The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-05
CAPITAL CHAT.
Ten Million Badly Addressed
Letters Yearly.

The Public Makes Eight Mistakes TO One
of the Postal Clerks Our Financial Ex-
ports-The Lost Art Of oratory--states
men Of the Past.
WASHINGTON, Feb. ESPECIALLY mot
many weeks ago the cable brought news
from Germany that the Emperor William
had been writing a song. In his compost
tion he spoke OF tho "nixio, and at onco
there was great deal Of curiosity as to
what a mike" Is. Some discussion on
this point was had In the lobby of tho
house of representatives, that beautiful
hall in which congressman and journalists
daily assemble to smoke and talk. A mem
Der OF congress from western state said
the "nixio" was a thing used In the rail-
way mail service, and though he couldn't
tell exactly what IL was he was sure 1t was
In daily use on the railway postoffice cars,
and that Captain White, superintendent
of tho railway mail service, could tell all
about It, So went down TO the postoffico
department and asked Captain White
was nike" was.
A Mike Defined.
"It Is easy for me to tell you what q
mike Is, replied the captain laughing
ly, but don't bclioyeit Is the same kind
Of a nike Emperor William has been
singing about In tho railway mail serv-
ice mike Is very common torn.
When tho clerk on n railway postal car
comes upon a letter or newspaper that is
not addressed to any known postoffice.
that Is incorrectly or illcgibly addressed,
or which for any reason he cannot possibly
tell for what postoiiice it was intended by
the sender, he calls it "a 'nixio' and Is re
al, -, efs q
Now that you have raised tho question,
will tell you some interesting facts about
tho NIKE. Last year we found one piece
of mail In 1000 to be Of the NIKE class.
You would not think that very impor-
tant item, but when tell you that thess
mikes amounted In number to 10, lib, T7g
pieces and in bulk probably to 12 or 10
trainloads of mail matter you will get
pretty good idea Of the amount of mail
handled every year by the clerks on the
railway postal cars OF this conutry.
Fault of the People.
"Nor Is that all, continued Captain
White, who is>a very interesting talker II
you can catch him at q moment when he
Is not too busy running that wonderful
machine of his TO waste time in converse.
ton. "a very significant fact TO my mind
Is that Of these 10, 900, 900 and over of bad.
ly addressed pieces OF mail matter more
than 6.000 900 were finally forwarded to
the people entitled TO them through the
ingenuity of tho postal clerks, who guessed
at what tho writer intended to write, but
did not, or judged by the wrapper or some
other peculiar circumstance where tho
pieces should 60. or course these q, ,000,-
600 and over pieces OF mail were moro or
less delayed in the delivery, and the re-
naming 3, coo, 900 odd were not delivered
at all AL this was tho fault of the peo-
pie who deposit mail matter improperly
addressed. Now, il you will compare this
with tho number of errors committed by
tho postal clerks themselves, which was
1881, 900 last year, you will SEQ that by
tho fault Of the public eight letters OF
pieces Of mail werc delayed where ono was
delayed by error oil the part of the clerks.
Every day tho clerks handle 2S, 600, 000
pieces of mail and mako only ono mis-
take TO about overy s, 900 handled, or, TO
speak accurately, according 60 the returns
of the last year. ono mistake 10 1881
pieces handled Do You blame US for feel
ing proud OF our recordf"
Another Kind Of Mike.
This explained what a mike" is In
America. but did not afford any informa-
tlon as to the sort Of mike" the German
emperor was talking about. This is sup
piled, however, by Librarian Spofford Of
tho Congressional library, who knows
everything that Is movable. Mr. Spof-
ford says the German Mike" or "Nixy,"
is no doubt later form of the old Morse
water god Mike" 1t Is well known
that Emperor William is fond Of sailing
his beautiful yacht every summer up tho
fiords along the coast OF Norway, and dur.
ing somo of his trips no must have become
familiar with the legends Of the Norwe-
gian Neptune.
A member of congress from Ohio says
Governor Mckinley has in his possession
peculiar relic of the last political cam
paign. Ii is q card which came TO him
with bouquet of flowers handed in the
window of car while travelling through
Now York, The donor was a young boy,
and IL was a proud moment feF him when
he placed his gift IN the hands OF tho greas
Republican orator 1t was Mr.. McKin.
ley's turn TO ;eel good when lie looked
upon tho card and saw that the name OF
his young friend was Harrison Reed Nc.
Kinley. The governor carefully keeps the
card in his office Mt Columbus aud laugh
ingly says TO his friends when they ask him
where he get it that it contains the name
of tho next president of tho United States.
Finance and Oratory.
We have had some great speeches in con-
gress on tho financial question, and tho
gold crisis has developed an astonishing
number Of statesmen hero who think they
know all about tho great topic Of gold and
silver. During one of tho debates chanced
to sit beside n mombcr Of the diplomatic
corps In the gallery of tho house. 1T Ia
astonishing to me, said no, "how many
Of your members Of congress speak glibly
and apparently with great learning on
these economic subjects. 1t reminds mo
that in your country almost oil your po-
litical activity ranges about such quos-
tions. You are tho best informed people
In tho world on such matters. With us
questions Of currency and revenue nrc left
chiefly 10 experts just ns other intricate
matters arc. It is very rarely in the par