The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-10
POsT-OFFICE CURIOsII,IEs
Letters and Cards with Perplexing
& Addresses.
Specimens OF the Strange and Incompro-
hensible Pcnwork of People Who
Arc Not Familiar with Ortho-
graphic Rules.

AT the Washington post-ofIice there
is collection of old envelopes and
postal cards that would be entitled to 1,
place in the most curious of old curios-
ty shops, says the Washington Post.
The collection has been made by c. NJ.
Merrill, head clerk of the city distrib-
uting case, who has secured the speci-
mems after the persons for whom they
were intended had read the commune
cations.
Here is one in an Impractical, scrawl-
ing hand as nearly as can be translated
into letters: "bin harmson, Washim r.
c." That would defy anybody but n
postal clerk. 1t was surmiscd, howev-
er, by one of these that this commune
cation was intended for Benjamin Har-
rison, President of the United States,
and the surmise proved correct. The
letter, which was postmarlsed Lincoln,
Neb., got to the President all right. 1t
was probably letter of advice rs to
how to run the Government. An office
seeker would ut least have addressed
the President as Mr."
Mr.. Adkin Jurncl!" was the address
on letter that came from some place
in Arkansas. 1t was meant for the Ad-
jutant- General of the army, and to him
it was delivered. 'sNasel true brun-
bum, Washcn," was the address on u
letter from Trenton, Kan. Even this
did not defy the expert postal officials
They concluded the letter was meant
for the National Tribune, of this city,
and this proved to be the case. The
letter was probably written by Ger
man. 1t did not take long to decide
that n letter addressed "NIr. reubccn
right" was intended for Reuben Wright
or that one addressed 'pEn. e baker
and son" was meant for Pennebakcr &,
Son.
''For Misses Sole, torncla w" was
puzzler for u little while. Then it was
decided that the letter was intended for
Messrs. Soule &c Co., attorney at law
"N1r. Ajfhan-acting, Auditor" stucl,
some of the force for little while.
Then it was remembered that A. d. Shaw
had been acting auditor for time and
the letter turned out to be for him. The
person who wrote the letter had doubt
less seen Mr.. Shaw's name signed as
''acting auditor" to some document,
hence the mistake.
ION the big pennsylvania avenue in the
care of boin havelton in the grocery
Store Of George Jackson" was the adj
dress on another envelope. The refer
ence to a grocery store took this letter
to Barbour e Hamilton, grocers, and
MIR. jackson received his mail etc the
ameRi Can Coll nization RUNS was of
course meant for the American Coloni-
cation society rooms. "Nr. tucker EN-
Ans" was meant for Messrs. Tucker
& Evans. "Unclc Sans Seed Barn"
was delivered to the agricultural de-
partmcnt. Just before this letter was
received there had been some iocose
reference in the press to this depart
mcnt as "Uncle Sans Seed Barn." and
the letter was an application in good
faith from person in Laceyvillc, Pa,
for some of the seed.
''EXercolgcr Washcnton," was the I'M
pretentious address on another letter.
1t was also meant for the agricultural
department. Another letter was adj
dressed to man in the "Coasser Vey
Build" The party addressed was found
in the Coast and Geodetic survey. A
postal card directed to "l9I. o. Saucl1lc, Z"
went to 10, Iowa Circle. which proved
to be the place for which it was in
tended.
The mistake made in allowing Wash
ington Territory to come into the
Union under the name of "Washing-
tom" and thus perpetuating the con-
dition of having a territorial division
and Il large city with the same name is
more apparent to the postal officials
than to anybody else. For example, a
great deal of mail matter is put into
boxes here addressed washington, d.
c." that is evidently meant for places in
the State of Washington. People here
seem unable to write the name of
Washington" without putting I'D. c."
to it. Hundreds of letters and pack
ages go into the boxes here every week
containing this error. When the post
office gets hold of n piece of mail mat
ter addressed for example. to some
place on Jefferson avenue, Washing
ton, D. Co." or yakima avenue, Wash
ington, d. c." the clerk knows it is
meant for Tacoma. If it is addressed,
say to Bismarck street or Yakima street,
he knows it is meant for Seattle, and
thther it goes
There are, of course, cases in which
the names of the towns arc omitted A
letter addressed to Tacoma, Washing
ton, ID. Co." would of course occasion no
trouble. Street directories of all the
leading places in the State of Washing
ton are kept Mt the post-otfice and are
subjects of constant reference.
Indian Trcachcry.
The Indian Of colonial times did not
hesitate to resort to treachery to cntrap
his foes. He would profess friendship
in order to disarm an enemy He gloried