The Washington times., 1903-06-22
PEOPLE CARELESS
IN DIRECTING MAIL
Major Bell Tells Why So Many Letters Fail to Reach
Their Destination

her to write out the full address on a
sheet OF paper She did so. and l az
once knew that the clerk had read
Iowa predicted that the mistake
would be discovered and the papers re-
turned. which was exactly what happen
ed, for the package arrived in Washing
ton two days later.
"A similar case was that Of rail
road official in Washington who sent an
important message to a subordinate in
the city and had It go to Iowa. He
wrote me a strong letter, roasting the
Washington postofice. but after he
heard the explanation and had his en-
velope returned with the misleading ad-
dress, he came off his high horse.
Always Blame Postofice.
The public has no conception of the
care we take TO see that careless people
do not have their letters go astray. but
we are censured all the time When a
man fails to get his letter he never
thinks that he or his correspondent is
most likely at fault. but Immediately
/ charges that everybody in the postal
! service got UP extra early in the morn
ing for the special purpose of losing
that piece OF mail.
Every day these disgruntled persons
come to me with their tales of woe. ard
some Of them even go flying UP 10 tho
Postmaster General 50 that there may
be no danger of the kick being thrown
cut by subordinate who is afraid Of
losing his Government snap. Whom the
l I ,,sffh
gently, then take them to the table
where the mIsdlrected mail is piled IN
a big heap and show just how a1uch
trouble we are put TO each day By poo
pie who have IN idea that the postal
service should think for them, This
object lesson seldom fails to produce
an apology from the cantankerous per
son. who is persuaded that the post
office is not merely a huge social club
= where people with good salaries and
nothing TO do go around 10 twit the
public on its failure TO get mail on time
Omission to State Names.
Not a day goes by but we have ;rou-
: bic because there are several towns IN
= the country OF the same name. The
= duplicated name that bothers us the
: most is Washington. That the immorta
2 George was first In the hearts of his
d countrymen will ever be proved BY the
! fact that his name has been given Il
e thirty postofices by patriotic citizens
: besides which, the names OF thirteel
2 other postoflces have the name OF Wash
ington in combination with some 0tne
word.
1T will thus be seen that when al
e ahsert-minded man directs a letter Z
! Washington, and leaves off the State. j
!. is somewhat OF a problem to know JUS
s what he means. Because OF the grea
!. number OF the letters we handle Whic
= are misdirected. we have acquired re
Q markaDle knowledge OF the streets, an
e even of prominent people in the thirt
$ Washingtons.
Three Conflicting Washingtons.
Washington, d. c.; Washington.
c.. and Washington. Pa. are those tina
come most into conflict Hundreds =
II letters come to this office intended 10
: one of the other two. This has happene
e so often that we have a specimen man
/. uscript directory OF the leading mel
IS firms. banks. etc. OF the three towns. {
n which we refer every day. There al
ID several firms in Washington. y. c
"a which have a large proportion OF the
y mail inadvertently sent 20 Washing
. ton, d. C. and 1t has become so commo
'e that we are as familiar with their name
as we are with those OF the prominei
e men and institutions Of the Capital.
a The Washington pOstoffce is no e,
TO ception in the quantity of misdirectt
pr mail 1t receives. for every big postofn
IN in the country has the same trouble al
/ goes to as great pains TO correct mi
81 takes"