Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-06
UNAVAILABLE NATTER
Some Articles Which Uncle Sam
Will Not Transport
PoiSons and Explosives. Living and Dead
Animals, Razor. and Needles, Fish
hooks, Glass, Ete-, Considered
Slightly Objectionable


Zone of my duties" said retail
stamp-clerk of the PoSt-ofiicc, lis the
weighing of parcels; and one of the
most Interesting subjects | have TO deal
with i called. in the phrascology of the
Po>t-officc regulations, Destructive I'm
mailablc Matter may bc mmailable
for several reasons, such As the size or
weight of :he parcel. indecencv. con-
ncction with lotteries or other frauds.
and the fact that it is dutiable goods;
but destructive unmaitable' consists of
things that are unavailable because Of
their liability TO injure the other mail
matter, or to injure the clerks handling
the mail. or other people. The Ameri-
can Post-ofiice seems TO me to be rap
idly taking on the character of a Ma
tional express for light freight. The
number and character Of the parcels that
are mailed every day at Chicago would,
II generally known, create great
aStonishmcnt They are limited 70 four
pounds. hut within that limit people
seem to be Graz, to mail everything
they can laN their hands on. Hats.
shoes. bed-clotIeS and all sorts # hard.
w1re and jcwrlry are handed in all the
wIlr The rule is that these articles
must be wrapped up aud directed before
they can b. weighed. bnt an often >o-
Gcted To weigh them before they are
wrapped: and one day a laboring man
wnpprd off his coat and threw it
through the window at pc. with ID,
earnest request that 1 would weigh
that, The people seem N think thcy
cln send anything they chooSr through
the mails. including matter that is Eabl,
to ic>trol the Po>t-utiice. or kill dozen
people before il reaches its destination
Hrnc, destructive unmailabc' has 10 b,
vyry clos,ly watched. The inileNihh
rule in my III, SION Is that no parcel II
to br weighed unless the person present,
inc i will tell what it contains. Thi:
eNcitns a good deal of Indignation some.
times among The applicants, ,aS they may
have 10 unite their parcels 70 find out
Wnlt they contain. or take them awal
without mailing them Al all. Not ont
in t"n persons who mail package ap-
plies t. have it weighed; but it is all the
more important that thosc who do ap.
ply Should b. cduca,ed conccrning wha,
l. mailabie and whatis unmaj'able.s1
'.of what particular articles does de
structiye unmailable consist?
obstructive unavailable is divided
into two classes. One class of these OBJ
l., -. kn, l..l
all: and the other class can not be
mailed except when incloScd in tin or
wood. Thosc articles that are unniaIl-
able undrr any circumstances art
liquids. oils ointments fatty. substance
easy liqu"tiahle. soft soap. powdered red
pepper. poisons. explosives, inham-
mablc matter. animals alive or dead,
unless stuffed. fruits, vegetables. matter
having Tad odm. razors and firearms,
except in detached pieces. THESE arti-
cl"~ are not admitted to the mails know
ingly under any conceivable circum,
stances. Then candy. CAKE. cunfrction-
cry. pa>tc>. glass and Sharp-po;nted in.
strumcnts. including fshhooks and
needles. are not admitted unless in.
closed in tin or wood This rule is jus
a. 'ntirvihlc n thr other People kicb
about both of them. but they kick in
vain.
What harm do such things do in tn,
mails?'' --- 80
Two things must o. borne in mind
20 understand this: First, with refer
ence To mailing clerks, that they work
AT night, 10y an imperfect hight. viii
great rapidltv. and have to seize maj
matter by the armful before they have
inspected i. secondly. with reference tC
other mail matter, that let
ter> and merchandise parcel
often 90 together in tn,
same pouch. In large offices separate
pouches are provided, but where on,
pouch will hold all the letters and par
cells. only one i used; and in process o
transportation these pouches are rollel
and shaken necessarily. and often sub
irct,-i 90 considerable heat Keeping
tn two facts in mind the danger o
mailing these articles may he. seen
though some rcol's" can't sec it. ever
thrn \ razor : a peculiar thing 1h'
b!a,ir c:rn c-,S,iv NC rustlcrt through tn
handle. Nn.u "a maII-pOUch #
" -i,~tcr.> Diet nary IaII> On !. the h!ad,
Gu, hromy' my wood OT Hr box il il
LkeI, to d mcl,.>ri in an' lhen 70
mains exposed for the rest OF the jour
nev. By the inresSant jolting of rail
road train il will then make rats nest:
of hundred letters. and on its arriva
AT its destination cut off c finger or two
for a poSt-office clerk Long experience
and numerous accidents have led the de
partmpnt, therefore. toprohibit the mail
ing of them altogether. Firearms ar
unmailahlc for the simple reason that 81
many fools insist on mailing them load
cd. They can not be mailed except IL
detached pieces.
at ought to be plain enough why ex
plosives are unmailable; and vet thought
less persons are all the while scndin;
metallic cartridges through the mails
Articles with disagreeable odor, sue
as that of kerosene, carbohc acid, o
musk are Forbidden because the odor ma
be communicated TO a ton Of other mai
matter. Str"ng-sm"lling cdblcs, hk
cheese. are ruled out partl " for this rea
son. and partly because they cause rat
10 eat through the pouches. Vegets
bles and fruits decay, and not only pre-
auce bad odors but soil the other mai