, 1891-05-27
PosT.OFFICE CURIOsITIEs.
From the Victoria Colonist.)

collection or old envelopes anu Postdl caIus
that would be entitled to place IN the most
curious of old curiosity shops, says the Wash
ington Post. The collection has been made by
c. M. Merrill, head clerk of the city distribut.
inc case, who has secured the specimens after
the persons for whom they were intended had
read the communications.
Here is one in an Impractical, scrawling
hand as nearly as can be translated into letters
'bin harmson Washim 7. c." That would de-
fy anybody but a postal clerk. 1t was sur
missed, however, by one of those that this COM
munication was intended for Benjamin Harri-
son, President of the United States, and the
surmise proved correct. The letter which WA
postmarked Lincoln, Neb., got to the President
all right. 1t was probably a letter of advice as
to how to run the Government. An office
seeker would at least have addressed the Presi-
dent as "Mr."
"Mr. Adkin Jurnel !'' was the address on a
letter that came from some place in Arkansas.
1t was meant for the Adjutant-G General of the
army, and to him it was delivered. "Nasel
true brunbum, Washen,' . was the address on a
letter from Trenton, Kan. Even this did net
defy the expert postal officials. They conclud-
ed the letter was meant for the National Tri-
bune, of this city, and this proved to be the
case. The letter was probably written by a
German. 1t did not take long to decide that
a letter addressed "Mr. reuben right" was in
tended for Rueben Wright, or that one address
ed "pEn. E baker and son" was meant for
Pennebaker and Son.
stFor Misses Sole, a tornela w. was a puzzler
for a little while. Then it was decided that the
letter was intended for Messrs. Soule & Co.,
attorneys at law. "Mr. Altman acting, Auditor
stuck some of the force for a little while. Then
it was remembered that A. d. Shaw had been
acting auditor for a time and the letter turned
out to be for him.. The person who wrote the
letter had doubtless seen Mr.. Shaw's name
signed as "acting auditor to some document,
hence the mistake.
"On the big pennsylvania avenue in the care
of boin havelton in the grocery Store of George
Jackson" was the address Of another envelope.
The reference to a grocery store took this let
ter to Barbour and Hamilton grocers, and Nh.
Jackson received his mail, "te the ameRi Can
Col ~nization Runs" was of course meant for
the American Colonization society rooms. M.
tucker EN- Ans was meant for Me sSrs.
Tucker & Evans Uncle Sans Seed Barn"
was delivered to the agricultural depart.
ment. Just before this letter was received
there had been some iocose reference in the
press to this department as "Uncle Sans Seed
Barn." and the letter was an application in
good faith from a person in LaceyVille, Pa,
for some of the seed.
"Exercolger Washenton," was the UMPIRE.
t%entious address on another letter. 1t was also
meant for the agricultural department. An
other letter was addressed 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 l. O. Sauckle,"
went to 10 Iowa Circle, which proved to be
the place for which it was intended.
The mistake made in allowing Washington
Territory to come into the Union under the
name Of Washington and thus perpetuating
the condition of having a territorial division
and a large city with the same name is more
apparent to the postal officials than to anybody
else. For example, a great deal of mail mat
ter is put into boxes here addressed "Washing-
ton D. c." that is evidently meant for places in
the St; tie of Washington. People here seem
unable to write the name of Washington
without putting I'D. c." to it. Hundreds of
letters and packages go into the boxes here every
week containing this error. When the post
Office gets hold Of a piece of mail matter ad.
dressed for example, to some place on 'Jeffer-
son avenue, v ashington, Q. c." or Yakima
avenue, Washington, 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.
These are of course, cases in which the names
Of the towns are omitted. A letter addressed
- ,ToonOoo YNoeL;oo4on n Nc ILL