Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-01-20

past all that, and are comic nt with the
vast machinery Of Uncle Sans postal
system, which carries missive from
Bangor 10 Sacramento for two cents.
But people Rave notgot over the yearn-
ing for privacy in c. rtain directions.
IL q S. ecial messenger would we shall
say. cost quirter, Uncle Fam can be
hired for two cents. The question IS,
how can there be a compromise be-
tween the cbeapness of Uncle Sam and
the privacy Of messenger.
In one way the postman is more of
a private medium than the me senger.
Nobody asks the postman, who gave
You this?" Nobody knows who dropped
the letter in the box IL is like the Sc
cret ballot. 1t is an inalienable right
of citizenship to be able to anonymous
ly post a letter. But, on the other
/ hand, the postman cannot be in
strueted. He cannot be told when,
how and where to deliver the letter.
He speaks right out IN meetln', and
every ody in the house knows who
gets letter and whether the hand
writing is bold and masculine or frag
lie and feminine.
As it never made so much difference
how letter was sent as how IL was
received. Uncle sans system is de-
fective 10 PEG le who like Joey Bag
stock are 'AdeY'lish sly.
This was one of the reasons why
they came 10 have private l. tier boxes.
With the aid of the private letter box
letter anonymously posted is anony-
monsly received also. 1T removes
from the delivery end of the affair the
publicity that has been eliminated
from the posting end
What is private letter box?
Uncle Sans boxes are in a sense
private. The postmaster drops in the
letter from one side of the partition
and the holder of a lock box key sub
tracts the letter from the other side
of the partition. But to a detec i've
in the corridor he publishes himself
as the holder of that box Immediately
be puts in the key. He may send a
messenger with the key, but the mes
senger can be followed
\ he holder of private letter hox
decides TO take one person into his
confidence as to his face, if not as to
his name. The one person is the per-
son who lets private letter boxes.
This person is likely to be the keeper
of 4 book or stationery store. There
are half dozen OF these stores on
Sixth avenue, New York. In
some of them the letterbox
attachment is in as plain sight
as it would be at a country post
office. In others it is out of sight
somewhere behind the coun err. IL
the boxes are in plain sight the box
/ holder can see Tor himself whether
there are any letters for him. If they
are not he is compelled to ask whether
there are any letters for him. If they
are not he is compelled TO ask whether
there is anything for -. J. J, !" unless
he is an old enough customer to re-
quire nothing more than an appear
ance within the door of the place TO
bring forth all there may be of mai
In engaging box the customer re-
ceives box number or may agree to
have the letters separated by the
name or initials In addition 10 this
he leaves his name-or, "a her a name
for the keeping of the account
Generally the account of a simple box
is so cents a month.
If the customer wishes to avoid all
chance Of being seen 70 eceive letters
in the store, he may hire, in some
quarters, lock box The lock boxes
are generally establishe n a little
back room or anteroom cabinet, from
which customer may emerge with
out revealing any purpose. Although
etter- box keepers are generally care
full in handing out letters not TO give
away their customer to any one who
m9y happen 10 be in the store, the