The National tribune., 1900-05-03

It is estimated that 81, 500, 900 annually
Of negotiable paper and postal notes find
their way to this Department, while n,er.
chandize, photographs, and miscellaneous
papers amount to very much more.
1t is not to be understood that all let.
ters that come to this Office are dead" let
tiers only. All letters that cannot be de.
livered fall into two classes: "Unmailable,'
and unclaimed" The unmailable or live
letters are sent to the Dead Letter Office,
and when carefully run through the hop
per. and passed from one clerk to another,
If possible the addresses are corrected,
and the letters forwarded unopened.
Many are sent here for want of postage.
Many have 10 be opened and subjected to
the same treatment as dead letters.
The second class of undelivered letters
composes those that are properly prepaid
and addressed, but are not taken out by
addresses, although thoroughly adver-
tised for the usual period. These letters
are forwarded TO the Dead Letter Office
with the words advertised" or unclaimed
clearly stamped upon every envelope. This
method elso applies to packages or mer-
chandize.
When no satisfactory information can be
found, the case then goes to the Chief In
spector Of the Postofice for final treat
ment.
A large correspondence is necessarily
carried on. Much Of it is conducted by
printed circulars and notices 10 suit occa-
sions.
1t is understood that many valuables
are daily coming 10 this Division-Iike
money, money orders, postal-notes, drafts,
deeds, mortgages, wills, receipts, certifi-
Gates, legal paper, postage stamps, jew
elry, diamonds, etc, and they are all care
fully recorded, returned to sender, or TO
parties addressed, if possible.
A dead" letter is known in the DEPART
Hent as one that has been forwarded to
rs destination fully addressed, the Post
master has tried his best 10 find the owner.
1t has been properly advertised, marked
unclaimed as required by law, and fail
Ing of delivery is sent to the Dead Letter
Office, ready for the knife Of the opener.
Entirely different is the handling Of the
letters in the Unmailable or Property Di-
visions. The lack Of address or postage,
illegibie or incorrect address brings all de-
vices into action TO find the owner and de
Gyer them unopened. 1t is marvellous
fhat these experts can do in tracing the
Soper channel for such letters.
Think Of the Government having to pro-
vide corps of mike" clerks to examine
postal guides TO complete what negligence
has omitted-wrong State, or town, or
postofiice.
The undelivered parcels furnish fair
sample Of what the postal service does
for the people. 1t is a curious aggregation
OF business and sentiment running paral-
lel-some Of it pitiful, some Of it ludirous.
The Jewel-box and the engagement ring,
and we wonder what the sequel was.
There is tiny pair of baby socks, and
We ask whose fingers knit the tender senti-
ment In blue and pink, with ornaments?
Here is the wedding cake in boxes (the
ring must have been rerlaced), and here
gambling devices, and dice, and cards.
and knives, and surgical instruments;
soothing syrup, cholera mixture, in
fants apparel, flowers from grave, cof-
fn-plate marked 'at rest" stuffed alIiga-
tors, snakes, beetles, wash-board, a hat
box-the woman for once did not carry it.
The employees get used 80 it, and handle
them as SO much merchandise.
There are letters to You Loving Gran
ma, Aunt Mary, Sister Jane, Uncle Tom,
but not real address. There is bundle
Of letters tied with q faded ribbon, with a
farewell note: Il return your letters. 1t is
all over between u.s." If the ring was pres.
ent 1t has been cared for by the property
clerk. A set of teeth went astray. A
tracer was sent. Several sets came tc
the postmaster, They were returned in
stanter, the complainant stating that ''the
teeth sent are just common Texas store
teeth, and by no possibility could fit so
refined mouth as mine"
A few years ago a parcel containing
Infants clothing, addressed to woman
who was a missionary in Africa, was held
up torIsome Of the many causes which
send mail astray. A note was sent to her
OF it's detention. She wrote Indignantly,
THE child for whom these garments were
intended has not yet been eaten by the
cannibals, but has quite outgrown them,
and they may be returned to the bender,
"