The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-03-07
THE POSTAL GRAVEYARD.
THE WORKINGS OF THE DEAD LET.
TER OFFICE.
A System of the POstofTice Depart
ment About Which There is Al
ways Something New to be Told.

q trihing interests of its co.
900, 900 of people is most forcibly IL
Illustrated in the workings of the Dead
Letter Office. The scrawl of the
illiterate receives as close attention as
the polished chirography ei the uni
versity graduate, modest penny as
much care in the handling as preten-
tious $100. Six million pieces of un-
delivered mail matter are annually
received stthe Dead Letter Office, and
and not one, however Insignificant, is
overlooked or slighted, according to a
writer in Harper's Young People.
Early each morning the great Gov
ernment wagons marked United States
Mail may be seen numbering through
the stone archway leading into the court
of the Postoffice Department Building.
Here they are speedily unloaded, and
the great leather pouches quickly dis
appear, being borne by the messen-
gers to the elevator, and then to the
Dead Letter Office. Each one of the
200 dead letters received daily
passes at least through the hands OF
three clerks, and should it chance to
contain anything of money value,
through at least three more.
A ''dead' letter, strictly speaking,
| is one that bears correct address, Is
fully prepaid, and has been duly de-
| livered at the Office of destination.
Remaining there unclaimed for one
week, such letters are advertised for
I the period prescribed by law, and
then sent to the Dead Letter Office.
Here, first of all, each days ''dead"
mail must be accurately counted, and
correct record made of the number
of letters and packages. There are
usually four clerks employed on this
work. Should any ignorant or care
less postmaster send in with his
'deads" letter bearing q written or
printed card or request, letter with no
address, one without stamp, or one
bearing foreign stamp, the counting
clerk must winnow them out and rec
tify, as far as he can, these errors,
Being counted, they are tied in bun
dies of usually 100 each by the mes
sengers. They are now ready for the
second set of clerks, whose duty 1t ls
to ''violate the sanctity. of the seaP'
with the long, keen knives with which
they are provided. 1t is curious to
watch these men. With one quick
stroke the envelope is split lengthwise
and in the next instant the contents
are deftly extracted and examined, and
if of no money value quickly laid aside
and another taken up. Each opener
averages about $500 letters per day.
Should the letter chance to contain
money, even q single cent, stamp, a
postal note, money-order, green
backs, notes, drafts, checks or any le-
gal tender, he Immediately seizes a
pencil, notes the kind and value OF
the find on the envelope, and beneath
it places his own initials. Besides
this he has a small blank-book in which
he makes duplicate entry, and in ad-
dition adds the name and address
found on the letter. This work he
usually does at the close of the day,
and then both letters and book are
given in charge to the chief of the
division.
Whenever it is possible the letter
with its contents is returned to the
sender in care of the postmaster, who
is responsible for its safe delivery,
and who must return a receipt for II
to the department. Every possible
protection is thus thrown around it.
When the money cannot be thus re.
turned, on account of the failure OF
the writer to sign his name or ad-
dress, then it is held in the office for
year, in the hope that it may be ap
piled for. Failing in this, the money
is turned into Uncle Sans already
corpulent money bags.
The carelessness of the people In
sending money is almost incredible.
About 1900 letters that bear no ad-
dress whatever are received each
month, and, curiously enough, they
very often contain money or its equiv
alent. i recall one that came under
my own observation that revealed,
when opened, drafts to the amount OF
$2500.
Accurate records are kept of alt
valuable letters and their final dispo'
sition. In round numbers about
$50, 900 are received in cash annually,
and 81, 400, 900 in drafts, notes, etc.
The remaining dead letters, that have
only their literary merit to commend
them, or want of it to condemn them,
are given one last chance before being
consigned te the waste paper dealer.
They are placed in the hands of clerks,
who do their utmost to return them
to their writers-a thankless task at
best Each clerk is expected to av-
erage at least $50 per day, and the
supply is never exhausted.
In addition TO the "deads" there is
another class termed "unmailable, !"
that includes such as are held for post
age, sent from hotels, fictitious and
misdirected. The oldest class of un-
mailable letters are the misdirected.
These form curious study, and are
accorded careful special treatment
They number about 1000 daily. They
are forwarded daily from the mailing
offices, not being detained or adver'
tised a. tad letters are. Postmasters
are ~ = to deliver them on account
of some error of deficiency in the ad'
dress, or because the writing is illegi'
BILE. The clerks ON this work have
from long experience become very ex-
pert in handling these lstters, and de-
liver many thousands yearly.