The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-01-21

hcio 7'" hOuSenOlu, ana none
more euf'6os than the Dead Letter
Office. ieopIe in general have a
vague issa Of its importance. and of
the amout. of work done in that
apparent'y insignifcant branch of
the Post 0fiice Department. But
they have 10 conception of the wit
and wisdo.b Inferred in that ceme-
terry of uAele Sans in twelve
month
More than six million letters drift
ed into thar oIiice of buried hopes
in single s'ear. and something over
hundred thousand magazines,
papers and packages. The daily
supply OF H1ead letters is about
eighteen tl,,nsand. aNot so very
many 8 x one remarked, "when
you remember that there are more
than sixty thousand post offices to
be heard from. But enough, sure
ly, toprcvent 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 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 arrange
ments of our country. And their
confidence is not usually misplaced
as most of the money is restored to
owners; however, when there is no
ciew and il can not be returned, the
United States Treasury is the gain
or. In 1888 over eight thousand
dollars was thus added TO the much
talked of "surplus."
Why mail matter goes astray is
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 tie cause of loss and
delay-thonsands ofletters are not
stamped, while others have no adj
dress. OF course, no one will be-
lieye there are many of the latter,
nevertheless in one year nineteen
thousand one hundred and ten of
those blank envelopes were sent to
the Dead Letter Office. Then again,
people are careless us well rs absent
minded. AMI often 'misdirect or only
partially address letters. which new
er reach their destination, unless
the clerk in the Dead Letter Office
can supply the missing link. In
three hundred and sixty five days
over four hundred thousand such
epistlcs were received. So it would
seeem that thorough knowledge
of cities and towns, as well as patti
cncc, practice and considerable
shrewdness, is necessary to correct
the blunders of the writing public.
Who but Dead Letter. o flee clerk
with all her wits about her-for a
woman has charge of that branch of
the work-would imagine that Bill
Town." Kan, was intended for
Williamstown in that enterprising
State?
In the foreign department letters
are not opened.
ait would be impossible" said the
brisk little womanin charge. "You
see, we receive thousand letters a
week from Italy, about two thous-
and from England and the same
number from Germany, not to.men-
tion other countries. We look them
over, and, if we have any informa-
tion that furnishes clew, try again
to find the owners; otherwise they
are returned unopened TO the pos
tai administration of the country
from which they come"
Foreigners have way of ignor-
ing the States that causes dire con-
fusion. A letter directed to Fair
field, America, is as many sided as
the tariff question, and about as
hopeless. "st Duskin, America, '
was easily located as Sandusky, o.,
but some letters become sail latter
ed and torn" in going to and fro
throughout the States seeking an
owner. "The Russians give US the
most troubles" volunteered bright
woman who for thirteen years has
been deciphering hieroglyphics, and
understands a languages except
Chinese, sufficiently for her work.
Who would imagine that it required
such a linguist to stfaighten out the
tangled web of foreign correspond
ence? Considerable general infor-
nation is also needed, n knowledge