Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-28
How Letters are Lost.
The Dead.I.etter Office OF the I'm

as many different people and falling to
re ach their intended destinations, were
last year opened. There are a score OF
clerks here who are favored among
80. 600. 600 inhabitants, for they are al
lowed to open letters addressed to pco-
pie of whom they know nothing.
There are some forty ladies here. who.
il they be but half as curious. half as
romantic as the majority of their sex.
tind their work very congenial. for 1t
Is their duty TO read this vast amount
Of correspondence. although the pleas
nre is no doubt lessened by the fact
that rule Of the office forbds any in
formation thus Ga ned from beng di-
vulged.
However, says n Washington dis.
atch. without breaking that rule.
lew interesting facts relating to thcs o
letters may be safely gwen. In the
first place, the letters go To what Is
known as the open ny table. where
they are opened. and all valuables.
from tooth brush or collar button to
4 81. 200 draft or $50 bill, taken from
the ordinary run OF communication
and classified. Here the clerk has lit
tie or no time for anything but work.
as dealing with 1900 or = 800 letters
In day. taking care not to over
look any thing of value. keeps
one busy. The letters come
to tho clerk in bundles of
100 each, and from the appearance Of
bundle. with regard TO neatness or
cleanliness. he does not have to look
comes from the north, the south. the
east or the west. He knows II New
York drop" bundle by its pecuia
shape. arising from the large number
Of enclosed circulars. The terror of
the opening clerk is Southern work.
Opening letter from the south
usually means very ragged work.
Sometimes it IS written on dozen
different pieces of paper. every one of
VIII CHI must be opened in search of a
hidden postage stamp or dime. 1t is
always dirty. and often contains hair
clipped from some woolly- eaded
negro. Western work is comparative.
L. clean, while outside of the large
cities letters coming from New Eng
land postoflices are the neatest. This
clerk also finds out what kind of letters
are most frequently lost. There are
a great many circulars sent here. A
New York or Philadelphia firm adver-
Using its goods gets hold of a
Cincinnati or Chicago directory and
sends several thousand circulars to
people whose name appear there.
Many of these persons have moved
since the directory was issued. and
consequent the circulars are not de-
livered.
LETTERS FROM SwINDLERs.
Lotter, and grcen-goods circular S
come in b. the thousand. Anothe /
class of letters consists of those adj
dressed TO firms or persons whom the
law or the press have found out to be
sw ndlers. and who leave suddenly for
parts unknown. Many of these letters
contain money ranging from ten cents
TO 81. Green.goods men who have
made themselves scarce also come in
for their share OF letters Nearly all
the letters addressed to them contain
an accept ance of the .'bargins" offered
10 unsuspecting hayseeds, together
with orig nal clrcnlar sent out by the
secrecy about their transactions, they
ask TO be returned TO them. An amaz-
ing example of ignorance in connec.
ton with this business came to light
here day or two ago. After CORE.
spending with some countrymau fol
quite while the dealer in green goods
had sent genuine 81 bill to his ICON.
fidential friend" The bill was sent as
an alleged sample of the goods made.
The dupe's answer TO this letter shows
how well the sharper had PLAYED his
cards. His letter was evidently writ
ten with the idea Of making the a.
legged counterfeter think he was deal.
ing with an old hand at the business.
He stated that he had examined the bill
sent and found it to be AS nearly per
feet as counterfeit money could pos s.
bly, DO. The letter ended something
he this: Don't desert me. l am 9
pine evidently meant for 'poor) man.
/ You want to seEd me 1000 for go.
Tel me how to send it, and by then
will hav the money"
Another, and very numerous class
of letters, consists of unpaid bills. wit
please remit" or Jam in need OF
money" tackled on at the bottom.
Letters rected to guests at hotels are
also very plentiful. Watering places.
winter resorts and healthy Localities
send in more than their proportion.
For a while Los Angeles. Cal, fur.
nlshed more work for the Office thar
did Philadelphia Florida sends in
great many letters in early spr ng,
while Atlantic City. Ocean Grove AM
other seaside resorts loom uD amazing
! ly towards fall.
READING DEAD LETTERS.
To the ladies in the returning de.
partment-for it is managed almos,
solely by ladies-is reserved the work
of q more private nature. 1t is their
duty to examine aud read letters sen,
, from the opening table. in order TO get
proper address to send them to-.
Among political and business CORE.
spondence, or may be sandwiched be.
tween dunning letter and n circular
setting forth the advantages of a paten
hav-raka ia Jalinhtful littla Low.