The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
BROADWAY, opposite Post Office.
TUNNr LETTER URIrERS.
Their Notions of Humor as Displayed In
the Addresses ON Envelopes.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.


From the San Francisco Chronicle.
1t does seem an easy matter to properly adj
dress a letter in order that IL may slip through
Uncle Sans postal mill as speedily and safely
as possible. No racking OF the intellect Is re-
CURED in the process, and but little physical
exertion-simply the inscribingio f a name aud
address. Yet. in the face of this. ask the man
who superintends the sorting of the mail in
our local Post Office about it. and II he does not
throw up his hands aud feryently cry. The
Lord preserve us from those who don't or
won't know how to address a letterl" it will be
because he is too busy to do more than think
his opinion.
OF the thousands of letters which go through
the office weekly it is surprising to learn that
hundreds of them. through faulty addresses.
cause the Post Office people almost as much
extra trouble as the handling OF those which
are in proper form. And the acts Of this same
class are also the most potent factor In keep
ing the wheels of industry humming in ths
Dead Letter Office at Washington all the year
,Carelessness on the part of letter writer's is
the cause OF the appearance, OF most OF these
Francisco is entitled to n seat in. the grand
stand, as the records of the Office will show 1t
is. the careless person who drops a letter
adorned with a stamp but unadorned with an
address, into the box il. is a kindred spirit
city which the writer locates in a State having
no such city within its borders: it is one with a.
similar failing who directs his letter to a Ger
tain street and leaves a blank space below for
the Post ONCE officials TO I'LL in any city or
ated in it is ca relessness that brings to the Post
ONCE Il neatly addressed and stamped envelope
winch W is' mowsver, r 4n 81 1n a and destitute to OF
fearful breach between two correspondents.on
angry because of an unanswered letter and the
envelope is discredited But to tell OF the de-
vious and aggrayating ways OF the careless let
ter writer would take a day In itself.
Ignorance also, p avs its part in, the letter
game, as a few select specimens will show, 1t
ago sddr e = an q l iGG9ra to RfHffi s ho Mm% h 6Ie iUaE
the President" leaving it to the superior wis
letter was a petition to the President Of the
United States fora position or an appeal to the
pTfs shd d Of a o Gl a e tTpff i9r beI lSf rs in lfeo sspor-
natural powers of the postal officials also in
spired the following effusive. though, vague,
Inscription on a rather dirty envelope dropped
TO my, cusln. Martha Small. who lives in
Another missive with a nomadic address was
odoEous with mystery; t. was dir{sgted: -
try Columbus. O.. or; maybe. Dallas. Tex; or.
Was this letter, representative of a forlorn
hope to reach a long lost heir to a fortune. or
the frantic attempt of a creditort to run down an
A piece OF Randiwork worthy Of the immortal
Handy Andy is exhibited by a letter which, be-
sides the stamp. bore only on its face this
III not delivered in ten days. Postmaster will
please open and return as per address inside.
But it is not the careless and ignorant alone
who clog up the postal machinery and cause
nation to use words of lurid tinge and emphatic
meaning. Their correspondence, of which the
side view is easily disposed OF by being thrown
aside IN IN the hen hHIpry % o. N tba Go up mall mor ana alt a.
Washington; unless. there is some identifca-
ton mark whereby it may be returned to the
There is a vast and growing army of cranks
who seem to live onIyfo the purpose of using
the mails IN their own peculiar, idiotic way. In
studied dendishness that would suggest a
gigantic conspiracy to drive postal clerks to
francisco has some shining lights in the crank
line. as may, be seen BY what follows:
In the first place there is the puzzle crank
who imagines that a two-cent stamp gives him
the privilege, Of displaying At the expense OF
enigma maker. OF many WHICH annoyed the
Post Office last year the following is a fair
sample;
F. COLOR H.. Second Presidont1
lo-s-0
waste foxeibS but GncIe SANS orders are 'et to use
all possible means TO find the party to whom u
lette!r & add nafsa S9 finally "a q r oddra pRs.
Erred il. Adams, JACKSON, Tenn
Next in degree of ahhorrence in the minds
He Is strongly impregnatcd with the idea, that
excepted. and that. above all. postal clerks
need some intellectual refreshment to ameli-
crate the hard grind of daily toll. One Of
these disciples OF Silas Wegg earolled as fol-
lows lately:
oh, carrier, with the willing feet,
Deliver this on Hftieth street.
The number, thirteen twenty.four,
The town, New York, and on the door
Youll find set in u silver frame
That which you seek-a person's uame-
James Epson Strong-who'd want q betterf
And It's to him / send this letter.
Anothap allou-aJ hiunoaIf ~ nyarNn,u xr;th .
rapmsnt huilt on tho . nma liDea ms tho affav-