Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-08

Washington Star: Millions OF dollar,
pass daily througn The New York post.
office in the shape Of registered mail mat.
ter. There are several ways Of sending
money through the mails. Perhaps the
best known IS the money order system.
The postal note IS comparatively new.
AMI is therefore not so familiar TO the nv.
erage citizen. But when a a has
something valuable other than money. or
"A large su II Of money he wishes to send
to a G distant point, he avails himself of
the registry system. This is very simple.
de pays letter postage on the package
n in addition a fee Of ten cents. 1t NAV
be iewelry or bonds, or even money in
large amounts, but off it goes under the
protection Of Che postofticc department.
Suppose - man. explained "a post
Office iepal Mnent official wanted 10 send
$4,000 to IA distant place in this country
and looked around for the cheapest
method. Unless he is a person with an
extended bank account, he is apt to get
ten VI, 900 bills, put them into an en-.
velope and place on it u registry stamp.
Before he trusts the letter to the mails
perhaps be asks himself what will be the
result If this am ount should happen to be
lost. He makes seine inquiries, and as
ccrtains that the government would no
be responsible All that The government
engages To do is TO exercise unusual care
in the transmission Of a registered letter.
There is no responsibility attached ex-
cept in that n particular. Special
pouches are furnished, which are locked
at one end of a through line and are rot
opened until the other end is reached.
These are specially prepared bags, with
combination locks, and the combination
is known only to two per
sons, namely, the transmittcr at one
end kand he receiver at the other.
When the registered matter is not
placed in a through pouch, a receipt is
required and obtained from every man
into whose hands it comes. A registered
letter is put or the train at a small town,
the postmaster gets a receipt from the
postal clerk, and the latter in turn from
the postmaster receiving it. A receipt is
required from the per.oE to whom it is
delivered, SO that it is a comparatively
easy task to trace n registered letter or
p"Nh"SN, h't ~ WV ~ Osl w la tltt Didillt
or guilt upon the proper person.
"A rather curious feature has sprung
up" he continued. There are com
panies in existence whose business con
sists in insuring registered matter, They
have nothing to do with its Transports
ton. The government does that. But
they insure the trustwOrthiness of the
government, its accuracy, and the integ-
rity OF its employees. They take the risks
which nthe government refuses to take.
They guarantee to "A man that his pack.
age or letter which he has intrusted to
the care of the mails shall reach its DIES.
tination. If through any cause the pack.
age is lost then the insurance company
pays the loss. 1t may also be added that
the government catches the thief, as it
is very seldom that the theft of registered
matter is a success SO you see, when a
man has a large amount of money to
send, if he doubts the reliability Of tie
government, or is afraid of the casualties
Of the way, his fears may be allaycd by
getting out an insurance policy which
makes him safe, whatever happens. The
registry system. like the parcel post, in
frlnges somewhat on the business of the
express companies, and on this account
their adoption by the government was
opposed. R"t i was Thought tn, hn q
service required by the people, and, as it
is cheaper, OF course it is popular.