The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-12-12

Over six million pieces OF mail mat
ter are sent annually to the Dead Letter
Office by reason Of incorrect, iilegible,
ordeflcicnt Address, insufficient postage,
insecure inclosiug, whereby matter
mailed becomes separated from the en-
velope or wrapper. or the failure 10 be
called for or delivered TO the person ad-
dressed This is I daily average Of
over twenty thousand pieces.
OF these the greater portion either
are not called FOR at the post-oGce 70
which they are directed, or, in case Of
frcc-delivery Offices, the addresses can
not be found, notwithstanding every
known means is resorted to on the part
Of the postal officials to effect delivery.
Matter sent TO the Dead Letter Office,
which can not be delivered TO the per-
son addressed, is required to be opened
in its treatment for the purpose Of re-
turn to the sender, and If the name and
address Of the sender be not shown or
can not be ascertained from the con-
tents, and IL contains no valuable in
closure, it must be destroyed
Letters opened and found to contain
any inclosure of obvious value are en-
tered upon proper records, and, OF such,
those which do not disclose sufficient
information 10 enable thcm TO be re-
turned are fled, subject 20 reclamation
upon proper application and iIcntifca-
ton
Letters which contain no inclosure Of
obvious value are not recorded.
Packages and parcels are recorded,
and where they do not disclose the
name and address Of the owner are
filed; if not called Tor or claimed with
in two years they are disposed of at
public auction and the proceeds covered
into the United States Treasury.
A large proportion OF tho packages
and parcels sent 10 the Dead Letter Of
fee fail TO be restored to the owners
because OF the absence on the wrappers
or Enclosures of any thing TO indicate
ownership thereof.
Information as to the character and
nature of the matter thus received At
the Dead Letter Office, and the condi-
tions and influences which occasion its
failure TO reach the persons TO whom
the senders designed Il TO 60, may be OF
interest, and the more statement of IL
carries with il suggestions which may
serve the public in its exercise OF postal
privileges
During last year 45I. 600 letters were
either misdirectcd or insufficiently di-
rected, while $4,000 were not directed
at all. OF the latter many were from
business houses containing money,
drafts, stocks and important instruc-
tions. Many Of these were doubtless
mailed ~ clerks, Ninety-eight thou
sand were to domestic, Canadian OF
Mexican addresses held for postage:
lG5, 900 were to guests at hotels; 5000
We're parcels o. merchandise, books,
clothing, needle-worl,, jewclry or other
valuable matter; and p, 600 contained
money amounting in all to S9s, 642.
Postal notes 10 the value of s., 800 in
sums under s. were found in 1900
pieces; while drafts, checks notes and
other commercial paper in the sum Of
S1,471, S71 were found in y. 600 others.
Forty-eight thousand contained paid
and Cancelled obligations, receipts and
miscellaneous papers. One hundred and
sixty-two thousand contained postage
stamps
Eorty-two thousand were letters 20
fictitious addresses and principally cor
respondence relating to what is known
as green goods or saw dust swim
dies, many of them containing money
with orders for the purchase Of these
fraudulent goods. Parties engaged IN
such enterprises invariably use an as
sumcd name, and when the character
and business OF such persons IS discov-
cred by the postal authorities such mat
ter addressed to them is declared ''ficti-
tious," and delivery withheld.
Forty-twO thousand contained photo
graphs, 1000 con tained articles forbid
den TO be transmitted through the mails,
found to contain lottery tickets. which,
under the terms OF the law, arc declared
unmailablc.
Five hundred and thirty-one thou
sand were letters, and 4I,OOO parcels OF
printed matter, samples, ctc., which
had been mailed IN foreign countries to
post Offices within the United States,
and failing Of delivery were sent TO tho
Dead Letter Oncc, and thence returned
TO the postal administration OF thei,
respective countries OF origin, un
opened.
Two hundred and FIVE thousand werC
letters, and 1900 were parcels, books
samples Of merchandise, etc, which had
been mailed within the United State.
addressed to foreign countries, and hav
ing failed or delivery Ut their destina
tion, were sent TO 70 the Dead Letter
Office by foreign DOS tai administrations
Over 5000, OJO Of the letters received
ut the Dead Letter ONCE contained nc
inclOsure of obvious value, although
doubtless many Of them were quite a
valuable and important to both sondc
and addressee as thousands OF othci
letters containing money, checks
stamps. etc, and yet Of this immens,
number of letters over 5000, 900 bor,
within either no definite or sufncien
address of the writer-in most cases nj
address whateyer-or there was no sig
nature whereby the writer might b,
identified or determined, without which