New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
KEEPING TRACK OF NAIL.
CHECKS OF VARIOUS KINDs-THINGs WHICH THE
STAMP OF A LETTER TELLS

CHECKS OF VARIOUS KINDs-THINGs WHICH THE
STAMP OF LETTER TELLS.
When stops to think how enormous is the
amount Of mail matter which passes through the New.
York Posofice every day. it seems impossible to keep
any but the most general track OF it, Yet the system
of stamping it is so good that more is known about an
individual piece than might be supposed In the first
place. letters placed In street boxes and those mailed
In the Postofice Of the branch stations are
stamped differently. The casual, observer would not
detect this but oftentmes the fact that ii be shown
that letter not placed in street box Is
Of great importance Again, letters for this city from
out Of town are back stampcd" differently from those
of local origin The mark beside the stamp ought to
show whether not the piece OF mail matter was
posted in this city, but sometimes it is so indistnct
that the additional Of proving this Is Of ad-
vantage.
OF course ii Is necessary that every stamp should
be absolutely truthful but persons seem to have
The idea that postoice officials do not object to making
the marks q letter lie. Requests 10 put false
stamp on a letter are therefore not infrequent
Usually these from office boys who have forgotten
10 mail an important letter. They ask some Official to
mark ii with the time when IL should have been
posted instead OF with the time when it was actually
placed in the drop Men who have kept letters in their
pockets for several days instead OF mailing them.
sometimes want the Postonice people to shield them
from discovery. II Is needless 10 say that all such
rque,ts refused
POrTMARKs ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH.
In the first place, no reliance could be placed on Q
stamp If il easy TO have false ones put on letters
IN the next place II this thing DONE the Post
Office would have explain why there was such de.
Law in delivering the letter. Its own stamps would
convict ii Of gross negligence which amount Of talk
could explain away. Naturally. the officials do not
want 10 get into hot water merely to do stranger
service. There is the moral objection besides but
sclfinterest is a sufficient ground of action in such
cases.
The question is otter asked f. NJ Morgan, the
Superintendent Of the City Delivery Of the Psoffce,
whether the postmark lettr is always truthful
Mr. Morgan says he cannot imagine such a thing a.
false stamp being made On I. letter in the PCstOlAce
here Sometimes the mark on letter Is important
legal evidence and postal clerk las 10 appear In
cort tn swear that stamps are never imprinted except
in tho ordinary course OF business. Son'edmes poat
marks arc forged but such limitations are geieidiV
poor pieces OF work and easy OF deHcunl' . An,
An additional safeguard against an attempt az TINS
hind Of fraud is the impre- sion sheets on winch 4
record Of each kind OF stamp In use on each cay IS
kept Whenever "A stamp Is changed an impression Oh
il is made one Of these sheets ana tese ar hP Oh
file for two wears. BY means OF such sheets there
fore the genuineness Of posmark made IN tnis eiv
can he tested with almost perfect accuracy
CHANGING THE TINE OF DAY.
The hour Of the stamps in use Is changed every
thirty minutes Of the day and night so the time when
. letter was mailed at the Postofce or was brought
f,.re nv a carrier Is told with tOlerabe accuracy.
The stamps are changed the minute, or as near II -
DOS ible To avoid the delay Of changing nguN' we