The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-17

While conducting the school he turneu MS
attention to the study of theology, and in 1S49
was ordained minister of the Presbyterian
faith. but never formally accepted a call from
n congregation, and in 1850 was appointed Fro
fessor OF Ethics and English History at the
Naval Academy.
He remained at that institution until the
close Of tho academic year OF 1S65. having fol-
lowed it TO Newport, r T., when twas removed
from Annapolis in the Spring of 1861 to avoid
the danger of falling into rebel hands Mean
time during the war, while at Newport, he
acted as Chaplain 10 the troops garrisoning
Fort Adams, aud May 81, 1864, was commits
stoned Professor of Mathematics
IN 1865, on being relieved from the Academy,
he was ordered TO the Naval Observatory here,
where he remained until April, 1881. when ne
was placed on the retired list on reaching 62
years of age
President Grant, In 1875, appointed him
one of the delegates 10 represent the United
States at the International Geographical Con-
grcss held in Paris that year. and on his return
he prepared and published "The Maritime
Canal of Suez." which was graphic rs well as
scientific history of that great work OF Compile
de Lesscps. lie WAS a thorough student. ana
an interesting as well rs profound and sci
cutiGc writer, making his numerous works OF
value TO the general reader well as to SCI
entists.
Among others of his works the best known
tions at the Naval Observatory of the United
State" -; " Foundation aud Progress of the U. $.
Observatory" being complete history of that
institution; The Official History of the Cruise
of the Poaris Dr. Charles +. Halls Second
Voyage to the Arctic" and American Explo-
rations in the ley Zones"
LIVE" LETTERS,
There is branch of the Dead Letter Office
of the Postoitce Department with which tho
general public is not familiar, but the work OF
which is decidedly interesting.
While the Dead Letter Office itself deals with
letters that have failed TO roach the owners by
not being called for. the division Of which l
write takes charge OF mail that IS classed rs
unavailable" and these letters are designated
as live " ones.
Letters are so frequently found in the mails
that are addressed so badly, either in ponman-
| ship or misspclled direction rs we'll rs lacking
any saperseripton other than the name of the
! persons they are intended Tor, that an average
1 81 about 1000 a day are collected and sent TO
the office here 10 be guided to their owners.
While the whole force of tho Dead Letter
! Office numbers over hundred persons, five Of
! these-ail of them ladies-are exclusively en-
gagged upon live" letters. and their work
consists in dcciphering illcgible addresses or
| supplying incomplete ones.
IN charge OF this work IS an attractive aud
! remarkably bright woman, "a Mississ!ppian by
! birth and residence, whose achievements IN
! knowing better than the writers % where their
/ letters are 70 20 are so astonishing, and whose
labors are valuable, that She has been pFo-
/ NOTED during a service OF about 40 years TO
| 81 Coz cerkship.
This lady is Mrs. Patty i. Collins, and when
I she fails to determine from tho address on 4
letter whore il should go, 10 is laid aside TO be
/ classed as dead" and is sent TO the clerks
who open and search uncalIed-for mail matter
To any person not skilled in the work
/ through long experience and thorough train
ing, it would seem an almost hopeless task to
| discover the meaning Of the writer in many of
4 the cases that 80 TO Mrs. Collins aud her aids
/ de-ictters.
IL is not alone necessary to be skilled in de-
/ cipheriEg wreicbed chirography, but the ex-
aIuiner must also be able 30 cope with instances
! Of dense ignorance pcrpetratcd in as many
/ languages as there are representatives or for
/ eign nations resident in the United States
Mrs. Collins tells the writer that the work OF
! this division requires peculiar fitness on the
! part OF the examiners, and some perbons are
utterly unable 10 acquire the ability to perform
4 the daily task. l fzuCy that in this direction
4 the Civil Service rules wsuld be found utterly
at fault in providing recruits 20 take the places
| Of such OF the workers might resign or die.
There could by no possibility be any fixed
standard other than actual experience, 10 de-
! termiue fitness for this work.
FIRST, the examiner must be reasonably thor
| ouEh in the geography of this country, and TO
| some extent with such lands abroad that have
| contributed largest TO our population. Thus:
| Some time ago a letter came addressed 10 New
port, ". o. NJ; there is no Newport in Mon
tAns, and the letter WAS about 10 10 sent on It's
| travels through tic whole list Of towns Of that
| name, when Mrs. Collins determined that the
! writer Of the letter desired it 10 reach New
port in MonmOuthshire. England. She was
right and the letter duly reached the person
! To whom IL belonged.
i'm the second place, the examiners must be
possessed Of that knack that so few have, OF
deciphering wretcbed writing. aud must be
thoroughly well posted in orthography.
When these hundreds Of letters como here
each day for treatment, they arc deposited ON
Z huge table around which the ladies OF the
force have their seats. aud the tedious and often
times discOuraging work goes on until all are
treated and sent on their way. II the super.
scription proves too much for the examiner
| siugly, the united force consult on the matter
but II a solution is then failed 10 be reached
the missiye is doomed 10 the dead" letter
branch. The wonder is that more are sc
doomed, but the number really forms a very
small fraction Of each days mail.
Besides maps of every part Of the country
and many Of foreign countries. there Is at hand
for reference. directories OF almost every city
| where such works are published; and the col
lection is probably even more complete than
that on the shelves Of the Library OF Congress
Ia addition. nearly every college, academy and
school in the United States lie represented BY
a catalog OF It's faculty and membership OF stu
dents, when such lists are published.
These are the tools with which the work Il
performed, and the briRht-eyed clerk in charg,
tells me that she is familiar with the names o.
avenues, streets and alleys in nearly every city
J in the whole country, and this in many cases
aids in tracing the original intention Of the es
trayed letter under examination.
IL is not always ignorance on the part Of tn,
: letter writers that brings these letters here
for business and professional men are apt Il
neglect the most important part Of the super
scTiptiOn. Ignorance though contributes largely
D 10 the daily receipts, and In tho majority o
such cases the fault lies in the direction Of
8 lack Of acquaintance with geography. az wit
: ness these forexamples Of many thousands:
One letter addressed 10 "Seyiorci," was dc
Z ci3ed 10 belong 10 New York City, and O.
, | reached its owner. "Chiyilante Von wa
!. the address on a wandering letter for son O
: Italy. that Mrs. Collins properly decided wa
. intended for Cleveland, Ohio. "NeyoFaor
D | lama did not strain the imagination so nue.
10 translate into New Orleans. aud went south
6 ward; while one inscribed "Ayergrasson,
: found its owner at Hayre dc Grace Nd.
Mrs. Collins reads, writes and speaks fv
!, ! modern European languages 30 enable her 3
: do the work for her division. but doubt If sh
9 las yet mastered the secret Of tho Chimes
/ tongue or its writing. although many case
1 that she wresties with are almost as unintelli
| gible 10 the reader.
! A sOLDIER FAMILY.