Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-15
AMONG STRAY LETTERS.
A Glimpse at One Of Uncle Sans
Little Cemeteries.


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 insign-
ficant branch of the Post-Ofice Depart
ment. But they have no conception OF
the wit and wisdom inferred in that
little cemetery of Uncle Sans in
twelvemonth.
More than six million letters drifted
into that Office of buried hopes in
single year, and something over hun
dred 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 are more than sixty thousand
post-ofices to be heard from" But
enough, surely, to prevent 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 OF forty thousand dollars, which
shows that there are 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
not be returned, the United States
Treasury is the gamer. In 1883 over
eight thousand dollars was thus added
| to the much-talkcd-of 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
| doubt postmasters are sometimes at
| fault, but sins of omission on the part
of the senders are more often the cause
of loss and delay-thousands of letters
are 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-
.veIopes were sent to the Dead-Letter
Office. Then again, people are careless
as well as absent-minded, and often
misdirect or only partially address let
tiers, which never reach their destina-
ton, unless the clerk in the Dead-Let-
ter Office can supply the missing link.
In three hundred and sixty-fve days
over four hundred thousand such epis-
ties were received. So it would seem
that a thorough knowledge of cities and
towns, as well as patience, practice and
considerable shrewdness, is necessary to
correct the blunders of the writing pub
lie. Who but Dead-Letter-Office clerk
with all her wits about her-for n wom-
an has charge of that branch of the
work-would imagine that bill Town, y
Kan, was intended for Williamstown in
that enterprising State?
In the foreign department letters are
not opened.
at would be impossible" said the
brisk little woman in charge. "You
see, we receive a thousand letters a
week from Italy, about two thousand
from England and the same number
from Germany, not to mention other
countries. We look them over, and, if
we have any information that furnishes
clew, try again to find the owners;
otherwise they are returned unopened
to the postal administration of the counu
try from which they come"
Foreigners have way of ignoring
the States that causes dire confusion.
A letter directed to Fairfield, America,
is as many-sided as the tariff question,
and about as hopeless. ''St. Dusl1in,
America" was easily located as San
duslzy, O., but some letters become
"all tattered and torn" in going to and
fro throughout the States seeking an
owner. 1.-THE Russians give us the
most trouble" volunteered a bright
woman who for thirteen years has beer
deciphering hieroglyphics, and under
stands all languages, except Chinese
sufficiently for her work. Who would
imagine that it required such a Enguist
to straighten out the tangled web Of
foreign correspondence Considerable
general information is also needed, g
knowledge of many countries and ma
lions, and of the various States where
the different nationalities most do con
gregate-and even then eternal Wig
lance viii not insure success
What becomes of all the dead mai
matterP" is often asked. The thousand.
of magazines, illustrated papers, pic
ture-cards and valentines that can no
be returned to their owners are dds
tributed," by order of the Postmaster
General, "among the inmates Of the
various hospitals, asylums and othei
charitable institutions Of the District o
Columbia" So they are made to serv'
good cause by carrying brightness snC
change into many weary lives, ant
happiness to the little waits without
| home
Although every effort Is made L
find owners for the various things tina
drift into the Dead-Letter Office, s
many packages remain unclaimed tina
at the end of each year an auction
held 1t is a sort OF departmental house
cleaning. No other sale in the cit
| draws such a crowd as Uncle Sans ar
nual sale of dead mail matter" tn
packages are sold unopened, and a
though the contents are known, tn
value Is not; it is what an Irishmai
would call Sbuying a pig in q sack.
u course, - - heterogeneous Oolles
ton, as in these days almost ever.
thing goes by mail, froma tuning-forl
20 \ wedding trousseau-which latte
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