, 1888-11-09

Museum Filled with Articles Confsca-
ted in Transit by Uncle Sans Watch
full Postal Employes-Toying with Dy-
namIte-Stray Books-The System.
On the third floor and west side of the
New York postofice building, overlooking
the court and shut out from the noise of
the street is a large room which in char
acter partakes about equally of iunkshop,
storehouse and museum. Over the door
is a sign bearing in plain black letters,
Inquiry Office" Mr.. Perry Jones is
the presiding spirit. He is unusually
courteous and accommodating for a man
whose hands are constantly full Of CORE
spondence and who simultaneously an
swers questions on every known subject.
On entering the office through a private
door one is confronted with the workshop
and museum proper. A talk with MIR.
Jones brings out some interesting in
formation. 1t becomes apparent at once
that the inquiry Office is no place for a
person with weak nerves. A package
without an address is received. 1t is
opened. A cotton ball is exposed to view,
which is folded layer on layer in the most
careful way. In the center, between two
layers saturated with alcohol, is found q
hideous scorpion from the West Indies.
Live horned toads nave been received
here, as also have snakes in heavy glass
jars filled with alcohol. Live turtles com
plete the list of nerve SCATTERING things
which the employees nave to dispose of.
Dynamite carefully packed in cotton, pow
der in TASKS, gun implements of all kinds
and fishing outfits are received daily.
TOYING WITH DYNAMITE.
y On would think that toying with dyna-
mite was sufficient to cause all sorts of
! tremors and fears to agitate a person, but
the examiners have not the haunted look
of men in perpetual fear. To hear one
say in a jolly N 'Ah, here's an
earthquake" on opening a package con-
tanning dynamite is an ordinary thing.
Peaceful things are, of course, plentiful.
Samples Of every known fabric to delight
the eyes of the professional shopper, cos
metics, ~corsets, bustles, v~elvets, silks and
woolens, worsted flowers, oil paintings,
plans of houses, fancy Comstockian por-
traits, specimens of ore and electric APP
paratus. Sadly crushed, but pretty for
all that, q bit of edelweiss, direct from its
native Alp, awaits an owner; crushed, too,
but no longer beautiful, a lady's bonnet,
for which nc doubt the owner fumed and
fretted, but it was the bonnet that never
came.
Fruits are often received, but thrown
away at the slightest appearance
of decay. Skins of animals for the
taXidermist and birds wings for the MILL
ners also find their way into the office,
together with jewelry, oft times of great
value, and notes and coin. Shoes, cloth
ing and are not wanting. A
specimen card of insects, containing all
species native to n certain part of Africa
and addressed to a scientist of promi-
nence, has just now been forwarded to
the owner. A prize pumpkin and a COM
plete set of dental instruments were re-
posing side by sid among a heap of
papers when the reporter called. and on a
shelf directly back of the table, alpha
b~etically arranged, were newspapers from
all parts of the world. In the book de-
partment, books, principally foreign, in
elegant bindings, with dust for company,
and manuscripts and even corrected
proofs-ready for the printer-form an
interesting part of the collection. Novels
in paper cover are everywhere.
THE SYSTEM ADOPTED.
Mr.. Jones says that the system used in
disposing of the accumulated matter was
copied by every larger city in the Union
and inquiries regarding the work of the
department are frequent. Since its es-
adjustment, seven years ago, it has grown
to be a necessary part of the gigantic
postal system in operation in this city.
To this office all parcels not addressed, or
IlOhl WHICH IL pdLG VI inc uuIrcSS mas
been obliterated, are sent. To this Office
are sent also all improperly packed par
GELS, and those which the postal officers
have reason to believe contain c%ontraband
articles. The business of the employees
in the office is to put the addresses where
they belong, repack the parcels when nee
essary, confiscate the things which have
no place in the mails, and otherwise rem
edy the mistake caused by the careless
ness or ignorance OF the senders.
When a parcel is improperly packed or
something is wrong with the address, if
the person for whom it is probably in
tended can be found, a circular is sent to
him with the request for the name and
description of the article. If the answer
is satisfactory the parcel is forwarded.
In some cases the person addressed does
not know the contents of the package,
which frequently happens around Christ
mas when presents are the fashion. In
that case the name of the sender is pro-
cured from the person addressed, and the
parcel reaches its destination.-New York
Commercial Advertiser.