Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-03-02

the stray missives on their right way
is bad indeed. There are in the Of
fee a total of 1876 clerks and other
employees, and the quantity of mail
matter of all classes that they handle
during n year is enormous, although
the dead letter office handles only n
small percentage of all the mail car
ried by the United States govern
mcnt tor the partons OF the p~ostoffice
department.
As an example OF the amount III
mail that passes through the office.
10000 ordinary letters 20 through the
foreign branch every month and 5.0DJ
Registered. These are only those that
come from foreign countries and arc
not at all related to domestic mail.
There are seven clerks, all women, tn
this branch, and everyone is an expert
at her particular class of work.
Much of the money that Is sent
i through the mails in the form If
cash has absolutely no clew by which
ii can be identified with the sender,
yet a great deal OF this is finally re-
turned to the rightful owner. A day
or two since three 500 bills were
found in a letter addressed to a per-
son In the far east from some n
in the west. The letter was sent 10
the general delivery of the city to
which ii was addressed and after the
regular length OF time advertised. in
accordance with the postal rules. No
one called for il, and il was sem 10
the dead letter office. When opened
there was not a line of writing, the
bills being placed in an ordinary
sheet oi letter paper and sealed IN
the envelope. The method of return
ing that money to the sender will De
? To return the envelope and contents
TO the postoffice where it was mailed.
This office is plainly apparent from
the post mark. II stands to reason
that the sender. not hearing from the
person to whom he sent the money
/. will in time make inquiry regarding
1t. The postmaster will then ques,
tion him, and if he a identify the
letter or prove that IL belongs to him
5 he will get it.. Otherwise it will he
, sent back to Washington and to the
treasury for credit to the postal fund
= One of the greatest annoyances Il
I which the office is subjected AID
2 which, il seems, cannot be remedied
$ without the Intervention of congress
: Is the sending Of sample packages
{ through the mails at the rate of one
cent an ounce. and when they are de
liyered because of incorrect or illegi
[ BILE addresses, the sender is notified
e that his property will be sent to hin
Z upon receipt of the necessary postage
the rate being the same as was re
Q quired to mail IL in the first place
[ Generally the postage is a larger item
a than the value of the goods and tn,
sender does not reply. The merchau
e disc is then destroyed. sen to the an
e nual auction pile. or otherwise dis
posed OF.
| AT the last auction sale, held on De
cember 18th, 1903. the catalogue con
tanned 7,065 items. representing l22.
/. 900 distinct articles that had beer
Q sent to the office. indexed there. ant
@ which were unbelievable. Their,
were 1886 books, 427 packages of jew
elry and nearly 5000 miscellaneous
packages. They sold for $6.9S0.gS
/. the largest sum ever realized from
sale of dead letter mail matter, whicr
was placed to the credit of the pos
tai fund in the treasury.
- IL is difficult to imagine what tn,
i, p~ostoffice department would do wer'
!, ii suddenly deprived of the dead lie,
l, teronice. II is as valuable an al
!, junct as any of the manifold divis
, ions OF this great and wonderful ser
= vice. the greatest business enterpris,
!, on earth, operated at a loss of mil
!, lions annually for the benefit of tn,
u citizens of the country. Without tn,
), office there would be a loss Of incal
y culable proportions every year, 70
u the thousands of letters that are mis-
. directed and now find their way bacl
{ to the sender would then have TO D,
u thrown away. II is simply indispen
a sable, and a journey through its man,
IL branches and a glance into its RAM
fications is an education in metho,
and business system well worth tn,
time.-Washington Star.