The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-23
POOR SANTA CLAUS
Postmaster Jordan Stamps
Letters Sent to Him By
Children Ficticious"
FUNNY LETTERS FROM LITTLE PEOPLE
Christmas Mail Is as Heavy as
Usual and More Men Are En-
gagged 10 Handle 1t.
FUNNY LETTERS FROM LITTLE PEOPLE

Two dirty little envelopes were lying
on Postmaster Jordans desk, in the Post
Office, this morning. One had stamp
on it, the other had not One was ad-
dressed in struggling letters, written with
lead pencil: dear Mr.. sante CLAUS,
and the other: SANITY Close, Jersy City,
N j.
Win it be believed? 1t is almost in
credible but yet it is true, that very nice
but deplorably unromantic official, the
Postmaster, actually put big blue
stamp, with these words on the en-
velopes: Fictitious, Unintelligible, and
sent them to the dead letter officei
This appalling ignorance on the part
OF the Postoffice officials is all the more
extraordinary since they receive so many
letters addressed to that very Important
personage; and then the bare idea Of
describing him as Fictitious. Why,
every little boy and girl in Hudson coun-
ty knows better than that, Mr.. Post
master.
Only a few days ago. when the mail
bags began to almost burst with the
packages for Christmas. two letters were
received in the Post Office which made
the officials smile This is how one read
Dear Mister Santa Claus-I am very
gud littel gel and my mama says so and
she noes. So you can plese Mister Santa
Claus bring me 2 dollees, nigga dolce
and white dolce wifi hair just like my
sister Mamie when she goes out wifi her
bo. Plese bring candy toys and a bicykel
and ennything you give to gud gel like
me. Don't forget. Good by
- DADDY'S LAsSIE.
Alas for that letter, the unfeeling off,
cials sent it to the dead letter office and
the "gud littel ger' who wrote it will
just go on thinking and thinking that all
this time Santa Claus has read it and will
obey implicitly the instructions.
A very different letter was that sent
through the mails the next day addressed
to "Santi Claws, House-tops. Jersey City,
1t was from a boy and told little story
as pathetic and touching as the other was
amusing The little fellow had no stamp
and made rough attempt at drawing
one on the back of the envelope. The
writing was in such watery ink that one
might have supposed it was written
century ago. No time or space was lost
IN introducing remarks about himself
being good or anything of that sort of
tning Oh, dear no; he Just dived into
the thought uppermost in his little mind
by saying:-
.santi Claws, I wont a oyercote. my
mother cant buy me one She is poor
and pop Is out of work and sick. If
get coat | can go to wurk and help
my mother so plese send me one any
sise viii do,'
This like the rest was stamped "Fic-
t1tious and Unintelligible," and forwarded
to that place where ghosts are supposed
to send their correspondence. the Dead
Letter Office: while other letters, how
ever queer it may appear. addressed to
less widely known personages than Santa
Claus somehow arrive safely at their
destination. All day yesterday, today
and tomorrow and so on for a week
Postmaster Jordan and his assistants
Will be as busy as bees. and the big
building on Grand and washington
streets will resemble a hive, all quiet
without but hustle and activity within
So busy are the officials that Postmaster
Jordan today made an application to the
General Post Office in Washington for
permission to put on sixteen subs" or
extra hands. The mails are not anv
heavier this year than last but it will
be impossible for the Postmaster to send
out everybodys Christmas boxes so that
they shall arrive on Christmas Eve un-
less the extra force is used. Mr. Jor-
dan will, he says, do his utmost to avoid
lnconveniences and delays, and this he
Will do even if he does mark letters to
Santa Claus ..FictitiousD