The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-16
QUERR THINGS IN THE MAIL.
Articles Awkward and Fragile That
Have a Perfect Right to BE There.


Have Perfect Right to BE There.
From the New York Tribune.
Much has been written concerning the
queer things which find their way into I'm
Gle Sans mail boxes and postoffices, and
which have no legal right to be there, but
little attention has been given to the
hosts of strange articles which may be
and are lawfully carried every day by the
postal authorities. 1t is not that the
things are uncommon in themselves, but
that they seem absurdly inappropriate for
transportation by mail, which attracts at
tention to the subject. Most of the I'M
usual articles belong to the fourth, or
package" class of matter, but there is
one variety which is becoming more COM
mon or late, of the third class This is
the huge business postal card, with an adj
vertisement printed on the back. One
specimen recently received has Business
Mems Giant Mail Card" inscribed on it's
face, and it measures eleven by seven
inches. There is no limit to the size of
such cards provided they do not weigh
over two ounces EACH though few larger
than the one mentioned above have vet
been seen. 1T is difficult to understand
why any one should desire to use a card
as big as a billiard table, said a postal
official, in speaking of the new craze
among advertisers, but as long as the
pasteboard is not over weight for it's class
1t viii go through all right no matter
how awkward it may be to handle"
Precisely the same principle as this ap-
plies to the fouTth-class matter. Four
pounds is the weight limit here, and I'M
less the package violates some of the spe-
cial rules regarding unavailable matter
which are pretty well known among those
who have much business with the postof-
flee, its size and shape will offer no OBJ
stacle TO its being passed by the authori-
ties. Only the owners fear of having ar
ticles broken in the course of transporta-
ton imposes any restriction as to form
or material. Thus it would be perfectly
possible to send large packets, the fragile
wickerwork of which would keep them
within the four-pound limit if it were not
known that they were likely to be seri-
ously damaged before they reached their
journeys end by contact with a sample of
iron ore or some other equally unyielding
but mailable substance.
Frequently people unaccustomed to US
ing the mails for this sort Of express Of
fee work do not think of the knocking
about which their goods will receive, and
they discover later to their sorrow, that
breakabe things had better be carefully
packed or not sent at all. Umbrellas and
canes are often mailed, and in a great
many instances, owing usually to careless
packing, they reach their destination in
several pieces. A stout stick, strapped to
cane or umbrella, is a precaution some
times adopted TO insure its safe carriage
Fishing rods disjointed and packed Sc
curely in their cases, are often sent by
mail. So are knives and sharp-pointed
articles OF various kinds. but these must
be capped and fastened so that they will
not cut through their Enclosures. Pistols
and other firearms may be mailed in de-
taehed parts, but for reasons not hard to
understand, they cannot be sent entire
The dry goods houses which have large
mail order departments send more fourth
class matter through the postofTices than
any other users of the mails. All kinds
OF dress goods shoes and small articles OF
every description traVei In this manner.
Especially In holiday seasons the number
OF unusual packages is extremely large.
Contrary TO the supposition of many peo-
pie, the carriers are not obliged TO deliver
any article which seems to the local post-
master unreasonably large or clumsy. In
such case he merely notifies the adj
dressee Of the arrival OF the package. and
requests him TO call at the Office for a.. A
great deal Of trouble is caused by having
inc contents OF packages become separated
from their wrappers, as they frequently
do The wrapper is duly sent on TO inc
person to whom II Is directed. and the lat
ter is then expected to call at his postofIico
ana give, N he can do So description az
what he believes the wrapper 20 have con-
tained' When this can be done the miss
ing contents are often identified either I'm
the dead letter Office or In some postoffice
where they have been detained until fur-
ther Information could be received. In
many instances, however the person who
reeves me wrapper Is unable to tell
what the probable contents were. ana ~
ciew can be obtained 70 the missing arti-