The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-02

Queer Things Caught in Uncle Sans
Waste Basket - In the Dead Letter
ONCE.
From the Washington Star.
If people will send explosives through
the maiIs-as, for example, the Internal
machine received at the Gangee, Mich,
postofice the other day-the government
knows Of no way TO prevent it. OF course,
if they are shipped in unsealed packages,
they can be examined and destroyed.
Postmasters notinfrequently come across
queer-loolsing parcels, which they feel
obliged to investigate with caution. Per
chance the torn wrapper of a suspected
bundle reveals a cylindrical box covered
with tinfoil, inside of which a ticking
sound is audible, The sender, if known,
is notified that he may have the article
returned to him, if he likes, by express.
Otherwise it is put where it can do no
harm.
One day not long ago q box frankly
labeled Dynamite reached the dead
letter Office here. A messenger was Or
dered to take it out into the courtyard of
thespostofice department and open it
gently. Presumably the notion was that
one small boy more or less was not of
much importance. The package proved,
as had been imagined, ''sell." OF ar
ticles suspected to be explosive which
come through the mails many are fluids
They are promptly disposed of. even in
nocent liquids being unavailable under
the law. The pos master, after destroy
ing the contents OF a parcel, forwards the
wrapper to Washington, where it is
placed on file for record. Thus, if in
quired about, the fate of the enclosure
can be determined.
SACRED PACKAGES. ..
However, no amount of suspicion would
warrant post oltice oi1icial in breaking
the seal of package on which letter rates
are paid. II is absolutely sacred. Ac-
cordingly, it would appear that the proper
way to send explosives by mail is at full
postage. Uncle sam cannot prevent that,
though every year large quantities of fire.
crackers and torpedoes, shipped as fourth
class matter, are sci ed, as well as num-
berless boxes of cartridges, percussion
caps, etc. A 5ix-barreled revolver at full
cock, with every chamber loaded, once
came into the dead letter Office. 1t was
addressed to lady in Springfield, H.,
who could not be found.
The dead letter clerks are not aston
ished at anything. They have got be-
yond that In the packages which they
open they become accustomed to finding
such things rs rattleSnakeS, centipedes,
tarantulas. ella monsters, and ALI gators
from Florida, all alive and S ir.ning.
They classify with compOsure such in.
closures as petrified frogs, stuffed gophers,
Toltec idols, gold nuggets, spirit photo-
graphs, skulls, Indian scalps and human
ears A common occurrence is q bundle
of old letters tied with a ribbon, usually
onsaining a finger ring, and last note,
saying: II return herewith your letters
all is over between u.s. This eXci5es no
sentimental feelings on the part of the
hardened postal employe. Rather will he
pause for a second to tickle the horned
toad found in The next parcel.
DEAD LETTER OFFICE STORIES.
Many romance is worked out through
the dead letter Office. The following
story is merely the narrative of a coinci-
dence, which is surely one of the most
extraordinary on record. On April II
last a letter was mailed in New York
city, addressed to Mrs. Jones, Ludno
Lodge, A Church Walk, Llandudno.
Now, this place is in Wales, but the
'Llandudno' was SO illegible that it was
taken for Honduras" Accordingly it
went TO Tegu igalpa, Honduras. Form
erly there had lived in Tegucigalpa one
Philip Mills Jones, NJ d. He had lett
there and gone to Santa Clara, n. Y.
The letter was forwarded to him. 1t
proved to have been actually intended for
his dead wife.
Speaking of condolences, here is an
other true story: Once upon a time a
girl bought a very peculiar moss agate
ring. She sent it by mail TO friend as a
Christmas present. The gift never
reached its destination. Three years
later, while visiting another city. she
stayed al boarding house. On the OPP
posite side of the table at dinner she saw
a man who wore his necktie through a
ring. 1t was the missing moss-agate.
She asked him where he got it, and he
explained that he had bought it at dead
letter Office sale in Washington In some
manner it had found it's way into Uncle
Sans waste basket and had been put up
at auction among the 10000 articles
which thus accumulate at the postoffice
department annually.
THE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM.
The most extraordinary of the things
which thus drift in are preserved for ex.
hibltion in a little museum at the depart
ment. Among them are several sets OF
false teeth. On one occasion not long ago
an elderly couple, evidently from the
rural parts, was examining the curiosi-
ties. The old man, after gazing for some
A vigorous discussion arose between him
self and his wife. she nudging him and
trying to restrain him from speaking
But he would not listen to her, and finally
broke out with:
They are my teeth! would know
'em anywherel"
He explained that one Of the sets OF
teeth had belonged to him, but had beer
lost in the mail That he was not mis-
taken he presently proved by putting
them into his mouth, which they fitted
perfectly. Having given a receipt for
them, he walked away with them in
triumph.
On another occasion a man who had
lost his false teeth in similar fashion, sus
pected that they had found their way 70
the dead letter Office. He made applica.
ton for them through his postmaster, &c
whom were sent from Washington sew.
eral pairs which seemed to correspond in
a general way TO the description fur
MEDICAL