The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1902-12-18

HOW YOU MAY GET 1T OUT OF THE
MAIL AFTER POSTING IT.

The Postal Authorities Have n sys-
ten, by which n Document May BE
Reclaimed II Application Is Made
Before II l. Delivered.
A few days g a young woman hur-
tied into the office of the postmaster at
New York and asked to have a letter
withdrawn from the mails. She. had
losted it an hour previously. she said.
and since then had learned something
about Mr.. Blank that incensed her;
therefore she did not van TO Keep the
appointment she had consented to in
the letter. Could she reclaim the mis-
rive before it reached the addressed
The inquired.
The postmaster referred her to the
superintendent of mails. md within
half an hour the letter was picked out
from among thousands of its rates
and restored to the claimant, who tore
1t into bits and walked out of the post
office.
The authorities OF the p~ostofice have
made every provision for absent and
tickle minded patrons of the nails
Among the most interesting and valu-
uUiG 10 II Di0tCSo ~ liz "a M
may be reclaimed after il has bcen
posted.
Comparatively few people know that
this can be done. and fewer care TO
take the trouble of going through the
forms which have been prescribed
forms which are TO a degree cnmber-
some and time consuming. but which.
nevertheless. are necessary to preyeS
deception and fraud.
Occasions arise when the writer Of
an important letter desires to with
draw 1t before 1t reaches its 1estina-
ton. Oftentimes additional knowledge
Of a proposed transaction is acquired
after a letter has been sent to the post
office. making 1t highly desira BILE that
the facts related in the letter do not
reach the person for whom they were
originally intended. In case. too, where
knowledge of the failure of u mercan-
tile firm or a banking house reaches a
person who has mailed a check or draft
to that concern it is sometimes wise
to withdraw the letter before it is de-
livered.
The postal authorities have q SYSTEM
by which such a lettermay be reclaimed
II application is made for II before it
Is delivered. Application must be made
In person. The government provides a
blank upon which the applicant writes
the address that Is given on the letter.
If that letter has not left the p~ostotfice.
the superintendent of mails finds it and
compares the address on the envelope
with the address on the applicants
slip. If the addresses are identical. the
letter is returned to the claimant and
the authorities keep the slip as d re-
eeipt.
To reclaim a letter sent out Of the Of:
fee the writer must fill out the pre-
scribed blank and deposit 81 for tele-
grams. The superintendent of mails
then telegraphs the ~postofhce to which
the letter has been sent and asks him
to return 1t. When 1t reaches him. he
compares the addresses. and If they
are alike he returns the letter to the
applicant. The expense OF telegraph
ing Is deducted from tue deposit. and
the balance is returned.
This involves a study of handwrit-
Ing. If there Is q noticeable difference
In the little things which are charac
teristic-the manner of crossing the
"t's" or the dotting of the IFS" or the
peculiar little lourishes which are
made after u name the letter Is not
delivered to the claimant. In cases
where letters are addressed by type
writer it is impossible to identify the
applicant in this way.
yy-la,x fha i,t,,.n - Il m v-an l,o-r-r
business man. however. personally
known to the postal authorities. let
tiers are sometimes returned upon his
mere request. u receipt however. being
asked.
At the New York p~ostoiiice. 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 ha We beer
addressed to foreign countries are
asked to be returned. In such a case
a deposit of $50 is required to cover
the expense of telegraph cabls
tolls. Letters addressed to points in
almost every country on the face OF
the earth may he reclaimed In this way
II application is made before the mis-
sive Is delivered to the addressee.
Great Britain. however. takes the
stand that II letter when once dropped
In a 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.
The Gold Pioneers.
Poverty has been the coInmon LOT of