The Worthington advance., 1900-09-21
III LOST in THE MAILS.
TAKING CARE or L1TTEas AND PAR.
GELS THAT GO AsTRAY. &

=" lE-
GELS THAT GO AsTRAY.
Innenss Deal Of Labor Involved-- Tho :
. 0ovsrpnens nndesvors 70 Rsturn
EvsrythisE + CanA A Accurate A.
. ssunt!sf Articles Kept In the Records. :
1. visitors to the dead letter once new
er realize the amount Of work It takes
to produce order in the chaos Of letters
and parcels gone astray. Ranged
along the sides Of the great room
where the openers are, and also in
several rooms near by. are the book :.
keepers: or recorders. Their labor is
seldom appreciated because Its results
only are seen. ..x.,,,.: =;
About fifteen per cent of the seven
million pieces received yearly contain
valuables. An accurate record of each
article is made, giving its address and
disposition. Six sets Of books are used
for this purpose, one, for money; one
for papers which have money value,
as notes and mortgages; one for other
valuable papers such rs receipts and
certificates; one for stamps. one for
photographs, and one for property or
miscellaneous articles received in pack
ages.
These are all returned to the sender
II the address IL given. II there is no
address, but legible postmark, they
are sent to tho postmaster at tho mail
ing Office for delivery to the sender. II
there 10 no address and no postmark,
or II the postmaster fails to deliver the
article and returns it to the depart
ment, 1t is filed.
In the case Of property the articles
fled are kept two years and then sold
at public auction, excepting such books
a. are selected for the department IL
brary. Several hundred books are add
ed each year to the library, which is
for the use Of the officials and clerks
exclusively. They comprise largely
works Of fiction and poetry intended
for gifts.
The money, which cannot be re-
turned to tho owner, is kept for three
months and then deposited in the
United States treasury. It may be re-
claimed within four years. In these
books one cent receives as much at
tention as $50, receipt being signed
by each clerk through whose hands it
passes. No red tape is spared on &C.
count Of small values.
The stamps are the most numerous
Of all valuables received. Every time
the department issues a fraud order
against any swindling concern that
concern is not allowed to receive it's
mail. It's letters are stamped fraud
ulent" and sent to the dead letter Of
flee. Thousands of dollars yearly are
thus saved by tho department and re-
stored to the people in money and
stamps alone. The stamps which can
not be delivered are destroyed each
month.
The photographs and valuable pa
pers which had been kept on file were
allowed to accumulate until the sum-
/ mer Of 1898, when the oldest files were
destroyed, excepting only such papers
as marriage certificates, wills and
sa sfy liz: ss;% al asa ~:
pers filed within tho last three years
are kept intact; The rest are de-
stroyed. ~ "}>f = E::
In addition to these records. IL a
book which gives the postal history Of
lost manuscripts, which number about
one thousand yearly.
There 10 also q record Of INQUIRIES
for missing mail, and record Of regis
tered matter. The registered articles
received are not distributed among the
six desks named, but separate record
II kept Of them, so that these are the
largest Of the record books and the
articles kept on file hero are miscel-
laneous In character.
Every month the periodicals which
have gone astray In the mails and
reached tho dead letter Office are dis
tr1buted among the charitable institu-
tions of the District. They are the
department missionaries that cheer the
sick and bless the lonely.
Tho amount Of matter received at
the dead letter on1ce has decreased in
the last few years. This is probably
due to tho efficiency Of the Don't" cir
culars, which are sent to all postmast-
ers for the dissemination Of ordinary
rules of precaution to be observed by
patrons Of tho mails.
! This ONCE might be called the head
quarters of Santa Claus. At any rate
1T IL whore his mail Is received. Every
autumn his letters come in by hun
dreds and later by Thousands. There
IL every variety of spelling and child
ish chirography. There IL also 4 var
iety Of places assigned as his abiding
place. such as the North Pole, Fairy
land and other places not within reach
OF the postal service.
=, But the little folks are not the only
ones who send Indefinitely addressed
lettsrA Two examples will servo to
show the rare discriminating powers
assigned to the postal enploye by the
1,uhlSc mind.