Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12

land, Virginia West Virginia. North
Carolina and the District Receipts are
heaviest from January to March. when
| the matter n1iSaddreSsed in the Christ
mas rush flows into the Governments
| morgueS.
| In days of lesser efficiency the Dead
Letter ONCE was supplied with stacks
OF mail weeks and months in advance
/ Today II Is rare that letter is not
cleared off the desks before the end
| OF the third day, Only during the
Christmas rush does Uncle Sam find
himself behind in the dead letter ex-
| aminationS
| A THOUGH the Washington ONCE
is recognized as the keystone of
the system. the Chicago branch nov
handles the largest volume of busi-
ness, mainly because the Windy CITY
is the focusing point for larger ter
ritory and the rail systems OF the Ma
ton center there. Last year Chicago
handled 100000 dead parcels and let
ters that were unclaimed More than
100000 pieces of foreign mail we're re-
turned to countries OF origin for exam
nation
The New York branch cleared more
than 100000 pieces over its desks
The San Francisco branch handled
100000 pieces.
Valuable Enclosures in dead letters
are saved carefully and records kept Of
the circumstances and contents. The
Government makes every effort to re-
store such lost property, but in many
eases Tails, Last year the Dead Letter
OfficeS reported $4,000 money In
closures, $4,000 drafts. checks and
money orders; $4,000 miscellaneous
papers, $4,000 postage stamps. 2.S06
manuscripts, $1,000 photographs. $4,000
books, pamphlets. etc. and S.40o lot
terry tickets. Value of loose postage
stamps alone was $29,644, The drafts,
money orders and cheeks totaled more
than S5,000.000 Loose money amount
ed TO $IIS.000.
The autioneer'S hammer pounded to
the tune of $10S. 900: $40 600 worth OF
greenbackS were removed from letters
The Scent fee for each dead letter re-
turned 10 its sender Melted total rev
cnue OF $S4S 900
Frequently letters that have been
mailed years before come into the Dead
Letter once for examination. Recently .
the examiners found post card that
had been mailed in the Civil war
Such pieces have probably lain between
boards OF table or behind counters for
many moons before being found Not
all of Uncle Sans $4,000 post Offices
have the modern equipment found m
washington. In small towns, especial
~. letters are miSlaid Perhaps when
the postmaster cleans behind his desk
he finds mishandled mail. Such ex,-
geneieS neeeSSitate the employment az
travelling postal in ,pectors, whose
shopping sense is Well known
So Uncle Sam finaS hlInSelf I'm the
role of auetioneer. banker. SoothSayer.
executloner and healer of heavy hearts.
Each year his responsibility becomes
greater, each year the Postmaster Gen
eral issues code to which all honor
aole postmaSterS and patrons must
obey Where one fraudulent scheme Is
suppressed another rises in its place
II is said that hlackmail through the
mails Is quite common. AS vet offend
efs are not amenahle TO punishment
under Federal law. but the next session
OF Congress Is expected 10 produce an
act that will deal Justly with under
handed money eXt0rterS Then YOU
may he sure that the Dead Letter once
viii hecome privy to more details az
now the science OF erimlnology Is adj
vaneing,