The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-17
AMONG STRAY LETTERS.
A Glimpse at One Of Uncle Sans
Little Cemeteries.

work done in that apparently insigni-
hoant branch of the Post-Office Depart
ment But they have no conception OF
the wit and wisdom inferred in that
little cemetery of Uncle Sans in
twelvemonth.
More than six million letters drifted
into that office of buried hopes in
single year, and something over hun
dred thousand magazines, papers and
packages. The daily supply of dead
letters" is about eighteen thousand
mot so very many" some one re-
marked, "when you remember that
there are more than sixty thousand
post-offices to be heard from" But
enough, surely, to prevent there being
many idle hands in the Dead-Letter
Office, as most of the letters have to be
opened. All those containing money
are sent to the clerk, who keeps a
record of the amount received each day.
By the end of the year it sometimes
reaches the snug little sum of thirty
five or forty thousand dollars, which
shows that there are people who have
faith in the postal arrangements of our
country And their confidence is not
usually misplaced, as most of the
money is restored to the owners; how
ever, when there is no clew and it can
not be returned, the United States
Treasury is the gamer. In 1888 over
eight thousand dollars was thus added
to the much-talked-of surplus"
Why mail matter goes astray is ac-
accounted for in various ways, although
many persons are inclined to hold Uncle
Sam responsible for all mishaps. No
doubt postmasters are sometimes at
fault, but sins of omission on the part
of the senders are more often the cause
of loss and delay-thousands of letters
are not stamped, while others have no
address. OF course, no one will believe
there are many of the latter, neverthe
less, in one year nineteen thousand one
hundred and ten of those blank en-
velopes were sent to the DeadLetter
Office. Then again. people are careless
as well as absent-minded, and often
misdirect or only partially address let
ters, which never reach their destina-
ton, unless the clerk in the Dead-Let-
ter Office can supply the missing link.
In three hundred and siXty-fve days
over four hundred thousand such epis-
ties were received. So it would seem
| that thorough knowledge of cities and
towns, as well as patience, practice and
considerable shrewdness, is necessary to
correct the blunders of the writing pub
lie. Who but d-Letter-Office clerk
with all her wits about her-for wom-
an has charge of that branch of the
worl5-would imagine that Bill Town, 5"
Kan, was intended for Williamstown in
that enterprising State?
In the foreign department letters are
not opened,
SIT would be impossible" said the
brisk little woman in charge. "You
sea, we receive a thousand letters a
week from Italy, about two thousand
from England and the same number
from Germany, not TO mention other
countries, We look them over, and if
we have any information that furnishes
clew, try again to find the owners;
otherwise they are returned unopened
to the postal administration of the coun-
try from which they come"
Foreigners have a way of ignoring
the States that causes dire confusion.
A letter directed to Fairfield, America
is as many. sided as the tariff question,
and about as hopeless. "St. Duskin,
America" was easily located as San
dusky, o., but some letters become
'all tattered and torn in going to and
fro throughout the States seeking an
owner. The Russians give us the
most trouble volunteered a bright
woman who for thirteen years has been
deciphering hieroglyphics, and under
stands all languages, except Chinese,
sufficiently for her work. Who would
imagine that it required such linguist
to straighten out the tangled web of
foreign correspondence? Considerable
general information is also needed, a
knowledge of many countries and ma
tions and of the various States where
the different nationalities most do CON
gregate-and even then eternal Wig
ilance will not insure success.
What becomes of all the dead mail
matter?" is often asked. The thousands
of magazines, illustrated papers, pic
ture-cards and valentines that can not
be returned to their owners are dis
tributed," by order of the Postmaster
General, among the inmates of the
various hospitals, asylums and other
charitable institutions of the District of
Columbia" So they are made to serve
a good cause by carrying brightness and
change into many weary lives, and
happiness to the little waits without a
home.
Although every effort is made to
find owners for the various things that
drift into the Dead-Letter Office, so
many packages remain unclaimed that
at the end of each year an auction is
held 1t is sort of departmental house
cleaning No other sale in the city
draws such crowd as Uncle Sans an
nual sale of dead mail matter" The
packages are sold unopened, and al
though the contents are known, the
value is not; it is what an Irishman
would call buying pig in sack. y
OF course, it is heterogeneous collec-
tion, as in these days almost every
thing goes by mail, from tuning-forh
to wedding trousGeau'-which latter
was bought in New York several years
ago, and sent in the mail-bags acroE.
the continent to the pretty bride on tho
| Paciin eoast