The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-01-16
AMONG STRAY LETTERS.
a Glimpse at One of Uncle Sans
Little Cemeteries.


There are some queer things IN
Uncle Sans household, and none more
curious than the Dead-Letter Office.
People in general have vague idea of
its Importance, and of the amount OF
work done in that apparently insight
4icant branch of the Post-Ottice Depart
ment But they have no conception OF
the wit and wisdom inferred in that
little cemetery of Uncle Sans in Il
tWclvemonth.
More than six million letters drifted
into that Office of buried hopes in
single year, and something over hun
bred thousand magazines papers and
packages. The daily supply OF dead
letters" is about eighteen thousand.
Not so very many" some one re-
marked, when You remember that
there arc more than sixty thousand
post-oficcs to be heard from" But
enough, surely, to prevent there being
many idle hands in the Dcad-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 arc 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
al,
Treasury is the gamer. In 1888 over
eight thousand dollars was thus added
to the much 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
donbt postmasters are sometimes at
fault, but sins of omission on the part
of the sendcrs arc more often the cause
of loss and delay-thousands of letters
arc 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-
tgelopes were sent to the Dcad-Letter
Office Then again, people are careless
as well as abscnt-minded, and often
misdirect or only partially address let
ters, which never reach their dcStina-
tion, unless the clerk in the Dead Let
ter Office can supply the missing link.
In three hundred and siXty-tive days
over four hundred thousand such cpis-
ties were received. SO it would seem
that a thorough knowledge of cities and
towns, Us well as patience, practice and
considerable shrewdneSs is necessary to
correct the blunders Of the writing pub
lie. Who but Dead-L letter Office clerk
with all her wits about her-for L WON
I'm has charge of that branch of the
worl1-would imagine that "Bill Town. y
Kan, was intended for Williamstown in
that enterprising State?
In the foreign department letters arc
not opened.
sit would be impossible" said the
brisk little woman in charge. 'You
see, we receive u thousand letters &
week from Italy, about two Thousand
from England and the same number
from Germany, not to mention Other
countries. We look them over, and, i
we have any information that furnishes
Il clew, try again to find the owners
otherwise they arc returned unopened
to the postal administration OF the coun
try from which they come
Foreigners have u way of ignoring
the States that causes dire confusion
A letter directed to Fairfield, America
is as many-sitlcd as the tariff question
and about Us hopeless. st DuSllin
America" was easily located as San
duslly, O., but some letters become
1:all battered and torn in going to ant
fro throughout the States seeking III
owner. THE Russians give us tn
most trouble" volunteered brigh
woman who for thirteen years has beer
deciphcring hieroglyphics, and under
stands all languages, except Chinese
sufficiently for her work. Who woul
imagine that it required such Il linguis
TO straighten out the tangled web o
foreign correspondence? Considcrabl
general information is also needed,
knowledge of M y countries and ma
tons, and of the various States wher
the different nationalities most do cor
gregate-and even then eternal Wig
ilancc will not insure success.
What becomes of all the dead maj
1natter?" is often asked. The thousand
of magazines, illustrated papers, pie
ture-carls and valentines that can nc
be returned to their owners are dds
tributed," by order of the Postmaster
General. among the inmates Of tn
various hospitals, asylums and othe
charitable institutions Of the District {
Columbia" So they are made to serv
good cause by carrying brightness an
change into many weary lives. an
happiness to the little waits without
home.
Although every effort is made
find owners for the various things TIL;
drift into the Dead-Lctter Office,
mary packages remain unclaimed tn;
at the end of cach year an auction