New-York tribune., 1894-04-29
ADDRESSING LETTERS.
WOES OF THE PosToFFICE PEOPLE

WOES OF THE POSTOFFICE PEOPLE.
Few people probably Will admit that they are
in need OF instructions to the proper method OF
performing so simple act as the direction Oh "
letter to be sent by mail: and yeti II IS appa'-
ent. from the experience Of postofce officials. that
in the adaptation OF means TO ends In THIS respect
very large proportion Of those who post ie''e'S
are sadly deficient by OF carelcssness or is
norance.
That the letter-wrlting public is In need OF adhohl
tion in the matter OF addressing their correspohi-
ence IS apparent from the records OF the New o'N
Postoflce. from which II appears that during aSI
year S2927 msdrected and insufhcently anur reS''u
letters were received there. The addresses on f'''
OF these were corrected or supplied. but l@o were
sent to the Dead Letter Office. to when "''oo
10000 msdrected newspapers were also sent our
ing the same period Faulty directions are pE no
means confined the letters sent by uneduea,eu
people or By foreigners. whose acquaintance Win
the English language is not sufficient to Keep theih
speaking or writing terms with II. TN III" con-
trary. merchants professional men, bankers anu
bank officers especially the latteD form the ma
jority OF those who. after presumably giving care
ful attention to the contents OF their corTespohd-
ence. write its outer direction In a manner Na'
would indicate that it is a matter OF Indifference ~
the senders whether It reaches its destination OF
not. While. n rule. the names or the persons
addressed are given with reasonable distinctness.
those OF the pOStOfilceS ana OF lne 'tat'9 ~
they are located are so careessly and hastily VIII
ten as to render It difficult. at least without care
full and deliberate scrutiny to decipner 'hen
correctly. Now. this care and deibeTauoh '''
just what cannot be afforded III large posloi'rrS.
Asserting clerks must perform their work rapidN'
or IT would be impossible 10 secure the dspa'cn VI
mails on time: and I, is the plain duty OF CORE
spondents by clear and unmisakable directions TO
enable the postofiice to dispose Of letters promptly
without requiring employees to pause IN ther "o'N
for the purpose OF studying out the purport OF
hastily written scrawls. As matter OF iact' thel
waste but little time In 50 doing but compelled
70 treat all letters passing through their hands
according 10 what seems to be the intention OF the
writer's As consequence. n a letter intended Tor
Mass" Is so directed that II appears on a nasty
glance TO be meant for Miss. to the latter stat"
IL Will probably go. before reaching It's actuHl "rS-
tnation: and similar roundabout Journey wiz
with equal probability be the fate OF letter
moan, for Rurlngton y J.. whose careless writer
misleads the postofiice by so malformlng his y
that the average reader would make affidavit that
II is a "Y."
1t Is no, ilegble doubtful addresses alone. how
ever that lead to delays ana msdeliverirS OF mai'
matter Incomplete and imperfect addresses are
nerhaps stlI more fruitful source ~ such irregu-
larties Irtter-writers who are perfectly aware ~
the precise business locations or residences of th'ir
Correspondents in large cities persistently AMI habit
uaiiy omit that important Information from the
superscripOns OF their letters. totaHy iEh'fle ''
fact that there may be from two t. dozen or mor~
persons or firms bearing the sam" nan" IN New
York Chicago or Boston and leaving IN" po-ionicr
70 guess which one OF them they intend snail Ir-
cevc the letter They are quite ready. however.
with complaints and anniheWas when prompt am
correct delivery fails by reason of their own in'A-
cusable hcedlessncss Tho faithful imiiai)rs ~
manners and customs of the English who adopt
the angular style of hanIwriiing prevalent w NAV
Fair and Piccadilly VIII DO well - make exception
10 their practice when superscrihng their fitfT+
and write United states" for ID" benefit "i inc
people IN the posioiice. and those - them VINO
carry their love for London AMI is wnNS 80 f'r -
- direct their letters TO Town" when they mean
Ncw-York CITY. need 80 b" reminded. not only thar
Ncw-York ceased 90 o." town long years aSo.
but that the worI town" when written INnflhi'
So closely resembles Iowa. that - rr"s"nc" "n an
envelope IL extremely likely as experience has often
proved 10 secure the dispatch o, The Latter AMONG
the mails for that distant STATE. An Ingenious
method Of securing the miss"ning AMI delay of l"i-
tcrs has been adopted by ;h0s" who write the al
dresses - their letters backwari-ihat @ 20 say bF
writing the name of the p0st'fnce nr~t then N"
name Of the person 10 whom delivery is t' =" made
and finally the stree; and number Of his Fcsdrnc'
store or Office. thus