The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-11
Lost in Mail
Money, Jackknives and
Fishhooks are Found.

From the report OF division superin-
tenden1 % the railway mail service sent
10 the Wichita Office there seems 10 &c
no end 70 the articles which people win
send through the mails and the care, ess
way they are addressed. and then Be
surprised L on some occasion the article
in the package should become lost. Ev-
cry year the merchandise and money
found loose in the mails amounts to
thousands Of dollars. u IS very rare In
deed that the owner can ever BE located
ana the money eventually reverts 70 the
government and the merchandise isNput
in the storer0oms Of the Postofilce depart
meut 70 be held until It IS either sold OF
otherwise disposed OF.
There are seven divisions In the railway
mail service in this country. During the
month OF January alone 81 separate ar
ticles were found In the mails OF the sec
ond division alone and il IS by no means
the most extensive one OF the seven.
The principal articles lost are sums os
money generally under 81. which people
send loose in envelopes. The money soon
breaks its way out oS the envelope and
IS found loose IN the bottom OF the mail
sack. II is difficult 70 decide which let
ter the money came from. I, being often
impossible 20 do this, and as result
the money is turned over 20 The post
ONCE officials and BY them forwarded 10
the department az Washington
Mail clerks are able 70 tel many anus
ing tales OF the curious finds they have
made in mail sacks. There have been
found loose in the mails nearly every
thing from a needleto a dynamite bomb.
OftentiInes live animals such as frogs.
tOads and the Ike. turn up in the malls.
having broken ont 81 the boxes IN which
they were being shipped.
Among the articles enumerated in the
list issued by the Second Division Rail-
way Mail Service for the month OF jan
uary may be found nearly enough mer-
cnandise 70 start a good sized country
store and I'LL the til with cash,
The clerks found among other things.
five butcher knives and nine pocket
knives. some were new. while others
had evidently been used and were In
slightly damaged condition. For what
sanguinary purposes these were sent
through the mails is unknown.
Jewely also went astray. The most val
uable things lost were two genuine dia-
monds. while several "Klondike" or
spurious gems also lost their way, but
naturally occasionsd no great loss.
spoons seem to have the greatest facul-
" OF becoming lost No less than forty
three spoons were found in the mails OF
this divAlou OF the mail service dnring
January alone and this was only an av-
erage month One thlmbie four watch
chains. two watches one loeket two gold
rings and three ieweled stick pins turned
up without an address or an owner
Several hundred dollars IN all was found
in the different mail sacks. The largest
individual loss was $50. while the smaii-
est was a oue-ceut piece. Whenever a
lost article Is turned IN. the date OF the
find. the name OF the clerk turning IN
the property and the road he runs upon
is recorded In order 70 assist the discov-
cry OF an owner # possible.
The list issued contains among other
articles stated as lost the foll6wingf
Box OF ointment. baggage check. college
calendar. fountain pen, BIN ~ goods
empty box damaged. package labels
two latch keys two Eureka companions
small brass key leather toilet set two
pairs Of dice. ono Vadis pack % trlek
cards. poultry marker. razor strop. har-
monica. bicycle saddle. rubber datcr
spirit level. silk dress. box red pills. piug
Of tobacco and four flies.