The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-12

our hands II IL is not prepared at letter
/ rates as hrst-class matter.
I'VE get all the love-letters. too The
young lady sends back those she has re-
ceived. and the gentleman returns hers.
Il opened package this morning mark
| ed dynamite No. il did not frightend
me. for it was a pastebOard box. People
would be apt TO send a. substance like
| dynamite Ia a tin or wooden box. Then,
I could smell an apple Inside the box
was a line of writing Don't let any
one get this
You didn't, did your asked Mr. Chase,
superintendent Of the unavailable matter
department with a laugh
well. they had 10 pay letter postage
for II" said Miss James
All the packages that for many and vari-
Gus reasons end their travels in the New
York office are sent 10 MT. Chase's room
They are not always as agreeable as they
might be.
"A great many people send dead birds
and animals OF all kinds to taxidermists by
mail" said Mr.. Chase.
Don't they smell dreadfully?" interpO-
lated Miss James.
When they are too bad" continued Mr.
Chase, and I have to dispose of them, ]
keep the wrapper and notify the person
to whom the package was directed. If a
package is in a passable condition 1 send
word 10 have it called for.
"Revolvers and firearms cannot be sent
through the mails unless they are in de-
tached pieces. When l receive one, no
tify the person 10 whom it is sent to call
for it. If he is at a distance and cannot
do that upon his written order 1 will
notify an expressman to take it"
This is one of the many kind courtesies
extended to citizens by Uncle Sam and his
assistants.
People send dead rats and mice by mail
as a joke, l suppose. They are sent to wo-
men sometimes. The men do not get all
the fun"
would send a woman a dead mouse by
mail?' asked the reporter.
Certainly" replied Mr.. Chase
l suppose they know how afraid women
are of them. dead or alive" said Miss
James.
"All the packages not prepaid at letter
rates that are mailed in this office we tx
anime" said Mr. Chase. I'VE also exam
inc all that come into this office for New
York city delivery, and letters in transit
coming to us through the railway mail
service.
mo sharp-pointed instruments are per-
mitted in the mails unless properly pre-
pared, and nothing having noXious odor
can be sent through the mails. Matches
and all explosives are debarred. Candy can
go by mail If properly put up"
Berries and fruits of all kinds come
through the mails in various stages of de-
composition" said Miss James. land dead
flowers. There are beautiful flowers some
times. All kinds of wearing apparel come
to us. and now and then we find in a
package a long letter. The sender never
thinks any one in the postofiice will find
the letter. But we do. and, then, if only
30 cents has been prepaid on package
that weighs ninety ounces, 80 cents more
will have to be paid to meet the cost by
] lpf We g
by themselves.
ANY one who sends letter that way"
said Mr. Chase, lis subject to a fine of $40.
1t is not often that any one is fined, but
il is sometimes done. If any one refuses
to pay the extra postage the matter is
pressed and the fine collected"
CLOTHES and books are some of the
things which weigh heavily, and are eX-
pensive when sent with letter in the
package" said Miss James. "Pincush-
ions are very heavy also.
I'VE never consider as writing congrat-
ulations or good wishes when sent with
presents. but a single line of personal in
| formation, or anything of that kind sub
| jects the package to letter postage. Bible
| texts, which are some times sent with
| packages, we do not count as writing.
When there are unusual cases, which
/ none of our rules covers, we take them
to the superintendent, and, if he is not
certain, they are taken to the assistant
! postmaster and he makes a decision.
Sometimes we do not see why people
should not be charged extra postage.
Again there are packages that are evident
| ly for very poor peoGle and we don't
| like to charge them anything.
"At Christmas season we are nearly
| swamped. There are very handsome
things going through the malls then
silverware and everything you could think
/ of.
"Soiled handkerchiefs are some of the
| unpleasant things people mail Some kinds
| of packages that come through the mails
day after day from the same persons We
! become accustomed to, and know just
what is in them. There are tobacco firms
which send out great many pipes and
! there is never any writing with them.
The people who send soap-wrapper
! coupons to the manufacturers for panel
! pictures almost always send a letter de-
scribing the picture they want If they
would write the name of the picture only
we should not charge for the package at
| letter rates. and the manufacturer would
| not have to pay other peoples over
due postage, as he frequently does now.
Lots of snakeskins come here, but I
do not mind handling them. l am afraid
of snakes. l do not know what l should
| do If l met real live snake but 1 al
ways unroll the skins to see how long
| they are Sometimes the snake skins are
very long-four or five yards. The rattle
snake skins have the rattles on them.
The young lady who works with me
is timid about the packages and when
she takes one that does not look just
| right, she gives it to some of the men to
| open, or | take it. 1 am curious to see
what is in them.
THE other morning a little dead dog
came in the mails. 1t was only a puppy,
two or three inches long, and was very
| cunning"
These are only few of the remarkable
things that the people trust to Uncle Sam $
| tender care.
Smallpox, diphtheria and scarlet fever
| germs are some of the things found at
| times in the mails The germs are care
| fully put up and marked They do not
| come under the list of mailable matter.
| but as they come very infrequently, and
are sent by physicians to the health board,
they are hurried on their journey and the