The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-08-15
RECALLING A LETTET
HOW you MAY GET IT OUT OF THt
MAIL AFTER POSTING 1T.

The Postal Authorities Have n syaH
teps by which n Document May nh
Reclaimed ~ Application l. Maol
Before II Is Delivered.
A few days ago young woman hurh
ried into The Office of the postmaster atb
New York and asked to have a lettet,
withdrawn from the mails. She had.
posted 1t an hour previously, she said
and since then had learned something
about Mr.. Blank that incensed herl
therefore she did not want to keep ther
appointment she had consented TO inl
the letter. Could she reclaim the misn
sive before II reached the addresseei /,
she inquired.
The postmaster referred her TO the
superintendent OF mails. and withH
half an hour the letter was picked outn
from among thousands of its mates'
and restored to the claimant, who toren
II into bits and walked out of the post{l
Office. I,
nhe authorities Of the postoffice have
made every provision for absent and
fickle minded patrons OF the mails.
Among the msst interesting and valu.u
able is the process by which n letter.
may be reclaimed after II has been
posted. {
Comparatively few people know THAN
this can be done, and fewer care to
take the trouble OF going through the,
forms which have been prescribed
forms which are TO n degree cumber.
some and time consuming. but which, {
nevertheless. are necessary to prevent
deception and fraud.
Occasions arise when the writer OF
an important letter desires to with,
draw II before II reaches Its destina-
ton. Oftentimes additional knowledge
Of n proposed transaction is acquired
after letter has been sent to the post
office. making II highly desirable that
the facts related in the letter do not
reach the person for whom they werea
originally intended In case. too, where,
knowledge OF the failure of a mercan.,
tile firm or a banking hsuse reaches a,
person who has mailed a check or draft
to that concern II is sometimes wisel
to withdraw the letter before IL is del
nvered.
The postal authorities have a systemb
by which such lettermay be reclaimed
II application is made for II before ii,
is delivered Application must be madel
In person. The government provides a
blank upon which the applicant writes
the address that is given on the letter.t
If that letter has not left the postoffice,i \
the superintendent Of mails finds II and
compares the address on the envelope.
with the address on the applicants,
slip. II the addresses are Identical, the,
letter is returned to the claimant and
the authorities keep the slip as a re-
ceipt
To reclaim letter sent out OF the of
fee the writer must fll out the pre-
scribed blank and deposit 81 for tele-
grams. The superintendent of mails
then telegraphs the postotlice to whichI
the letter has been sent and ssrs hun,
to return II. When It reaches him. he
compares the addresses, and II they
are alike he returns the letter to thdl
applicant. The expense of telegraph
ing is deducted from the deposit, and
the balance is returned.
This involves n study OF handwrit-
ing II there is a noticeable difference'
In the little things which are charac-I
teristlc-the manner Of crossing the
It's" or the dotting OF the ''i's" or theI
peculiar little flOurishes which are
made after n name-the letter is not
delivered to the claimant. In cases,
where letters are addressed by type
writer 1t is impossible to identify the
applicant in this way.
When the claimant is a well known
business man. however. personally
known TO the postal authorities, let
tiers are sometimes returned upon his
mere request, receipt however. being
asked.
At the New York postoffice. accord
ing TO the first assistant postmaster,
the average number OF letters with
drawn each week is ten. Most of these
are from the domestic mails. Few are
from the city mails. because the let
ters are collected so frequently and
delivered so quickly that there is little
chance of catching" a letter in the
Office.
Occasionally letters which have been
addressed TO foreign countries are
asked to be returned In such a case
deposit OF S25 Is required to cover
the expense OF telegraph and cable
tolls. Letters addressed 10 points in
almost every country on the face Of
the earth may be reclaimed in this way
IL application is made before the mis-
siye Is delivered to the addressee.
Great Britain, however. takes the
stand that a letter when once dropped
In mail box becomes the property OF
the addressee, but makes exception In
the cases OF the Cape and Australian
colonies. Why this exception the local
postal authorities do not knew.-New
York Times .r.th c.ck~.
| The Gold Pioneers.