The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-08-24
MARVELS OF INTUITION,
WOMEN WHOSE WORK IS TO DE.
CIPHER BLIND ADDRESSES.

1llegible handwriting has made lots
OF trouble, but at no place do the diff
culties brought about by it appear
greater than in the Postoffice Depart
ment. The dead letter office, in which
hundreds of clerks are employed, is n
direct result of inaccuracy of penman-
ship, or forgetfulness or ignorance on
the part of letter writer's.
Perhaps the most interesting branch
OF the dead letter Office is the foreign
division, to which are sent all letters
coming from abroad whose addresses
prove illegible to postmasters first
handling them. When systems of
penmanship which seek to train bows
and girls to write with precision that
would leave no room for individuality
II strictly adhered to were inaugural
ed, many of the old teachers predicted
dire results from such systems, saving
that they would inevitably end in
causing the people to write so nearly
alike that forgery would be easy and
consequently crime increased. But
any one who visits the dead letter
office, and especially the foreign divi-
sion OF that institution, will be con-
WINGED that the years of training in set
systems of writing have had no effect
in causing similarity of penmanship.
On the other hand. practical expert
ence seems to demonstrate that train
ing in penmanship can no more make
people write alike than any training
could make them look alike.
The illegible letters coming to the
foreign division are turned over to an
expert corps of ladies whose duty it is
to decipher them and determine where
they should be sent for delivery.
These experts are under the direction
of Miss Richter, whose service, extend
ing over number of years, has
caused her to be regarded throughout
the Postoffice Department as marvel
OF keenness and intuition because of
the wonderful way in which she de-
ciphers hieroglyphics that to others
appear rs little Ineligible as hen
scratches.
There is a good deal of system in
Miss Richter's work. To begin with,
she has access to library of $50 vol
umes of city directories, which fire.
quently guide her in delivering letters.
She has also O volume, which was
prepared for the use of the Postoffice
department. some years ago, which
gives the names of streets in all the
principal cities of the United States.
and shows how high the number of
houses on each of these streets run.
1t frequently happens that a relative
OF some newly-mad American writes
from his home in the old country and
fails to give the name of the CITY for
which his letter is intended In this
way 1t might happen that merely the
name and number of the street would
lead to the delivery of the letter. For
instance, if letter were received with
the address of Baltimore and Paca
streets, with the name of the CITY left
out, 1t would at once be sent to Balti-
more, Md, because that is the only
city in the United States in which
streets of these ames cross, though
there are other cities having a Balti-
more and Paca street. Frequently
the name of the street is as good nm
address as if the name of the city and
State to which the letter was going
was attached. Terpsichore street ex-
lists only in New Orleans, but streets
named after Presidents are so numer-
Gus as to be no guide to the city in
which they are located. President
Jackson was SO greatly admired that
200 streets were named after him. 1t
frequently happens that very high
| number on street with common
name will lead to its location, because.
although there may be scores of
streets OF the name, very few of them
have numbers running into the thou
sands.
The ladies whose work it is to send
poorly and partially addressed letters
to their destination have need of n
varied class Of information in order to
be successful In their labors. They
must be thoroughly acquainted with
all geographical and historical names
In the country. For instance, if n let
ter bears the address of Suwanee street
that at once places it in a southern CITY
in the vicinity of the river that has
been made famous in song. MANY
towns, but little known, are named for
Governors and other men eminent in
State affairs, and names of streets are
located In the same way. Men estab-
ilshlng great business enterprises gen
orally bequeath their name to posterity
In connection with street or avenue
The foreign division is also supplied
with directories containing all sorts of
information that might lead to the de-
livery of partially addressed letter.
A letter addressed TO "a cashier OF other
officer of a National or private bank.
for instance, without the name of CITY
or State to which it should 90. is read
lily sent TO its destination by reference
to the directory showing the location
of all such officers.
Foreigners generally seem TO have
an idea that America" is rather
contracted place, and they frequently
omit name of States and counties in
which they wish their letters delivered
The fact that here are dozens of
towns called Madison, scattered in all
parts of the United States, does not
seem TO occur to the average foreigner.
and unless the name of street or
possibly the county is attached there
IS littlJ clue TO the destination of the
letter. Such letters are frequently de-
livered, however, by the experts hand
ling them knowing in what parts OF
the United States emigrants from the
| country from which the letter CANA