Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-25
The Treasures of ske Dead Letter or.


II Washington should be suddenly sub.
merged in 1885, As Pompeii was 10 10, and
dug out after many centuries, the collectors
of illustrations of the domestic life OF our
time would find nowhere among the ruins 80
multifarious treasure as in the vaults of the
dead letter office at the post Office depart
ment. Nobody will doubt this who looks
over the catalogue of more than 5000 lots Of
accumulated articles" lately sold by auction
by order of the postmaster general.
These sales have become amazingly divers
fled since the post office became carrier Of
merchandise at cheap rates. The 3, POI lots
entitled miscellaneous" illustrate almost ev-
cry Mechanical trade and artistic occupation,
and comprise in bewilderiDg confusion car
penters' and blacksmiths' tools fonts of type,
stereotype plates, musical instruments, opti-
cal Instruments, household furniture, cloth
ing, groceries, hardware, agricultural imple-
ments, electric apparatus, guns and pistols,
drugs, stoves, sewing machines, carpets and
rugs, games, orockery, things for the toilet,
things for the kitchen, things for the parlor
and things for the bedroom. On what plan
OF collocaton the lots are made up it is i'm
possible to discern. In one lot a lady's "hair
combings" are combined with a "griddle lift
er :" in another "auger bits" with 'chid's
diaper" six ladies back combs" are mixed
with an "oil stove" and ''eleven inkstands !"
one pair of mems soiled socks with two
boxes of baking POWDER" "corn husker''
with an automatic tooth. pick !" two la
dies small wool fsscinators" with monkey
wrench, mans night-shirtr and a tam-
BOURNE q truss, a shaving mug, corkscrew W
and cane with q conductors bell punch and
a pair of "lady's drawers - an "Agnus Dsi"
and a spyglass with lone dozen mems soiled
collars :" pair Of "mens suspenders' with a
scapulary. an electric battery, a syringe aud a
pair Of moccasins a lamp chimney with a
nickel stopoock" ''lady's ohemise," an &C.
Gordon and razor; one Large saw set
with pincushion, doll and a sewing ma
chine two tooth brushes with a magic Ian.
tern, a baseball set and clock one pair OF
broken spectacles" with 'child's bib :
six butter knives" "cbipped pool balI
and a mousetrap; 'three pounds OF tea
with a shaving brush, a wooden fife," a
pair OF corsets" aud a bullet mould pi
no.tuning crank with a jewshsrp, a "soiled
pillow shan, two "Kazoos," four cakes Of
soap and q cornet mouthpiece. These quota
tions might be almost indefinitely multiplied
The ,929 so called literary lots would
be quite as extraordinary if the compiler hat
mixed them but he has allowed only one
book to lot. They are e strange list, il
many languages, from 30 Abolciomismo,
in Portuguese. to "Blorklands hokbok, II
Swedish. The English section runs from
Lightning Calculator and knight Tenn
plar's Manual" to "Wilkinsons Baptist,
Principle" and "Ulloas Popery :" from tn,
Sweet Ready Reckoner" to Not Like 9th
er Gir." and "Vergiss Mein Nicht,"
1t is sad TO think how many heartaches
this catalogue represents Of disappointed
sendeTs aud disappointed receivers. Mr.
Hazen, the third assistant postmaster general
prehIes to it the following "suggesIions t,
the public :"
Write or print your name and address, anC
the contents, IL q package, upon the upper
left hand corner OF all mail matter. Thi
will insure its immediate return to you TO
correction, il improperly addressed or insult
oiently paid and If it is not called for a
destination it can be returned to you without
going to the dead letter office. II the pa
irons OF the mails would avail themselves o
this privilege it would enable the department
to restore to the sender at least 80 per cent
of all the un de livered matter. Letters woul,
be returned free and parcels upon paymen
Of the return postage.