The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-06
DEAD-LET1ER SALES.
The Singular Articles Sent Through the Malls
and Never Called For.

g The Singular Articles Sent Through the Mall
q and Never Called For.
A most remarkable government sal,
{ has just closed here, writes Washing
: ton correspondent to The Cincinnati
1imeS-Star, remarkable because i
, shows the curious uses to which the
, mails are put, and interesting in the
hint it conveys to those who use them.
1t is sale of dead letters" At least
, it is so termed, though in point of fact
it is not a sale of letters at all. Let
tiers, themselves, which are sent to the
dead-letter office, are not made public.
But there is a large accumulation OF
articles of greater or less value, usual
ly less, which arrive at the dead-ietter
office, which are never called for by
those to whom they are addressed, and
whose owners or senders can neither of
them be found. When these articles
and packages of articles have accumu-
lated in sufficient quantity to warrant
it there is sale, by auction. Former
ly there was one in every two or three
years; now the accumulation is so
great that it is found necessary to have
the sale every year.
The packages which are examined
at the dead-letter office are made up
again, sometimes the contents of two
or three put in one, sometimes bun
died together again as they were re-
ceived. wrapped in brown paper, and
sent to some auctioneer to be sold
The sale is advertised, and usually
draws pretty large attendance. No.
body is permitted to examine the con-
tents OF the package being sold. The
printed catalogue tells briefly the con-
tents Of each, but not with sufficient
detail to give much idea of what they |
really contain. And the catalogue is |
not consulted by all the bidders. So |
the buying of these packages, number
ing thousands as they do, is much like
a lottery venture. Indeed, it is large
ly because of this that the sale attracts
so large number of people. The
auction-rooms where it is conducted
are usually crowded, and the sale is
very interesting and sometimes
amusing.
The class of articles making up these
mysterious packages is so varied and
so ludicrously combined as to cause
shouts of laughter where they are
opened. AS rule buyers do not open !
the packages at the auction-rooms, for
they know that they run risk of max !
ing themselves laughing stock. There :
are usually enough who run this risk, +
however, to keep the crowd in good g
natured roar, and show the funny uses =
that are made of the mails. One pur- h
chaser at the sale just closed got in p
one of the packages which he bought a
a black wool hat, an old fife, and a !,
pair of old red drawers. His amuse- q
nent and chagrin were no greater, n
however, than. that of a man who r
found the contents Of his package to r.
pc lot of damaged and soiled under v
clothing for the gentler sex, four i
ady's linen collars, and small feath. n
,r for a lady's hat. Still another lot II
urned out on examination to be a a
hild's bib, pair of cheap finger-rings. o,
wo spools of thread and rubber G
Taper. Another got as his prize sew n
uteen papers of tine-cut tobacco, f.
and pair of socks. One w
package which excited roars of Taught m
T from everybody but the purchaser
obtained some cheap jewelry, a but OF
er-knife, sugar-spoon, eleven old h,
oothbrushes, and button-hook. Still n,
mother had two pairs of children's w
hoes, two handkerchiefs, a worn m
prom, and four old nightcaps. One m
urchaser was made happy by finding
4 his very heavy package Gaskells II,
and an old jelly glass w
me individual, presumably a govern "a
tent clerk, got in his package book he
ntitled "Why We Are Democrats" hs
mother bought handsomely bound ha
iblc, and another a copy of "Hoyle's
ames," whatever that is. There do
ere large, numbers of corsets, large mr.
umbers of ''harmonicas, and hun mn
reds of packages containing both an
ems and women's underwear and
ld overwear in all stages of cleanli- we
sss and otherwise, and all conditions o mU
to wear and wearing possibilities. ca ca
alse teeth, worn rubber shoes, cir for
liar saw, pound of tea, bottles of wo
9th wash, electric batteries, suits of inc
othing, several watches, and quanti- Me
IS OF jcwelry were among the curious pr,
ticles intrusted to the mails. The p,o
'stoflice department accompanies the ma
dialogue of articles with brief sug- tia
stion to the public that if those send mo
g packages would see that they are oar
I'll wrapped, carefully addressed, and ind
airing on the corner the name and Mo
dress of the sender, the loses would
t be one tenth what they are now, Nv
r if they were uncalled for and I'M
livered they would be returned to !
e senders. OF