but sixty-four cities claim
the honor of Main street, and twenty
three wish to suggest the unblnking
upward look of the eagle; there ore,
this address is slightly ambiguous. But
the ferret family are never discouraged;
they run their fingers through their
bangs while they momentaliIy medi-
tate; they snatch down big book,
then little one, then a middle-sized
one. Not clew. No? Oh, certainly;
it is in the city of Buffalo that Eagle
street swoops ross Main, and makes a
corner: where else should Mr.. Thomas
Richards reside? When the ferrets
went to school they must have be N
like the cute little froggies of classic
story, that learned every lesson well,
and forget never one.
Again, a heavy cream-hued envelope,
addressed in bold, handsome hand to
''Mr. Herbert Coolidge, "a Rock street,
4 y 1 II - n