Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-12
LETTERS THAT STRAY.
How Millions Of Them Could be Kept
Out Of the Dead Letter Shop.
PLANS OF PITTsBURG'S OFFICIALS
Forwarded to the Postmaster General for
His Consideration.
WHY so MANY MISsIVEs GO AsTRAY

Postmaster General Wanamaker has sent
out circular letter to the postmasters ol
ffst-class Offices asking for suggestions on
how to reduce the number OF dead letters, to
which Postmaster James s. Mexican, oi
this city, sent his reply. Mr.. McKean at
once set to work to make an investig cation Of
the system now In vogue, and among other
things he suggested first that o sub
dead letter office be established In
all large 4, cities. As IL IL now,
after all efforts have failed 10 deliver
letter to the proper person, IL IL sent to
washington. IF the same privilege was
accorded the head of such department In
Pittsburg, fof example, the chances are the
letter could be sent on its way rejoicing,
and reach the destination intended without
The intervening delays.
SOME WAYS suaa EsFED.
Advertising letters In the daily news
papers, which ID not done with the exception
OF the German letters, aud posting the adj
vertised lists In all places where stamps are
sold, as In drug stores, hotels, depots, news
stands, etc., was another suggestion offered,
Mr., Mexican stated that II they had better
printing facilities this could be easily done,
and the carriers could place them In the
places suggested.
The postmaster did not have copy of the
communication which he sent TO Mr., Waaa-
maker, but In speaking on the subject yes
terday said' "There is no doubt that Mr.,
Wanamaker is doing much to improve the
postal service. This is only one of the many
things on which he has asked for sugges-
tions, and he Is bringing his wonderful bus
iness ability to bear In every
branch of the Postoffice Department
His attention to details is surprising
In the Pittsburg Office there is one dead
letter in every 1000 delivered. This is q
very small proportion, you will say, but the
number of such letters runs from 800 to 600
per week, and in 1889 they amounted to 49,
S39 domestic letters and 2,797 foreign ones
You see, when the totals are counted the
problem becomes serious one, and no
wonder the Postmaster General is anxious
to reduce them, when last year the number
received at the Washington dead letter
office from the 401 free delivery offices in
the country was 2, 100000.
WHY LETTERS MIscARRY.
"There are probably more foreigners liv-
ing in Pittsburg than in any other city in
the country, except New York. Many of
the Hungarians and Italians fail to address
their letters properly, or it is impossible to
decipher the writing, and thus we have o
dead letter. This is the reason why the
number of foreign dead letters is so large.
But most of these letters are the result of
carelessness. Thus on an average from one
to two letters per day are dropped into the
postoffice without an address, Sometimes
we can manage to read enough through
the envelope, if it happens to be thin, to
trace the writer. In many of the cases
wrong addresses are given. 1t frequently
happens there is no such town in the State
as the one named, or only the county is put
down, and no man except the writer knows
the place where it should 90. All these let
tiers have to be sent to the dead letter office.
Sometimes only the street is written without
the city. This is the result, not of igno-
rance, but carelessness, and it is the fault of
the people that their letters 60 astray.
HAD TO BE SENT.
''There used to be a lunatic on the South
side who regularly every week addressed
two letters in the widest kind of a way.
These letters were stamped, and there was
nothing else we could do but send them to
the Dead Letter Office, though we knew
who wrote them, and that he was not re-
sponsible.
''In Pittsburg also we have many people
who work in the mills. They are migratory
in their habits, and move about freely
in hopes OF improving their condi-
ton. They fail to notify the
postal authorities of the change in their ad-
dress, and many of their letters being Of
social character, are seldom marked with
return request. Some people also use ficti-
tious names, adopting a special address
known only to the parties interested. If
people would only write their name and ad-
lress in the upper left-hand corner OF all |
heir letters there would be no need of q |
Dead Letter Office. This plan would solve |
he whole problem, but it remains for the |
people to adopt It,"
USE OF PRINTED ENVELOPES.
Superintendent of Mails Stephen Collins,
vhen asked for his views, said: "If people |
would only put down on the envelope their
address there would be no dead letters. II |
8 surprising how many business men In |
his city do not use their card on their en- |
7elopes. They may not be careless them
elves, but as the addresses are generally
written by clerks who do their work hur- |
'iedly great many blunders are made.
The Postoflce Department will print a |
mans nome and address on his envelopes for
nothing, and don't know OF any better for
business purposes than the stamped en-
Velope made by The Government. The paper
8 Of the best quality, and they are sold for |
S22 per 1000. This Is only 80 for the en-
Velopes, the balance IL for the stamp, and ! |
I'm sure business men can't get envelopes
much cheaper than that, with their card
printed In the leit-hand corner. It is sur.
,rising to me that Pittsburg people do not
ise these envelopes entirely and avoid dead
etters.
IRREGULARITIES OF PLACES.
EVERY city has its peculiarity, of course.
n the large Eastern cities man would |
lever think Of commencing letter without
living the name OF the place, the street and
lumber of the house, but the Pittsburger
sually begins 'Pittsburg, Pa and the
'eople reply to that address. If the man is
ot known, and the name is common one,
re have anv amount of trouble finding the
light one, often have the letters opened bv
he wrong man, and frequently can't
ind the right person addressed
t all. People should remember
hat this is large city and
overs considerable ground, and the postal
authorities can't know everybody. IfPitts-
urgers would only get into the Eastern
abit of writing the full address at the be-
inning of a letter, all this trouble would
e avoided. Their memories should be
ogged now and then on this careless prac-
ice. This is why there are so many dead
etters. The postofice is not responsible"
Postmaster General Wanamaker, in his
ircular letter. asks the newspapers to as
ist the department in reducing the long
list of dead letters annually by calling the
ttention of the people to their carelessness
n not giving the full address and return
enuest