The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-15
HON 70 RECLAIM 4 LETTER.
ONE NAY BE RECALLED EVEN
AFTER 1T HAS BEEN NAILED.
The MethoAs whereby One May Re-
eeive Back HE Correspendeaee-
No Cost IL still In Town-Soas
Instances Of Refusals.

ttors who have bad memories or change
able feelings call at the postoffice every
day To reclaim letters which they have
mailed. Approaching human weakness.
the postoff.ce department has provided .
way by which any letter that has been
posted may be returned TO the writer.
If application for II - made before the
message 10 delivered TO the addressed
Every large rostefyiee has its retaining
department. which is fortified by rigid
rules laid down by the powers at WASH
ing;on Methods of conducting this end
OF the postal service differ slightly n
different offices, but il all places. TO re-
claim letter. the writer must call IN
person for it: and the government pro-
yides a blank receipt which must be flIed
cut and signed.
In most cities the retaining depart
msns is under the superintendent OF
mails. The man or woman who has
mailed = letter and wishes to recover 1t
before It 10 delivered calls on tho
superintendent In person. The super
intendent presents = slip OF paper and
the applicant writes thereon the address
that Is written on the letter to be re-
claimed II that letter has net left the
postoffice the superintendent OF mails
ards IL and compares the address on the
envelope with that on the written slip
II the writing and address are identical
he delivers tho letter to the sender and
dies the slip as receipt
Out Of Town Letters.
To reclaim q letter that has been sent
out OF the office. the writer must not only
write out the address ON . blank slip Of
paper. but he Is required TO deposit a
dollar to pay for, kilograms. The super
.ntendent Of mails telegraphs to the post
master OF the postoffice TO which the
letter 10 sent and asks him to return the
wanted letter. when the letter reaches
the superintendent Of mails he compares
its address with that on the written slip
Of the applicant and II they are alike
the letter IL returned and thu expense Of
tsiegraphIng deducted from the dollar
that was deposit ed
The retaining department. of the post
office involves II close study OF handwrat-
ing. II there 10 a noticeable difference
between the written slip and the address
Of the letter the letter IS not returned to
the person who has asked for 1t.
About s o'clock one evening a woman
called at the postofrics and asked for a
letter that had been MALE! that day
She wrote the address on a slip Of paper,
and thA name was that OF another woYn-
an. The superintendent found the de-
sired lister. but when he compared IL TO
the written slip be hssitated The adj
dresses were at the first glance exactly
alike. but On closer examination IL was
found that there was difference be-
tween the relative proportion OF capitals
and small letters Of the address on the
letter ard that OF the written slip.
No Breaking the Rules.
The superintendent teld the woman who
had applied that he could not give her
the letter because he believed that she had
not written Il The woman swore that
she had. even volunteered TO repeat the
contents ~ q proof. But the superin-
tendsn, still refused
81 think that you didn't write this let
ter" he said. ''snd. that being the ease.
II Is against the postal regulations for ma
to give IL to you.'
The applicant became sgisated.
''Oh. but isn't there some way to avoid
the reguiatiens?' she asked.
NO, madam, can't give Ii TO you"
ard the superintendent OF mails turned
away. The woman ran after him. SIZE
had broken down and was crying
oh, let me have IL Let me hays tt.'
she cried at Is q letter that my husband
has written 10 another woman
Even this could net move the super.r-
ten6ent ard the vrstched wife went out
in . aaoz Of tears.
Caught ~ IN 49,"
Another time thu superintendent Of
mails discovered attempted fraud hv a
discrepancy in the capital letter So
y
and IL was found that the oEly difference
between tire address on the envelope and
.ha. on the slip that thu younx negro
worlaa tad written Was IN the capital
letter 3" Fer ths, reason the superla-
tendsns Of mails refused to return the
letter.
AZ another tine q young mar asked
for a Ietssr which he claimed se have
written - frfeest IN Denver The sgs-
psr4ns-rt@as asked the young man 30
write oay the address. tu, he applicant
could nat write;
The average number % letters re-
claimed daily Ia poste1sesx OF Large
cities Is three. Most Of these are writ
ten ty business rsen- Although n these
cases The sapsrsar4pstoa Is usually n
typewyitssn characters the aaps4cau. il
rsanIss4 oriy - give a receipt for The
letter The question Il handwriting a.
ef esurse. eliminated
IN 1895 at ,ae time p hen several banks
closed tsesr doors 6axen letters we're
reclaimed daily. They we're letters W.T.
ter ~ 1sposs.o-s gnriestnw money 70 Re
serosstsd These letters had been sent
before .he hanks bad e1a@e1 their Sceys,
ard the rsws brought the 6erosssers 20
tie rosfsfSce fer thar money.