The St. Johns herald., 1891-08-13
POST-OFFICE CURIOSI1'IES
Letters and Cards with Perplexing
 Addresses.
Specimens of the Strange and Incompre- hensibIe Pcnwork of People Who Are Not Familiar with Ortho-
 graphic Rules.

At the Washington post-ofice there is a collection oi old envelopes and postal cards that would be entitled to place ia the most curious of old curiosi- ty shops, says the Washington Post The collection has been made by c. M. Merrill, head clerk of the city distrib- uting case, who has secured the speci- mens after the persons for whom they were intended had read the communi- cations.
 Here is one in an unpracticed, scrawl- ing hand as nearly as cGn be translated into letters: "bin iarmson, Washim T. C." That would defy anybody but postal clerk. It was surpised, howev- CT, by one of these that this communi- cation was intended for Benjamin Har- rfson, President of the United States, and the surmise proved correct. The letter, which was postmarked Lincoln, Neb., got to the President all right. It was probably letter of advice as to how to run the Government. An office seeker would at least have addressed the President as "Mr."
 ''Mr. Adkin Jurnel!" was the address on letter that came from some place in Arkansas. It was meant for the Ad- jutant-General of the army, and to him it was delivered. ''Nasel true brun- bum. Washen," was the address on a letter from Trenton, Kan. Even this did not defy tLe 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 a letter addressed ''Mr. reubeer right" was intended for Reuben Wright, or that one addressed ''pEn. E baker and son. was meant for Pclncbaker & Sor.
 ''For Misses Sole, tornela WI was puzzler for little while. Then it was decided that the letter was intended for Messrs. Soule & Co.,, attorney at law. -'Mr. Ajfhan-acting, Auditor" stuck some of the force for a 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 Mir. Shaw's name signed as ''acting auditor" to some document, hence the mistake.
 "On the big penselvania avenue in the care of boin havelton in the grocery Store of George Jackson, was the ad dress on another envelope. The refer ence to a grocery store took this letter to Barbour & Hamilton, grocers, and Mir. Jackson received his mail. ''te the ameRi Can Col nization Rums' was of course meant for the American Coloni- Zation society rooms. INT. tucker eN Ans" was meant for Messrs. Tucker & Evans. "Unclc Sams Seed Barn was delivered to the agricultural de- pertinent. Just before this letter was received there had been some jocosc reference in the press to this depart ment as 'Uncle Sam's Seed Barn" and the letter was m application in good faith from person in Laccyville, Pa, for some of the seed.
 SEXercolger Washenton," was the un- pretentious address on another letter. It was also meant for the agricultural department. Another letter was ad- dressed to a man in the 'Coasser Vey Build" The party addressed was found in the Coast and Geodetic survey. A postal card directed to ''19 o. Sauckle, went to l9. 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 Uron under the name of Washing ton" and thus perpetuating the con- dition of having a territorial division and large city with the same name is more apparent to the postal officials than to anybody else. For example, 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 ID. 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 piece of mail mat ter addressed for example, to some place on Jefferson avenue, Washing ton, D. C." 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 thither it goes.
 There are. of course, cases in which the names of the towns are omitted. A letter addressed to 'Tacoma, Washing ton, D. c." would of course occasion no trouble Street directories of all the leading places in the State of Washing ton are kept at the post-office and are subjects of constant reference.
 Indian TrcacAery.
 The Indian of colonial times did not hesitate to resort to treachery to entrap his foes He would profess friendship