The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-02
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FACTS ABOUT DEAD LETTERS.
Their Number Decreasing in Late
Years, and More Returned to
SRndQrs

SChuCESs
From the Washington Evening Star.
Visitors to the dead letter office who
turn the leaves of the immense photograph
albums to examine the soldiers pictures
saved during the war and gaze down at
the long table where a dozen men are
opening letter never realize the amount
of work it takes to produce order in the
chaos of letters and parcels gone astray.
Ranged along the sides of the great room
where the openers are, and also in several
rooms near by, ore the bookkeepers or
recorders. Their labor is seldom appre
ciated, because its results only are seen.
Without them it would be impossible to
answer the many inquiries for missing
mail or to locate any article which the
office has receiver. Uncle Sans business
methods are often criticised as intricate
and laborious, but the necessity of a sys-
ten of records of this kind cannot be
doubted.
About Is per cent. of the 100000 pieces
received yearly contain valuables. An ac-
curate record of each article is made, Civ
ing its address and disposition. Six sets
of books are used for this purpose, one
for money, one for papers which have
money value, as notes and mortgages; one
for other valuable papers, such as receipts
and certificates; one for stamps, one for
photographs, and one for property and
miscellaneous articles received in pack
ages.
These are all returned to the sender if
the address is given. If there is no adj
dress. but legible postmark, they are
sent to the postmaster at the mailing Of
flee for delivery to the sender. If there is
no address and no postmark, or if the
.l,ff fha toll aT,I
returns it 20 the department, it is filed.
In the case of property the articles filed
are kept two years and then sold at public
auction, excepting such books as are Sc
lected for the department library Sew
eral hundred books are added each year
10 The library, which is for the use of the
officials and clerks exclusively. They COM
mise largely works of fiction and poetry
intended for gifts.
The money which cannot be returned TO
the owner is kept for three months ana
then deposited in the United states treas
ury. 1t may be reclaimed within four
wears In these books one cent receives
as much attention as $50, a receipt being
signed by each clerk through whose hands
if masses. No red tape is spared on ac-
count of small values.
The stamps are the most numerous OF
all yaluables received. Every time the
department issues a fraud order against
any swindling concern that concern is no.
allowed to receive its mail. Its letters are
stamped fraudulent" and sent to the dead
letter Office. Thousands OF dollars yearly
are thus saved by the department and re-
stored 10 the people in money and stamps
alone. The stamps which cannot be de-
Ilvered are destroyed each month.
The photogra phs and valuable papers
which had been kept on file were allowed
10 accumulate until the summer of 1858,
when the Oldest files were destroyed ex-
cepting only such papers as marriage GER
tihcates. wills and others Of exceptional
value. At present only those photographs
and papers filed within the last three years
are kept intact. The rest are destroyed.
Thus Uncle Sam, with Yankee praeti-