The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-03-07

and systematic control of it is MAIN \
tanned by the chiefs of the several de
partments.
While going through the receiving
department or Office where the mail is (
first opened, the manager called nv
attention to the fact that even in writ
ing for lottery tickets, where one :
would naturally suppose every CORE
spondent would be very careful to give
all needed information. that very often
letters reached them with no signature
or no address, or may be the name
scraWled very illegiblY and nothing to
indicate Town or state, and In many
cases neither can be deciphered from
the blur and blOtcir that Uncle Sans
poStmaSteTs use in some country offices
as q post-mark.
These letters containing money,
what disposition do you make OF
themp' asked.
he termed the %oId horse vault, and /
sending for a clerk who brought a |
| bunch of keys with him, opened long |
coffin-like case, and therein disclosed
| to me thousands of such letters, with |
| the original remittance pinned to each.
In this vault are two such boxes, which
| at the present time contain perhaps
from 5000 to Sl0,000-the accumula-
ton from careless correspondents who
fail to give name and address.
what course do you pursue, L
asked, ''in cases like thesep Surely
these parties make some inquiries re-
garding tbeir remittances."
''Oh, yes he answered, land often
the letter of inquiry gives little clue
to the writer of the original letter,
therefore we have what we term a
tracing department, which l will show
you. -
Going thither, your correspondent
was shown the Inquiry Record -
which is in printed form. and fash
Toned after the form in use by the post
Office department. For instance: a
letter of inquiry as to remittance
sent by John Jones. of Omaha, Neb.. Is
made and placed in the hands of the
! traceTs. 1t is found that such a letter
, was received, the several records eX-
amined, and traced finally to the mail
, ing department, where, on such date,
, acknowledgement and ticket was mail
: ed. This is recorded and the inquirer
. notified, and then the matter is traced
through the post-office department.
p Should the record prove, after tracing,
: that no such letter was originally re-
p ceiVed, the same result is entered in
! the inquiry book, and the sender asked
Il for more specific information. Very
+ often it occurs that the letter of in
q quiry, as stated, refers to some letter
! that has neither signature nor address.
: Then, after eXhausting all known
v methods of tracing it through the reg
/ ular books of record, visit is made to
4 the ''old horse vault, and perhsps it is
/ then, by special and prolonged exam
e ination, and a comparison of chIrog-
n raphy, that the company Is enabled to
:, determine the writer of the original
j. letter containing the remittance. The
=, question solved to their own Satisfac-
:. ton, they so advise the writer, and fill
n his order for the coming drawing, il
l. requested, or return his money.
g But the company do not wait for let
q tiers of inquiry from their careless cor
a respondents. For instance, if they car
Il decipher the name of the party and
town-while there may be nothing tC
indicate the State-they CLEAN from
the Postal Guide, every state and ter.
ritory in which is located town OF
that name, and send postal card tt
e each one, advising the party named
!! that they are in possession OF pack
! age of value, and if his or hers, to write
3 giving description of its contents
= when sent, name of town and state
etc. Thus, very often they anticipate
a letter of inquiry. and fill an order
u with but little delay. Your CORE
- spondent was told of one particular
/ case in which patron failed to giYt
- any legible address, and all inquire!
- on the part of the company failed K
discover him. But at about the same
a time it was receiving letters from som'
u one who was calling it hard names, be
u cause il failed to send him ticket a.
!, ordered. This party was requested t.
o. give, if possible, the date of his origina
= letter of remittance, the nature of it
q whether bills, silver, money order, 1
!. by express or otherwise. But tn
u company got no definite answer from
:, him, only an additional abusive com
~ plant.
D. FINALLY, - said the manager, "a maj
I came into the Office one day and de
10 clared he was going to know why thu
70 company had robbed him of his none,
y without giving him any satisfaction.
a Learning his name the general man
~ ager took him aside, and by cleve
questioning got out of him in a few
- minutes more definite information thai
~ a series of letters had extracted. Tax
III ing him into the ''old horse" vault, on
of the boxes was opened, and yer,
G soon the original letter was discovered
;, Immediately recognizing it. the mai
u; exclaimed:
es "Why, that's the very old bill that
I sent with it that you got pinned Oh
II there"
al Yes was the reply, ''you see W
did not steal your money or put it il
IL our yockets, but you notice there ar
no directions in any part of your lette
% whereby we could learn where to sen,
~ ~ you proper returns.
Gu Then the man was full of apologies
II. No doubt he is regular patron now
az but more careful in giving proper ad
- dress. But the company IS not alWay
u fortunate enough to reduce tie ''ol
" horse'' account as in this case, and thu
Gu a large amount of money necessaril
al remains to its credit.
re President Dauphin DEGREES that as
Ks does not belong to the company, tn
a. company must not touch it. A COZ
m Germ that sets up such standard
80 honesty in iCS dealings with its pa
ar. irons cannot help compelling cont
as dence in all its methods.
Oh Ali the correspondence appertalnln
to each drawing is bound in alphabe'
Oe ical form and flied away according
of date in appropriate pigeon holes, {
70 that in an instant almost the letter c
ms a fortunate winner, showing name an
re location, may be ascertained. Thi
rte was verified later on, when after tt
no drawing, [ called OH Mr.. Dauphin
m learn if possible, the localities an
For names of the lucky ones who had s.
ey cured the capital prizes.
nj Happening to be in the president
,or private office about 10 O'Clock on I'll
ID morning of the drawing, your CORE
in pondent had the pleasure of meetiI
cd that old veteran of the confedrac
For General Jubal A. Early, one of IL
a commissioners. who comes down onC
70. month from his home in Virginia,
az. superintend the drawing. The o.
nd gentleman, although somewhat bel
eg- uhuei the,WeiShe ol 5oaio, SSc N s
%, as many men thirty years yOunge
If He presents a most venerable appea
,er ance, with his long gray beard ar
no broad brim sloueh hat. His eye
3er sharp and piercing, and his voice
i'll firm as in the old campaigniI
We. Idys IN the oheiianuodn "a q
is icy; ne SIeeleu me colu s =: