The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-09-10

Instances in support OF this statement
are too numerous to mention. for they
would ill whole columns.
Under law which will enable every
employe to feel that his services are ap
preciated, at least to the exent of con-
tinuance in position while worthy, each
individual will strive to excel in greater
or less degree, according as their talents
are one or ten. One Of the best prac-
tical examples Of the truth Of this
statement is in tangible form before me
as write. For about fifteen years pre-
vious to his departure from the public
service Everett j. Dallas had been an
employee of the post Office department.
during the latter part OF his term being
chief of the dead letter Office. lie was
removed for political reasons in 1885.
and is now practicing law somewhere in
Kansas. He had been so long in the
public service that he seemed to be a
part of it, and it Of him. All of his
splendid abilities were directed to the
improvement of the work of which he
had charge and for which he was re-
sponsible. As chief of the dead letter
Office he was daily absorbed in the solu-
ton of the problem Of how to devise ad-
equate means to aid those tens of thou
sands of careless people in the country
who are trying and failing to reach
their friends through the mail; and that
they need assistance is manifest from
the fact that hundreds Of thousands of
letters. postal cards. packages, newspa-
pers and merchandise annually go to
the dead letter office by reason Of their
instruction or partial and imperfect
direction. Some time last year told
you something about the work Of the
expert ladies who decipher peculiar Chi
Biography, but there are people all
around you. your intelligent neighbors,
who write well and understand things
generally, yet who constantly direct let
tiers in such manner as to defy the rail.
way mail service. the star route carriers
and the post Office officials.
In large cities, where tons of mail
matter are handled day after day, it is
not an easy task to deliver partially di.
rected letters Still more difficult is il
when letters merely bear the name OF
the individual addressed, with his street
number. without giving the name OF
city or state to which the letter should
CO. Sometimes nothing is written or
the envelope but the name of the person
addressed. without adding the city OF
state in which the individual resides
Three years ago a letter was addressed
to ''Hon. P. +. Mcclure" and dropped
into the post office here. Four days
later it was delivered to Mayor Mcclure,
of Pierre, Dakota. An intelligent let.
ter carrier, who had been delivering
mail, to Mr.. Mcclure at the Ma.
tional hotel, knew that he had recently
returned to his Dakota home, and the
letter was accordingly forwarded. Very
frequently letters are addressed some.
thing like the following: Miss Gladys
Martyr, Cleveland avenue" Now, how
can such letter be delivered? Could
the sender expect such letter to &C
anywhere but into the dead letter Office
and ultimately into the fire?
For this class of careless people
Chief Clerk Dallas, who was devoted tc
his work, compiled a volume which il
of incalculable value to the govern
ment and to tens of thousands of care
less people all over the country. He
conceived the idea Of compiling, il
alphabetical form, list of all the
streets, courts, avenues, places, lanes
roads and wharves to which mail is de
livered in all the principal cities of the
republic. After giving the matter con
siderable attention and reaching the
conclusion that it was feasible and
ought to be done, Mr.. Dallas consulted
with several official superiors and was
informed by them that the work
could not be undertaken and completed
! In lifetime. and that it would cost tot
much money. That was the last that wa!
heard of the subject for about two years
Then the quiet, unpretentious, ploddins
! official astounded his superiors by ex
hibiting to them q mass OF manuscript
which practically covered the ground
rs ORIGINALLY proposed by him. He ha6
given to that work his Gays and nights
his energies and ambition. He was lik
| another Columbus crossing trackles
ocean without encouragement. In 1888
the manuscript was given to the publ
printer, and came forth a volume which
is to-day regarded as sine qua non il
the dead letter Office. 1t contained 43
pages, but has since been improved AM
added to until 1t is now a volum
Of over 500 pages, every line Of which
represents work of the most painstak
ing character by the brains of an intel
ligent official pioneer. Here is a sam
pie of the work accomplished daily witt
the aid of this compilation: A lette