The National tribune., 1900-05-03

a young gentleman who had left town be
fore it reached him. 1t was for him tt
transfer into money to help him out of fl
nancial difficulties.
After months of diligent research and
detective work by the Department, it was
located. The necklace had been taken
from safe containing family heirloo,ns
by the daughter. The young man was
not in favor with the parents, and she had
been driven to this desperate act The Sc
quei would make Southwortn romance.
Some years ago the residence of prom
inent citizen Of Roxbury, Mass, was en-
tered, andSmany goods stolen. Among
the lost articles were two miniatures.
prized very highly by the family. Six
years after member of the family visited
the Museum Of the Dead Letter Office,
and imagine her surprise to find there the
lost miniatures. The records OF the Office
showed that an envelope without an ad-
dress, containing the miniatures, was
dropped into mail-box in Boston a night
or two after the robbery. 1t, Of course,
found its way to the Dead Letter Office.
The right of property Was proved and the
".
All addressed matter remaining in the
storeroom for a period of two years, and
all matter without address, which has been
on file six months, is sold annually at
auction, usually in December before the
holidays.
A story came TO us not many years ago
of a letter written by little girl TO her
father, who was a Member Of Congress.
1t is only another of the little romances
that are woven into the warp and woof OF
the Department, and gives a good idea of
the workings of the Office.
In small city in Western New York
the Postmaster, one morning, saw little
girl tripping along, and coming up to the
Postmaster, she at first shrank from see
ing him, but he kindly asked her if she
wanted letter from her Papa. She replied
by asking him if ne could keep big Sc
cret. I've wrote letter to my Papa, all
by myself. VIII you send it TO Washing
ton for me-"
"Of couBe will" was the Postmaster's
reply. He took the letter, looked at the
inscription and smiled. He then gave it
the proper stamp and said: "You drop it
into the mail bag, Dorothy"
In with the rest went her letter, and she.
happy in the thought of a letter going to
her papa, hied back to her home, only a
block away.
"Of course" said the Postmaster, "that
letter will not reach the child's father.
Pm sorry l did not fix il right, but / lust
thought to please her. When Tom Com
stock comes back from Congress Pm going
10 tell him to let on that he got it,"
Dorothy's letter reached Washington
and went to the Dead Letter Office 1t was
soon put into the dead letter mill"
grist more precious rarely went to this mill.
1t was hrst put into the hopper where all
the. letters in the Dead Letter Office go.
1t there Travelled with the unmailable matter
until ii reached the checking table, where
all letters are checked Off, that none NAV
be lost. 1t was then passed on 10 the ur-
mailable opening table. When opened n
locket was disclosed, and it was therefore
sent TO the Property Division, where every
word Is carefully examined by an expert
clerk.
The reading clorl; al once discovered that
II belonged 10 q member Of Congress. He
then saw that IT WAS written in j and
theH !oand that j. was III ChautauGua
County, \. y.
BY referring 10 fIic Congressional Direc-
tory, he discovered that Chautauoua
trict, and that the Representative from that
District was, we will say, the Hon. Thos.
ComstoCk.
Ihefollowing morning the Congressional
man wagon stopped at the door of Mr..
Comstock's Washington home.
MIR. Comstock had worked the night be-
lore until long past midnight, answering
letters and attending TO the demands of his
constituents for this and that The morn
ing hour he had taken for rest, and it was
10 o'clock before he made his way 10 the
breakfast room.
His mail lay upon the table, His eve
first fell upon letter that bore the mark
Of the Dead Letter Office. Upon opening
il he found letter bearing this inscription:
'To nay papa, Washington"
The locket fell out as he opened it. The
sweet features of his little Dorothy faced
him. His lip quivered as he proceeded to
study out the printed letter, which read as
follows:
MY DEAREST PAPA: When are you
coming home. Pm so lonesome. heard
mama tell Aunt Joe you had paired with
Mr. Barton and was coming home Satur-
day night. spected she meant you was
going to bring Mr.. Barton home with you
i set on the front steps till the whistle blew