The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-24

which he sent to their proper destina-
tions.
Blind readers are born, not made.
They must have a natural instinct for
unraveling mysteries, a certain power
of intuition, an exhaustive range or
geographical information, knowledge
of many languages and chirographles,
a prodigious memory for minute facts
and a special taste for the curiosities
of language. All this was developed IN
the case of the present specialist by
fourteen years of practice and disci-
pline under his predecessor, Mr.. w. w.
Stone. the first professional blind
reader in the world, who died in
August. 1900. Mr.. Menger has a con-
nection of these addresses, nine out
Of ten of which would drive the aver
age man to despair.
Poor chirography is in itself the least
of the experts troubles. He has nothing
to think about until two essential ele-
ments of an address out Of three are
omitted, and the rest spelled in
manner beyond the dreams of the
widest "fonettik." Taking Mr.. Mem
gers collection as representative of the
most interesting work that falls to the
experts lot, the trouble--or the fun,
as he might call it-arises out of one
or other of these four general causes:
Q) Foreign ignorance of American ge-
cgraphy and the English language.
60 False or defective information
about the particular address intended,
with more or less carelessness.
(2) Whims and oddities OF cranks
and semi -cranks.
"a Various attempts to make public
display of wit and humor.
OF all the queer addresses in the col
lection, those which belong in the first
of these classes are the most interest
ing and amusing; those of the last
the would-be funny-are the least so.
Several inventors of ciphers have ex-
perimented on the postoffice by using
their own inventions to address en-
lopes to themselves, with the lnortify-
ing result that the envelopes so ad-
dressed infallibly reached their destI-
nations in course of time. To under
stand why the postoff1ce officials should
trouble themselves to decipher, these
puerilities one must remember that the
postal service has its esprit de corps,
and a wholesome rivalry between the
New York Postoffice and the Dead
Letter ONCE at Washington forces the
activity Of both far beyond the point
where strict obligation might fairly
be supposed TO end.
Then there is the smart youth-one
could almost draw picture Of him.
leaning against the drug store newell
post with cigarette tilted in his
mouth after reading this lofty effort
az cabalistic humor on an envelope:
Miss J. H. d. Stone, Saccharine Ele-
vaton, N H.. which promptly went TO
Sugar Hill. N. II.
Going backward through the four
classes here assumed, the next in
order--the crank class--is much small
Ter than might have been expected.
To the Monkeys OF Mexico IN Ameri-
ca, with a Liverpool postmsFk, sug-
sesS a violent case OF insanity. An
other from England. addressed 20 Mrs.
stanford. California" very likely ex-
hioits madness with method In IL.
IL is perhaps significant that the adj
dress, "Mr. Pluto. the Fourth Circle.
Baoes on the styx," should have come
from Sing Sing; even more 80 that
sioux Falls. 8. D.. should be the point
of departure of q letter addressed,
Any Manufacturer Or Dealer IN Mar
rage Certificates, New York, y. y.
The largest number of blind ad-
crosses are the result ~ the close fln1-
lafify between names ~ p0ftonloeH IN
ne same state. New Jersey FOR inv
Ntaocei has not only b NorriffoWn. bur
MtprlcftoNn end . MooregtoWn. Aua
nefe y nr astonishing iiEi ~ shat may
- CALLED pairs ~ fNin names in Penn
Hiiahiel Bella Rno bela. Cgleefsek Alle