Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-03-29
ayes. YOUR name and address. -

Incidents like the foregoing are of
common occurrence in the registry
division of the Chicago post-office.
Most people who have Il letter regis
tered for the first time, and, in many
cases. the only time in their lives, do
not take the trouble to ascertain in adj
vance the prerequisites of registration.
They expect the post-office officials to
give them the necessary information.
A person who is posted in the rules
and complies with them avoids trouble
and detention at the post-office. He
hands in the letter, and in a few
seconds receives receipt for it. He
is expected to take care of this receipt
until advised of the safe delivery of
the letter. If he has occasion to in
quire about the letter he must take his
receipt to the post-office. and not, as
some stupid persons do. go there and
say:
II registered letter here week or
ten days ago and have heard nothing
from it,"
The clerk will be sure to ask for the
receipt, 80 as to make reference to the
date of the registration and the regis
try number in the post-office record.
Unless the receipt is produced a search
involving considerable trouble is i'm
posed upon the clerk. The people who
get impatient about the delivery of a
registered letter are generally those
who do not know that safety is con-
sidered before celebrity in the transmits
sion of registered mall Ordinary
1o+t irrbf fbrOrInrl, - xubi1a
registered letters have to be receipted
for at every point of transfer on their
journey, a precaution against loss
which causes some delay.
The main purpose of requiring the
name and address of the sender on the
envelope of registered letter is to
provide for the return of the letter to
the sender if it be not delivered within
thirty days. The department has re-
peatedly urged the adoption of this
plan with unregistered letters, but out
side of commercial circles it is seldom
done. To promote the habit of putting
the return request on envelopes the
department has had printed across the
end of some of the stamped envelopes
issued by it line reading, ''If not de-
lived within ten days return to -"
but the blank is seldom filled.
When Il letter is delivered the re-
ceiver must sign a color card accom-
panying it. This goes back to the
sender and apprises him of the receipt
of his letter by the person 20 whom it
was sent. Some persons-intellige
ones included-who receive one of
these cards will rush to the post-office
and, displaying the card, will ask for
..that letter." A mild-mannered clerk
will ask:
Have You read what is on that
cardP''
mo, sir; have not"
"Well, if you had taken the trouble
to read it you would have found that
it is the acknowledgment of the receipt
of registered letter sent by you to
the person who has signed it. That's
his signature.
80, so it is. 1 thought it was a no.
tice to call for a registered letter. 1
beg pardon. Good day"
TO insure the delivery of registered
letter to the right person, Il rule of the
department requires an unknown
claimant to be identified before let
ter is delivered to him. In cases where
there is doubt Il colloquy like the
following occurs:
as there letter here for John
Smith?'
us that your cIame?"
Yes, SIR
The clerk then asks from what place
the letter is expected and the sender's
name. If these questions are satisfactor-
lily answered the clerk will inform Mr..
Smith there is a letter for him, but he
must prove his identity befors it can
be delivered.
Bring somebody here that knows
you and that we know
''How can l know who you know?"
some one who is acquainted with any
one in the Office"
After further parley Smith goes off
muttering, in all probability, but soon
returns with Il person to identify him
and gets his letter, after signing for
it" in the delivery book, and also sign
ing the return receipt.
The Government does not guarantee
indemnity for the loss of registered
letters. Nevertheless the reliability of
the service is demonstrated by the
small percentage of losses annually
from fire, robbery, etc. This safety is
assured by the responsibility attaching
to every official or employee who ham
dies registered mail matter. 1t must
be accounted for, if inquiry be insti-
trted. by the production of the transfer
receipt. If the delinquent to whom
missing letter or package of letters has
been traced can not prove that he had
transferred it in a regular way, and if
the missing matter can not be found,
hn h.nr- "a, 81