Evening journal., 1897-11-09
LETTERS STOPPED IN TIME.
People Saved by the Postmaster from
the Result of Hasty Action.

People saved by the Postmaster from
the Result of Hasty Action.
The tears were streaming from her
eyes like spray from the Yerkes foun-
tnin," said a clerk in the inquiry divis
sion of the post Office. laughing at the
memory of the stout, forid woman who
rushed in one hot afternoon with the
plaintiye wall; "Stop me letter; give
me my letter to the old countryl'
That letter." the man went on. "was
dropped somewhere within the city
limits and was mixed in with some p
100000 other letters, yet she wanted us
to get IL for her quick-seemed to think
that I would bounce out Of my chair
like rubber ball out of tennis
racquet, snatch up that particular
epistle and come running back breath
less and hand it TO her. Now, the facts
are that the government does not per-
NIT the stopping Of letter that has left
the writer's hands unless il is important
that it should be done. II makes an
enormous Nnount Of extra work. Here
is a blank that must be filled out, stat
ing the box in which the letter was
dropped. the time, the address and the
reason why the request for the recov-
cry is made. That reason sometimes dis
closes some very interesting and roman
tic facts, but of course, most of the let
ters are stopped for the business houses
about town. When we asked the red
faced Niobe what her reason was. she
boo-hooed: Me an my man had some
troubles n 1 wrote to my fader for
moneys to 60 home, but my man and
me have made up, and would nothave
that letter go for tousand dollar We
got that letter for her.
There was another young woman
who rushed in here during the opera
season, and when she had caught n
little breath she said she wanted let
ter she had addressed to Peoria. III
there were some five-dolar opera tick
cts in it that she wanted to use that
night. She had had letter written 10
her family. and thinking there might
be postscript to add had not sealed IL.
She bought her seats to "Tannhauser'
and left the window with her purse,
her letter and her tickets In her hand
The open envelope was so inviting a
place for the tickets that she thought
/ she would carry them there, but just as
soon as she saw letter boxit Nas like
a red rag TO a bull. She sealed the en-.
velope and posted IL. tickets and all and
il was hours before she remembered
what she had done, and then came TO MS
for help. We got her tickets, too
Young women who have 'reconsid-
cred "A proposal or who regret a hasty
note, like the men, blushingly confidC
their troubles TO us and we have pre-
vented more than one broken heart
Sometimes the letters have left oui
I hands and we have to telegraph tC
catch them. which is done at the per
sons expense. We have more than once
cabled TO Berlin and st. Petersburg &c
head off a billet-doux or some request
from an impatient and petulant Son foi
a check A scion OF noble German
house came in here TO implore us tC
prevent the delivery Of a demand foi
money. written. I fancy. in tone that
in the light OF recent romittances
would endanger his inheritahce. Their,
is some mighty interesting reading
among the blanks requesting letters
stopped. all of which are sent on Il
Washington."-Chicago Times-Herald