Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-24

regarding a letter or a package Which
has failed to reach it's destination Il"
exact description of the missing MAJ
ter is asked for and the first search -
made among the letters held at the post
office. Perhaps il is found az ohc''
held because the postage has bech I"'
gotten and also the return au't'""
which would have saved all the dti'S'
as in that case the sender would. nave
been notified.
The omissions occur too frequently
to occasion any surprisc On the pa 81
these postofIicc officials. but the sender
is overwhelmed with amazcmcnt, ana
if he has been very positive on th'
points in question. as nine tchthS ~
senders are, with chagrin as well IL
the letter is not To be found. however
an inquiry is duly made out ana Scht
to the postmaster of the Once I"
which it was addressed. lie. IN tur"'
looks over his uncallcd-fo for anu ui'-
delivered mail. and if "A letter answer
ing to the description given is tnere
he makes that report.
Perhaps the street and number are
lacking. the party addressed Is NOT III
the directory, and the usual auNtf'i'
ment of the letter has brought u" II
Sponse In this case IT rs r'turii'"
io the sender unless the address Is lui
nished and the patty can thus DC
found. If IL Is a package of mcrchah-
disc. the wrapper viii he 20 torn 'f''
the address is gone. This frequently
happens, and tho only manner 81
identification is that furnished 10y tn"
inquiry slip.
If the missing mail is not ~ TINS
postofice then inquiry Is mad" al IN"
carrier who has tn" rout" SI"citl"h IN
the address. If there has been any
thing unusual about tn" matter he may
rrmcinbcr the CircumStan, o. oi l%
delivery. but not otherwise. Of course.
Il may he that NJ delivered II I" q
neiChbor. in the abseuC" of tn" party
addressed. and the nciEhh"r put 4 ~
safe place ANA proceeded 70 forget ~
about il.
If there was any thing unusual or ~
regular about its delivery tn" carrier
would have a record "f II IN ms
delivery book. but if H. has ~"
record of il ana no recollection II Il
the first inquiry ends there. II IS re-
nnrtgI D1tk To ll1s- N''lltlliE 'Al'' ''''''
placed in the hands of tn" puSt"i'ire
inspector. who goes over thr sam"
ground even NOR" thoroughly. If p"S*-
ible.
II il h who sends you III" "'h'lal
looking list az questions 4" answer.
and its late arrival is du" I" the te''
that this is tn" second investigations
If any suspicious circumstances conn
tn light during thu tracing OF tn" mat
,cr the inspector makes not" nf the
same for future guidance. Sometimes
il is discovered that letters are apt
to disappear from ore particular h"N'
III from tn. boxes ~ one particular
route.
In this case the collector on that r"u''
"a watched. but while th'f" AR fiji
honest poStnfiicc cmploNFS "'.tNl'hIiH
found Their. arc other cause IMAM di"
honesty which account for inuth tn.'
nail There are wrecks and ilreS when
totally destroy whole sacks n mail Nn''
partially destroy others. then aE4 lI
mail sacks are Somstimcs stni. !. 81, train
wTcCkrrs. and all letters which are not
n value. are DESTROYED -
But hopeless AS the task ~ SrAf' iln-
fnr IN everyday letter seems tho fact
remains that half n them ar" found
,ft,r All Sometimes when complaint
made the sender often iiudS thc l"it,i
mon his own desk. nl'l'''n Ni'i'i lti'i +
md unsrnt: sometimes IN" recipient
AVS the letter aside IL busy. AMI does n"t
ind it again for 4 lonE time MANY hf'
lie accidents AMI thr incidents ~ carr
icSSncss which com" I" l,Eht IN the once
If the superintendent Of mails
IA registered letter ~ easily traced. ~
curse said the superintendent. and
very letter ~ any value Shol!d W. re-
stored The registered l"tt"rs are sent
IN pouches hv themselves, and every
man who handles th"n must recent i"'
ach individual letter. sine" ~ at" mum
bcrsd. ana the last man who receipts Ton
| A letter is responsible fer II. Ahout th"
only way in which W. have registered
letters lost" hc added. IFS ~ lire q
How about special delivery letters
..Those are not 50 easily traced" =.
| answered. and Vet they ART MT 4" arr
Ia he lost as the ordinary letter. The
7ostofiice department docs not require
hat a record should hc kept Of these
letters by the mailing office. hut most
Of the fir.t-class offices do Keep such 4
record. nevertheless. for th"lr own con
,enicnCe and protection.
"Rosii"s this the specials, ARE sur
posed to receive more attention tI INC
way through. When a package If letters,
$ tied out the specials ar" always put
IN top, and as soon LS such pack
age reaches 4 mailing clerks hands ~"
special is hurried forward I" the DENY
Try department. to the next tram, or tn
he postofiicc. according To- circumstan-
tcs.
The Office Of destination makes 4 roc
1rd of its receipt and receipt II also
taken by the messenger from the ad-
dressec. If such It Letter n lost tn"
record Of the mailing o.iic" is first ~
mined. provided such Il record is kept.
and an estimate may Ice mad" OF tht
train upon which it was prohabiy for
wardcd.
IAN inquiry il; sent to the office of dcS-
tination, and If that office can show q.
record of its receipt and the receipt Of
h addicSScc, The matter Is cleared,
out if not We are AL at sea. 1t can then
pnly he turned over to the inspector.
who purSucS much the same course as
With the common letters.
Even specials are sometimes mis-
;cnt" h" added. "onc 81 oar bankers
recently came in quite worked up over
1 special that he had sent to Il city in
Minnesota We went to our record an |
found that the letter had been received
addressed. as h" affirmed. with tho i'm
iortant exception OF tho STATE. which
1e had inadvertently written North
Dakota. Tn" record Is a good thing.
we have inquiries every day regard
ing lost mail, hut while the search l.
much like looking for "A needle in a
hayStack in the majority Of eases tho
recovery of the letter proves that the
fault lies i'm the CaroleSSncs:, of the sen
ier.-1ndianapoliS journal
ART OF CORDIALITY.