Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-11-06
DEAD MAIL NATTER.
An Interesting Circular Issued by
the Dead Letter Office.
why Millions of Letters and Parcels Fail
TO Reach Their Destfnation-sugxe.
usns That should he Observed
by Everybody.

Olice OF reason OF Incorrect Lieg11Le.
Ordsicient address. insufficient postage.
insecure inclosing. whereby matter
mailed becomes separated from the en-
veiope or wrapper. or the failure 70 be
called for or delivered TO the person ad-
dressed This is a daily average of
over twenty thousand pieces.
OF these the greater portion either
ars not called for az the pOst-Ofice to
which they are directed. or. in case OF
free-ielivery Offices. the addresses can
not be found. notwithstanding every
known means IS resOrted 20 on the part
Of the postal officials 20 effect delivery.
Matter sent to the Dead Letter Office,
which can not be delivered 70 the per
son addressed, Is required 70 be opened
in is treatment for the purpose Of re-
turn to the sender. and If the name and
address OF the sender be not shOwno or
can not be ascertzInei from the con-
tents. and it contains no valuable in
closure, It must be destroyed
Letters opened and found 70 contain
anY ~inciOsure Of obvious value are n
tered upon proper records. and. Of such.
those which DO not disclose sufficient
Information 20 enable them 70 be re-
turned ara fled. subject 70 reclamation
upon proper application and ~identifca-
ton.
Letters which contain no ~incIosure Of
obvious value are not recorded.
Packages and parcels are recorded.
n where they do not disclose the
name and address Of the owner are
filed; IL not called for 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 the packages
and parcels sent to ne Dead Letter Of
fee fail 70 be restored 20 the owners
because of the absence on the Wrappers
or Enclosures. Of any thing TO indicate
ownership thereof
Information a. to the character and
nature of the matter thus received a..
the Dead Letter Office. and the cOndi-
ton and Influences which occasion is
failure 20 reach the persons 70 whom
the senders designed It d 90. may De Of
interest. and the mere statement OF il
Carries with Il suggestions which NAV
serve the public IN is exercise Of postal
privileges
During last year AL. 900 letters we're
either mIsdireeted or ins~uhicientIv IL
rectcd. while "a. 900 we're not directed
a. all OF the latter many we're from
business houses containing money.
drafts, stocks and important instruc-
tons Many Of these were doubtless
mailed BIZ clerks. N~iHetv-eight thou
sand we're % domestic. Canadian or
Mexican addresses held for postage:
l65. 600 we're TO guests a. hotels: 50. 0O0
wera parcels Of merchandise. books.
| clothing. needle-wOrk. jewelrv or other
valuable matter. and -. 600 contained
money amounting IN all TO s4s,64a
Postal notes 20 ths value of 81. sOo in
sums under s. were found in 1000
pieces; while drafts. checks. notes and
other commercial paper in the sum of
sL4sLsst we're found in -. coo others.
FOrty-eight thousand contained paid
and cancelled obligations. receipts and
miscellaneous papers One hundred and
s1x1F-tSO thousand contained postage
stamps
Forry-two thousand were letters 70
fictitious addresses and principally cor
respoldeHce relating % what is known
As green goods or saw dust swim
dies many Of them containing money
wira orders for the purchase Of these
fraudulent goods Parties engaged in
snca enterprises invariably use an as
sumed name. and when the character
and business OF such persons IN discov-
Il a~rH hw -#u -uEawH
ter addressed 20 them Is declared ..fce-
Eoas. and delivery withheld
E0rtY-rx0 thousand contained photo
graphs L.1o0 contained articles forbid
den 70 Be Transmitted through the nails.
ami 1000 upon being opened were
found - contain lottery tickets. which.
under the terms Of me law, are declared
anmailaale.
FiTe hundred and t~hir-v-one thou-
sand xers letters. and Al. . ua--eIs Of
printed matter, samples ctr. which
had been mailed n foreign countries %
post Offices within the United States.
ara falling Of delivery were tent 20 the
Dead Letter 0f5ce, and thence returned
"a he postal administrations OF their
respective countries Of origin. IN
opened
Two hundred and i've thousand were
letters and 5000 we're parcels books.
samples Of merchandise, etc. which had
been mailed within the United States
addressed 70 foreign countries. and har-
ing failed Of delivery a. thei- desrina-
ton. were sen 70 70 the Dead Letter
ONCE By foreign postal administrations.
Over 5000, 600 of the letters received
AZ TIE Dead Letter Office contained no
lnc-osure of obvious value. although
doubtless many of them were quite as
and Important % both sender
an1 addressee as thousands Of other
Letters containing money. checks.
stamps. etc. and yet OF this immense
nunoer Of letters over 5000. 600 bore
within either no definite or sufficient
address o. the Eri1sr-ia most cases nc
address w~haoevsr-or there was 10 sig
nature whereby the writer might De
identified gr determined, without WHICH
tae Dead Letter ofice could not make
return
These facts teach that envelopes
should always be plainly and explicitly
directed and that no letter or package
aasa- % mailed without sas address