Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-14
ALL NAH. NOT DELIVERED
Many Valentines and Papers Not Di- rected Properly Still in Postoffice-

Many Valentines and Papers Not Di-
 rected Properly Still in Postoffice.
 This is Valentine day and probably that is the reason why people who were not aware of the fact took the letter carriers for belated santa Clauses The number of cards re- ceived at the postoffice show that the old custom is not dying out, put on the contrary the. votaries of the saint are on the increase, much to the con- fusion of the postal clerks ana car riers, who are called upon to perform more than double the usual amount of work to-day. As usual large number of letters containing valen- tines have been withheld for want of insufficient postage, and on this ac- count many will be very much disap-. pointed and probably will lay all the blame on the officials at the pOstof flee. Many seem to think that penny stamp is all that is needed on a valentine. supposing it was as big a bed quilt. This is a mistake to which attention has been called so often that everybody should know it. Where the postmen can collect the ad- ditional postage due, the valentines are delivered, but they will not accept them at the shops unless the full postage has been paid, and some of the factories don't care about them, anyway. They claim that it would be just as we'll to shut down as de- liver all the valentines directed to the hands, because nobody would do anything but running from one to an other reading them. The Buckle shop girls. and some of the fellows, too, we're handsomely remembered by their friends. but unfortunately most of them are short i'll postage and will not be delivered.
 The number of comics sent through the mail this year is not as large as on former occasions, but consider ably more of the neat patterns have been received than ever before. This 1t would seem is an evidence of ad- vancement ill the line of good taste and higher ideals. though, no doubt, some will say that one real old-time comic, with an edge as sharp as q razor, is worth as much as a horse could draw of the other kind. Sev- eral handsome ones were receieved from out of town and many went from here to different parts of the country and some to other lands.
 In connection with this matter it might be well to remind the public that a large number of papers posted here recently containing an account of the fire are still at the postoffice. They are wrapped up all right, but the persons who mailed them either forgot to write the addresses or thought that the fellows at the office ought to know for whom they were intended and consequently didn't think it necessary to bother with the job themselves. It cannot be denied that the postmaster and his assist ants know q thing or two about this business and can make out a hand writing that would baffle an old print CT, but even so, the best of them are at sea when they come across q news paper with no guide to go by but the plain wrapper, so that many who wished to give friends in different parts of the world an opportunity to read about the big fire in Waterbury will have to try again. In sending newspapers and letters out of town on occasions like this. it would be a wise plan to ask the stamp clerk how much postage is required and also make sure that the address is written in a legible hand. If people would do this, the postoffice authorities would attend to the rest. It is a mystery now some things sent through tue mail reach their destination. for as the old saw says, it would take Phil adelphia lawyer to read the addresses on them. This is due as much if moi more so to carelessness as to not knowing how to write hand that can be read.