The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-31
LETTERS THAT COME NOT.
INTERESTING CURIOS IN THE
GREAT EPIsTOLARY MORGUE.

Trerible Addresses and General Care
Iessn ess the Cause of Much Mental
Agony-suggestions That May be OF
Value.
From the Net1 YOr.. Press.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23.-Capt Leap
heart. superintendent of the dead letter
Office. gave patient smile to-day when the
Press correspondent called in quest Of liter
arv curios, a generous supply of which
ALWAYS abounds in the morgue of Uncle
Sans mail service.
$50 much has been written from time to
time. said he, upon the oddities which daily
find their way to the dead letter office that
lam growing weary of telling them. Be-
sides. while it may make interesting read
ing. perhaps, it does no good whatever in
raising the efficiency of the mail service. The
newspapers mi hit do much in this way if
thew would. Nearly100 per cent. of the matter
which finds its way here Is the result of
carelessness or ignorance, and about 20 per
cent comes from the 454 free delivery
offices, which include that number of the
largest cities in the country. In cities of
this character only small part of the
people visit the postoffice, and those who do
so are on the run; hence the posting of in
structions there does very little good. The
NEWSPAPERS, however, are read by all, and
with this consideration in view | am pre-
paripg an article which l can call hard
facts, and If you will take that for your
paper think you will find it both interest
ing and instructive"
Can't. Leapheart's hard facts are pretty
well sandwlched with numerous tidbits
selected from the files of his office as illus
trations of the sort Of matter which circu-
lates over the country in the mail pouches.
The superintendent maintains that per-
feet state of efficiency will have been
secured IN the mail service when the dead
letter office is entirely done away with or its
business reduced to a minimum. This,
however. can be reached but slowly, and by
educating the people to the necessity of
proper care in preparing their mail m after.
Aunt Lille writes long letter to Annie,
who lives in Kansas City. After two months
it comes back to her. She has long
been indignant at the unreliability of the
mails, but when she looks at the address
she sees that the mistake is hers. She has
put her own street and number on the
envelope Errors of this kind are most
numerous perhaps, but 1t would bother a
magician to devise a way that is not hit
by some one to make an error. Newspapers
are often put in the office without a stamp.
Again they are deposited with only por-
ton of the postage prepaid, under the pre-
sumption that they will be forwarded and
the balance collected from the person
addressed. That used to be the way, but
it is obsolete now, and no paper is for
warded upon which the full postage has
not been prepaid. Many people think two
cents will carry any kind of a newspaper,
and they put in Sunday World along
with Sunday Press, slap on cents and
wonder why the papers we're never deliv-
cred. The department is very anxious to
leave nothing undone which may lessen the
amount of undeivered matter. and the best
efforts of the officials of the postoffice de-
partment are being directed that way.
That they are making a success there can
be no doubt, as a smaller per cent. Of matter
has found its way to the dead letter office
this year than ever before.
Another great cause for delays and non
delivery is the fact that people forget or
neglect to notify the postmaster when they
change their residences. The postoffice Of
ficials have to depend upon the city di-
rectory for the address of John Smith, and
if he moves from No. 3l9 Cherry alley and
fails to give notice where bis letters are to
be sent In the future, they can only go to
the dead letter office until the city directo-
ries are revised. Some postmasters, though,
in cities like Washington, are beginning TO
feel the necessity for better directory facili-
ties and are having prepared posoffice di-
rectories These books contain from 80 to 40
per cen. more names than the regular city
directories and are more reliable As all sorts
Of things find their way to the dead letter
office. the way in which that portion OF
them that is never claimed is disposed OF is
interesting. Newspapers are examined to
make sure that they contain within them
nothing of value. They are then dis
trl0uteo among the different hospitals and
charitable institutions of this city. Institu-
tons outside of Washington are not pro-
vlded for because the quantity of papers is
TOO smail.tOther articles, like shoes, stockings,
gloves, dresses, linens etc., are filed away
TO await the claims of the owners, while
lizards, snakes, stuffed birds and horned
frogs, by which Colonel Thomas Ochiltree
OF Texas and New York, who considers
himself an available candidate for congress
In the Tenth district swears by his most
solemn oaths, are deposited in the postoffice
museum.
This is room devoted entirely to articles
which often in themselves are peculiar.
though their chief claim to interest is that
tney nave been carried through the mails.
Alnohg other Things are an old satchel, a
stuffed crocodile, a human ear. human
leather. numerous snakes, which were re-
ceiVeo alive and preserved in alcohol: cent?
peueS, etc. The most interesting, though.
OF all Is collection of several thousan nd
photographs OF soldiers and sailors. These
were lost in the mails during the war.
lucy are arranged upon fiat boards which
open IKE DOCK. How many mothers and
slsD-rS nave recognized here the features of
some loved son or brother who lost his life
soon after sending to the dear ones at home
nlS only photograph, ard how many tears
nave oeen shed over this collection of pho
ographs can never be known. The younp
Iaay IN charge Of the room might tell many
secn ms ances, for she alore has seen most
u tne mothers and sisters of soldier bows
faces. 0A V'-4' O'0A Vi oeau
capt. Leapheart receives MANY letters
Sacu Jay describing articles lost in trans
-LaoIou' 1hese are carefully noted, and
men men Uhe article is found it is forwarded to
b ue owner. The variety of titles with which
Ms Ne Is honored by searchers after lost valua-
w ot0s T would satisfy the vanity of the Sultan
e+o turkey. lie mas gotten used to it, how
srr, auu looks upon the This honor. the
tba ~ inIendent of the dead letter Office of
19 nleed ates," with as much serenity
upon the plain title, ''the boss of the dead
otSen' by both Of which, with many
o'nlera' he Is addressed,
I"ice year sale is held. at which tho
ara articles are disposed of. They
ter,! puU up IN packages and sold on the lot
he S.yIe The buyer never knowing what
cha! naS gotten until be has made his pur-
boa Sometimes he finds he has bought a
goo66 ana again he may have paid a