The Newtown bee., 1894-12-14

| As was sitting the other day in my study, lost to the world in delightful re- collection of my recent ramblcs in the forest-covered mountains of Europe, the lpshrill whistle of the postman was heard, and moment later my attention was concentrated on a curiously-maTked let ter which had been dropped into my hand. It was letter written and dis patched by friend in America while was exploring the forest of Thuringia, and after crossing the ocean it had fol- lowed me from city to city, and country to country, ,only to return again across the | stormy waters, bearing on its envelope the postnark of many principalities. Close beside that of old Munich, famous for it's art and it's beer, crowded a curi- ous triangular post-mark, which. at once recognized as that of the Dead Let ter Office. "Ahr' I said, '.Now I know how that letter was returned to me, and through what final channel it arrived at it's destination. And yet, this associates me with an institution beside which I have lived all my life and have never visited"
 The next time I was in town, 1 ran in- to the Dead Letter Office and these are a few of the novel attractions 1 saw there. One hundred clerks or more were busily engaged at various desks handling and disposing of thousands of letters which for one reason or another had been turned over to this department. Some were occupied in attempting to read the odd handwriting shown on the ill-fated letters. These they would take up, look at steadily, turn over, skew around, hold up on end, and in most cases all of the, e pheriDg. Then, when record had been made of the truant letters, they would be dispatched with all haste to the point whither they ought to go. Other clerks, finding no clue on the outside of the let ter as to whom it was intended for or from whom it came, quickly opened the the missive and as quickly sought out the inner address. Thousands of such letters as these must be opened here every year; and strange are the TO- mances of love and the sorrowful tales of misfortune which now and then greet the eye of the examining clerk.
 And speaking of these faulty address es, which result in far too many letter wanderings- supplied both for the want of any better and because of the monumental stupidity of the sender the inscription of an easten hayseed who wrote-"For my son out West, he drives red oxen and the railroad goes by thar''- is probably unique. No help could be offered this aged offender by the Dead Letter Office, but it is almost surprising that no solution was forthcoming, consid- ering the extraordinary accomplishments 3 of these sharp. witted, clear.sighted of fcials. Not long ago letter reached it's proper destination through the Dead Letter Office addressed merely "James Gum, Power-loom Shuttle maker, Mass, t America, and letter sent from Boston Boston, the Hub, and the city of cul- ture!-bearing the simple address, "Dr Washburn, Roberts College" was prop erly forwarded to Constantinople. In- scriptions in Greek, Syriac, Chinese, Bohemian and ''modern English" both amuse and worry these long-suffering servants of the public.
 I Naturally, many of the 100000 let ters and packages turning up annually in the Dead Letter Office have brought with them no clue to the owners, while they have contained articles of more or ! lpa 1nQ nd ri tk have been retained by the department and now constitute the museum of the in- stitution. Here, for instance, is a New Testament in Chinese, and near by a olood-stained knife used by Apaches in killing western mail carrier. Then, there is copy of the Lords Prayer in 54 languages, and chips from the floor of the room in which Jesse James wal brought to bay and killed. Coins oi great historic value crowd the shelves as spread out for display, while stuffed birds, sea shells, Easter eggs, bowie knives, and other curios, including, o1 course, numerous specimens of minerals are also to be seen.
 The exhibits comprise articles of botf great and little value; hand-paintee miniatures on ivory, crucifix of golt and carnelian, sapphire ring set wirl diamonds, and another of moss agate
 All bid for attention with boxes of wed : ding cake, false teeth, bottles of salad oil, coffee pot, and numerous dolls, hat.box, and coat suggestive strongly of Joseph's little garment of many col . ors. Kid gloves and other articles O
 feminine apparel, wrapped in newspa
 pers and various other covers calculated # to aid some fair-sex smugglers, give on, D a suggestion of the methods resorted t, by those who professionally defraud tn,
 Government, or who are spasmodicall, . tempted to be dishonest.
 One of the most interesting collection |, in the museum, not displayed to view but safely secreted and recorded on tn
 office books, is the fund of hard cash collected from several sources. Som,
 of it is found in letters which cannot b :, returned to the sender nor forwarded t. r- those for whom they were intended more comes loose to the office in pack ages of few cents at time. Thi
 s'loose money" as it is called, was orig
 inally secured in letters and packages but has been shaken ont by the violen
 handling received while being transferre'
 from the mailbag crane at way station
 to rapidlY-moving trains. Thus 1t is common experience for the mall laddie hustling about in our speeding posta I Tears to thrust their hands into the car