The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-20

mat country to the United States is not
PAID IN advance. What has been said on
TINS point applies in a somewhat less de-
gree to the Swedes, who are likewise a
thrifty people 1t is observed that immi-
grants from abroad retain their thrifty
habits on this side OF the water. In the
next genera ion, however. they lose them
entirely. Their sons and daughters have
all the wants and requirements of Ameri-
cans. The continental peasant is content
10 1--we on bread and potatoes, but his
American-born children must have meat
three times day. The nuisance described
mas become so great that the postal union,
at It's last convention, decided that every
one TO whom an unpaid letter was re-
turned should be compelled to paw the
postage due. The new rule has already
diminished theabuse to some extent
All United states letters returned from
abroad to the dead letter Office at WASH
lngtOn are opened, save only such of them
as bear the addresses of the senders on
the envelopes. These returned letters
contain more valuable Enclosures than are
found in any others Investigated at the
postO1ice department, taking an average.
Many of them may be intended as a gift,
TO help relatives in the old country to
come across the water, or for investment
abroad.
Few Italians or French people invest
their money in the United States Their
idea Is to accumulate certain amount
and 60 back to their native land, where
they will be able to live without work on
the income of their savings The thrifty
French waiter dreams of the time to come
when he will be the great man of his vii
lage, enjoying elegant leisure on 1000
francs or so per annum. The banana ped
dler entertains a like ambition, too often
helping himself toward it by disposing of
counterfeit small change, manufactured
IN his bed room with such primitive APP
planes as a pot and ladle, some metal
composition, and Two or three plaster Of
paris molds.
ODD PARCELS.
Some of the articles found inclosed in
parcels from abroad, which, unlike let
ters, may be opened, are very odd. They
will often contain such things as one sock,
one shoe or one glove, the customs regu-
laJions forbidding the sending of pairs of
such things. Pieces of lace and valuable
embroidery are discovered wrapped up in
the newspapers, which are devoted to de-
struction when not delivered. These are
disposed of al the annual auction sale
held at the postoftice department. Rosa
ries and cruCifXes are sent in a similar
fashion in great numbers. At every
yearly sale hundreds of these are disposed
and are forwarded to people in Catholic
countries for use by relatives and friends
in the United States.
EeJid mushrooms from abroad some
times reach the foreign branch of the
dead letter Office. Another interes Ting
article discovered in a package WAS
human ear. On the other nand, people
in the United States send to Europe
snakes, tOads, tarantulas, centipedes and
rFitr tfah Il
the peculiariJies Of the fauna of this
country. A relic carefully preserved by
Miss Richter is a large square piece of
yellow silk that came wrapped in a news
| paper all the way from the land of magic,
Egypt. When it is exposed to the light
spots Of blue benin to appear on it, and
/ after few moments l3Genae very vivid
in blue -.
Stamp-collectting Gends bother the
| foreign division of the post Office depart
ment dreadIuQy. 49,, The average person
afflicted with the mania thinks that il is
the place where he can get all he wants.
| In recent letter, one such individual
| writes will you not assist me in get
ting collection of stamps? You must
! have thousands of old letters which will
| never be delivered, and which no harm
would come from the removal of stamps.
| Mrs. Richteras invariable reply to such
| requests in made by referring to the Law
which makes the removal of stamps from
letters subject TO a fine of $500, with oil
without imprisonment Small boys are
! especially persistent. They come in and
insist upon going through the waste bas
ket. AT the time of the cholera scare
Miss Richter got rid of them to some ex
tent by telling them that all the letters
were from cnOlera-infecJed districts, and
that they had better wait till frost.
10 off All Fn
Office to ask about letters months, or
even years old which were written from
abroad and failed to reach in this couu-
try. They imagine that the post office
department must have them on file
somewhere. OF course, all such pieces
of mail are sent almost Immediately
10 the country of their origin. If it is
doubtful whether they have vet gone,
searches Tor them are made and this is
very difficult work. However, it is a
principle in the postal business that no
labor shall be spared in trying to deliver
letter. Sometimes the straying of a
single worthless and instructed missive
will involve a long and elaborate cores.
pondence between the department and
pOstmasterS.
The central office of the international
postal union is at Berne, Switzerland.
There all the accounts are kept and all
pay l6uJS SGttltu, ne government OIL
the United States receives compensation
for carrying mail matter across this con
tinent by rail. Payment is made in like
manner to Great Britain for postal trans
portation in her territory. All the al
lowances made TO the various nations
concerned, including balances due on in
ternational money orders are paid up at
stated intervals. The official language
of the postal union is French. Thus, in
any country, letter Of FOREIGN origin
that does not find the ADDRESSED is
marked IN French with such word as
"parti," meaning gone away" or in
connu, >" etc,
RAIL AND CRossTIE.