Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-22
TIMELY ADVICE.
People Who Use the Mails
Should Read It.
How.the Public Can..He|p Themselves
and the Mail Service.
Some Thinos That Uncle Sam Cannot
Undertake to Do.

The holiday hustle has begun at the
Augusta post office, as elsewhere. 1t
will increase, gaining daily in streno-
rousness until the weary. wayworn car
rier delivers the last piece OF Christmas
mail at it's destination.
Post office people, like some other
folks, are glad Christmas comes but
once a year.
With all due credit to Santa Claus he
could never make his delivery of hol-
iday presents on time were it not for
the mails.
Nor Is this mail service exacting, but
there are a few simple precautions
which the patrons must take to ensure
prompt and safe delivery. Some of
these are so simple it seems needless to
repeat them. If you were mail clerk,
however, you would not be long in dis
covering that the people are woefully
careless, even in Augusta.
What would you think Of the person
mailing matter improperly addressed,
or addressed in such way that only an
occasional expert could read it? Yet
thousands of such pieces of mail are
received at the Augusta post office in
the course Of a year.
Then you would suppose no one would
be so foolish as not to have the postage
paid, as mail Is never delivered until it
is paid.
Can you imagine anyone placing the
postage stamps anywhere but on the
upper right hand corner of the address
side? Yet some people have been
known to place them on the back. Re-
suit, all sorts of delay and bother are
likely to occur.
Again, everyone should know that
mail, which from some reason cannot be
delivered, cannot be returned prompt
ly, and surely to the sender, unless the
sender has written his address Cor what
is known as the return carO on the
mail, properly in the upper left hand
corner. That is, it cannot be returned
for several weeks and then only after
1t has been sent to the Dead Letter Of
flee, opened and the sender's name
found therein. Besides, the sender's
name occasionally is not found inside
so the mail is never returned. Yet the
number of those neglecting this pre-
caution is myriad. One can only Won
der losses are so few.
Some people are inclined to shift their
own responsibilities onto the shoulders
oil. Providence. They should remember
thnt Providence and Uncle Sam are not
one and the same. Those who think
that a piece of mail which will hold to-
gether until placed in a mail box is all
right to be handled over by a hundred
different people and to be piled in with
tons of other mail are very likely to be
the loser. When the wrapper bearing
the address is torn from a package they
seldom get together again and the con-
tents are lost so far as the sender or
the person to whom it was sent are
concerned.
It is we'll to remember in wrapping a
piece of mail that unless the sender is
willing to pay first-class postage e
cents an ounce or fraction thereby he
must so wrap it that the postal or GUS
toms authorities may unwrap and ex-
anime the contents without, damaging
the wrapper or contents.
Uncle Sam Is very obliging about the
kind of things he will carry in the
mails. He refuses alcoholic liquors, an
finals, explosives of all kinds, defama-
tory or lottery matter, fruits liable to
decomposition, indecent matter match
es or posons. Some kinds of mail,
which if not properly packed, might in
jure other mail in contact with it, must
be packed according to certain condi-
lions, but little of such will be sent for
Christmas presents. Sharp instruments
must be encased, so there will be no
possibility of cutting anything of any,
body in transit.
If mail Is going to an Office where de-
livery Is to be made by carrier, it
should bear in its address the street and
number OF r. F. d. route.
Now while there is no great dan
ger that mail properly prepared and
addressed will fail of delivery, it should,
when valuable. be insured against loss
by regeristing at Il cost of eight cents.
Or If one wishes to hasten the delivery
as much as possible a 10 cent special
delivery stamp will do it.
Every facility for accommodating the
public will be provided at the post Of
fee. Wednesday and Thursday even
ings the stamp window will be kept
open until 10 p. NJ. and as usual stamps
In limited quantities may be bought at
all times OF day and night. Letters
may be registered at all hours. and de-
liveries from the registry window will
be made until p. M.
The carriers will be assisted in their
deliveries by teams.