The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-03-19
AMONG STRAY LETTERS.
4 Glimpse at One Of Uncle Sans
Little Cemeteries.

A44bOAS OONAAObSAANDs
There are some queer things in
rncle 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
acant branch of the Post-Office Depart
ment. But they have no conception of
the Rit and wisdom inferred in that
little cemetery of Uncle Sans in a
tEelyemonth.
More than six million letters drifted
INTO that Office of buried hopes in a
single year, and something over a hum
dred thousand magazines, papers and
packages The daily supply of dead
letters" is about eighteen thousand.
Not 50 very many" some one re-
marked, when you remember that
there are more than sixty thousand
pOst-offices to be heard from" But
enough, surely, to prevent there being
many idle hands in the Dead-Letter
0iee, 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
NTH 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
heasury is the gamer. In 1888 over
eight thousand dollars was thus added
Dthe much-talked-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
iaalt but sins of omission on the part
9 the senders are more often the cause
q loss and delay-thousands of letters
are not stamped, while others have no
address. Of course, no one will believe
here are many of the latter, neverthe-
ess, m one year nineteen thousand one
hundred and ten of those blank en-
'slepes We're sent to the Dead-Letter
glaee. Then again. people are careless
Y Weil as absent-minded, and often
aisalfeet or only partially address let
sss which never reach their destina-
Aon, unless the clerk in the Dead-Let-
V OHlee can supply the missing link.
Z 'lree hundred and sixty-five days
gssr lour hundred thousand such epis-
sse were received. So it would seem
sAas 2 thorough knowledge of cities and
OWNS as well as patience, practice and
sanslaerable shrewdness, is necessary to
so'tecs the blunders of the writing pub
@ VINO but Dead-Letter-O Office clerk
lsl ali her wits about her-for wom-
$ mas charge of that branch of the
rrelA--Would imagine that ''Bill Town, +"
nan, was intended for Williamssovyn in
val enterprising State?
s. n the foreign department letters are
not opened.
Y would be impossible" said the
- an li1t1e woman in charge. You
- we receive thousand letters a
- nom Italy, about two thousand
- England and the same number
- Vermany, not to mention other
.'aies' We look them over, and, if
s ,'aFe any information that furnishes
s.eW. try again to find the owners:
aA.se s.@lse they are returned unopened
!, ~ postal administration of the coun-
saeln which they come.''
olelgners have a way of ignoring
8 91Aees that causes dire confusion,
ks. .e'ser directed to Fairfield. America.
IA Ian ny-slded as the tariff question,
1n. soont as hopeless. '.St. Duskin,
ssO was easily located as San
n " but some letters become
ii ,hed shas'ered and torn" in going to and
ouns1 s-lVugnout the States seeking an
noss The Russians give us the
eonoie," volunteered a BRIGHT
ase5ssh ll VINO for thirteen years has been
stsp5s ING hleroglyphics, and under
sstas;s.., al languages, except Chinese,
neo;~sy Ior her work. Who would
s st-a;.as s .nae II required such a hnguist
ss,e;- ;gnten out the tangled web of
esassa, 49, correspondence? Considerable
sD0ssa, ssA information is also needed, a
ions e OF many countries and ma
M ~ u the various States where
eeoss. srent nationalities most do con-
asaes a~snd 80 even then eternal Wig
NJ. wlil not insure success.
ests.s.. - escones Of all the dead mail