The Somerset reporter., 1890-10-02
SELECTED.
Dead Letters,

Over six million pieces of mall matter
are sent annually to the Dead Letter
Office by reason of incorrect illcgible, or
deficient address, insufficient postage
insecure inclosing, whereby matter mail
ed becomes separated from the envelope
or wrapper, or the failure TO be called fol
or delivered to the person addressed.
This is a daily average of over twenty
thousand pieces.
Matter sent To the Dead Letter Ollce,
which cannot be delivered to the person
addressed, Is required to be opened in its
treatment for the purpose of return to
the sender, and II the name and address
of the sender be not shown or cannot be
ascertained from the contents and 1t
contains no valuable Incl Jsure, IL must be
destroyed.
Letters opened and found to contain
any Enclosure OF obvious value are enter
ed upon proper records, and of such,
those which do not disclose sufficient In.
formation to enable them to be returned
are filed, subject to reclamation upon
proper application and Identification.
Packages aud parcels are recorded, and
where they do not disclose the name and
address of the owner are filed; If not
called for or claimed within two years
they are disposed of at public auction and
the proceeds covered into the United
States Treasury.
A large proportion of the packages and
and parcels sent to the Dead Letter
Office fail to be restored to the owners
because of the absence ON the wrappers
or Enclosures of anything to indicate
ownership thereof.
Information as to the character and
nature of the matter thus received at the
Dead Letter Office, and the conditions
and influences which occasion its failure
t. reach the persons to whom the send
ers designed it to go may be of interest,
and the mere statement of 1t carry with 1t
suggestions which may serve the public
In its exercise of postal privileges.
Msdrection, incorrect, illegible, and
deficient address are given as leading
causes which occasion the failure of mail
matter to reach It's proper destination,
and affect alike that which is so address,
ed to either city, town, or village
The following suggestions, If obsGrv cd
will aid the dispatch and delivery of
matter sent through the mails, or its re-
turn directly to the sender In the event of
non-delivery, and thus prevent the annoy
ance, delay, and embarrassment caused
by sending matter to the Dead Letter
ONCE.
Mail matter should be plainly and
correctly addressed, the name of the
post Office to which it is to be sent
should be clearly and distinctly stated,
and to avoid confusion from the SINH
larity Of Authorizations, as frequently
used, the name of the State should also
be given in full. In the case of mail ad-
dressed to small Offices, or where there
are offices of like names in different States
the name of the county should be add
cd
Where mall matter Is addressed to
cities or free-delvery offices the street
and house number, or post-ollice box
number Of the person addressed are i'm
portant, and should always be given
when 1t Is possible to do so.
Where this cannot be done, tho busi
ness or employment Of the person adj
dressed, II stated, will often secure de-
livery.
Letters addressed to persons tempo
rarily &c journing in a city where the
letter-carrier system is In operation
should be marked "Translenr or Gen
eral Delivery" If not addressed to
street and number, or some other desig
mated place of delivery.
The name and address of the sender,
either printed or written, should tie placed
upon the upper left-hand corner Of the
envelope or wrapper of all matter mailed,
Packages and all matter mailed at less
than letter rates of postage, should, In
addition to the address of the sender up
Oh the envelope or wrapper, bear in con
necton herewith a request for its return
in the event of non-delivery, In which
case it is also returnable directly to the
sender from the post office addressed,
charged with return postage at the rate
REQUIRED for the class of matter to which
it belongs.
All matter mailable at less than letter
rates of postage must be so wrapped or
inclosed that 1t can be readily examined
at the office of delivery, as well as at the
mailing office, without destroying the
otherwise 1t is subject to letter
postage.
In mailing packages addressed to for
eign countries, care should be taken to
whether they are prohibited
from transmission to the country of dss-
tination, or can only be forwarded when
the postage Is fully prepaid at foreign
letter rates. cents per half ounce. On
ly bona fde trade samples are transmissi-
Die at reduced rates OF postage.
Persons desiring to mail other than let
tiers to foreign countries should consult
their postmasters, who, being provided
with the postal laws and regulations, are
enabled to give proper information re-
specting conditions, etc, ETC., OF mailing
to foreign countries.
All valuable matter to be- sent by mail
should be registered. 1t will thus receive
such protection as 1t is not always posi-
BILE to give to matter sent In ordinary
mails. Money should be sent by money
order or registered letter.
In sending packages and parcels
books, pamphlets. and other articles-by
mail, the address should be placed on the
article inclosed as well as on the wrap.
Der. Should the wrappers become de
tsched, as they frequently do, through
the handling Incident to mail transporta-
ton by sea or land, 1t may still be posi-
Mo IN rastore the article II this precau-