Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1904-07-27

THE COUNTRIES THEY VISITED

Two Pine Bluff young men have
been carrying on harmless expert
rlcnt with the postal clerks in various
cities of the world and the result is
interesting. Perhaps the only ones
worried by the experiments We're the
clerks i'll the post offices who had to
forward the letters of the young
men from time to time.
On April s Hendricks Byrd and
Walter Sellers, two young men in
the employ of the Southern Grocery
company, each wrote a letter and adj
dressed the epistles to themselves
and started them around the world.
Mr.. Byrd sent his letter to the east
and MI Sellers his on the westward
journey. Both Gene back to Pine
Bluff at the same time and both bore
marks OF having reached their several
destinations in safety.
Hendricks Byrd addressed his let
ter to himself at London, England,
but in one corner he wrote inStruc
lions for the letter to be forwarded
to Paris, France. in case it was not
called for in five days. Additional
instructions were written 20 send the
letter to Berlin. Germany; Cairo.
Egypt, and Washington. ID. c., from
where it was to be sent back to Pine
Bluff This letter had on it one three
cent stamp and one tWo-cent stamp,
and five cents in postage carried it
many thousands of miles without it's
once being opened. The post mark
and was forwarded to Paris. In
France some impatient clerk scrib-
bled some kind OF French on it which
cannot be read here but which is
supposed to mean that the letter was
rot called for The Frenchman then
sent the epistle back to London and
it was again started on journey to
Cairo, Egypt. Again some foreign
language was written on the envelope
in pencil and the letter went back
to the care of the Englishmen. From
London, it was started across the big
pond to Washington and went to the
dead letter office, but the instructions
in the corner were carried out and the
letter reached the writer in Pine Bluff
on July %, having completed the jour-
ct End
opened or injured in any way but the
whole envelope was covered with
what looked like hieroglyphics from
the various writings on it.
At the same time and written On
the same typewriter, Mr.. Sellers sent
his toward the land of the setting sun.
This letter went to San Francisco
from which place. according to the
instructions on the crner, it was sent
to Hong Kong. China. From Hong
Kong it was sent to Paris, France,
and then to London, England. Then
again the letter was forwarded to
Washington and reached Pine Bluff
July %. From Pine Blum the letter
was sent to ST. Louis where Mr.. Sci
lers had gone.
Both letters were on the road near
vi five months and each was carried
over the entire trip for five cents.
While the instructions on the envel-
opes lore much of importance to- the
several postmasters who handled the
i missives. the contents amounted. to
| but little. On sheet of paper neatly
! folded and placed in each envelope
were written these words:
ITO Whom It May Concern:
''This letter was written with the
intention of sending it around the
! uorld. If your name is the same as
mine, please sign with postoffce. adj
dress and send the letter on
| "Hendricks Byrd, Pine Bluff, Ark.
! ssV-aItor Sellers Pine Ruff A l{'