Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1875 — Anecdotes of the Dead-Letter Office. [ARTICLE]

Anecdotes of the Dead-Letter Office.

But the service is really invaluableThe amount of money that is shown by the report to have been returned to its owners during one year demonstrates that. Individual instances demonstrate it. Some time ago, in a bank in New York, the person who had charge of the mails and express packages carelessly allowed a package which was intended to have been sent by express to get into the mailbag. It was sent to the Postoffice, and from there came to the Dead-Letter Office, because the postage was unpaid. When opened here it was found to contain fifteen SI,OOO bills. The Assistant Postmaster General at once telegraphed the cashier ot the bank from'which it came either to come to Washington immediately himself or to send a person in whom he had confidence. A gentleman ,came in response to the telegram, bearing the proper credentials, and was very much astonished when he was presented with $15,000. I mentioned among the list of curiosities in the cabinet a valuable diamond ring. This has its romance. The same old story of love and grief; The passion that was forsworn. The ring came to the Defid-Letter Office in an envelope marked “ Uncalled for.” It was postmarked St. Louis and addressed to San Francisco. The letter inclosed gave no clew to either of the parties interested in this very delicate matter, but this may come to the eyes of one of them, perhaps, and he may find out in this way why she never sent him back his,pledge of love, and she—why he never acknowledged this kind but cruel letter: I don’t know that it is necessary for me to write anything to accompany this iuelosure. I think the ring itself ha 6 a language that you can understand, and will carry my message as well as paper. But I cannot let it go _ without at least expressing_my esteem and regret for him who gave it to me two short years ago. Our past, Henry, has been, until this difference, nothing but happiness; but I think it best for both of us that from this time our paths in life lie apart. I have considered it again, as you asked me, but I cannot alter my decision. Spare me the pain that any more thought on this subject must not cause. ! I wish you much joy hereafter. I hope that you will hnd a heart that will be a thousand times more precious to you than ever mine would have been. Forget me; but remember that no love, however unworthily bestowed, was ever wasted. IJE. H. S. Another romance lias come to my knowledge in which a former official in the Dead-Letter Office is the hero and a prominent actress the heroine: Some years ago, when a now reigning stage favorite was merely a novice, a friend in a distant city sent her, inclosed in a letter, a check for SIQO, to assist in paying her expenses and purchasing her wardrobe. The letter was sent to the St. Cloud Hotel, New York, addressed to a fictitious name the young lady had assumed, as stage people are accustomed to do. We will call it “ Imogene” for the sake of the story. It happened, unfortunately, that “ Imogene” left the hotel before her letter came, and it was returned, with a bunch of other ownerless epistles, to the New York Postoffice, and in time reached the DeadLetter Office, where its contents became known. The official in charge sent it back to New York with the usual circular instructing the Postmaster to send a notification of a valuable letter to St. Cloud Hotel, and directing him to obtain upon the receipt her full, real name. The letter waited its time, and came back to the de-

partment again. Singularly, a few- days after it was sent back to Washington, “ Imogene” called at the New York Postoffice for it; was-told the regulation of the service, and arranged that it should be sent her in care of'the Postmaster in Phil'adelphia. But owing to the necessary red-tape routine it didn’t reach there till she had left; it followed her to Baltimore, to Cincinnati, to Louisville, and finally back to New York again, having been returned from each place to Washington, and reforwardod according to the rules; so the Dead-Letter Office official began to feel pretty well acquainted with “ Imogene.” At New York, finally, the letter and its fair owner made connections, and she called upon the Assistant Postmaster for it. He showed lier the voluminous correspondence that had taken place between the Dead-Letter man and the several Postoffices concerning her letter, and she asked his name and address that she might thank him for his kindness and patience. “James W. Jewell.” That isn’t the name the Postmaster gave, but it will do just as well as the right one. When “ Imogene” received the letter she was requested to sign her full name on the receipt. “ Simply ’lmogene’ won’t do,” siid the Postmaster. “ Why nos? fl was the.womanly question. - “ Because it-wouldn’t be business-like, and, besides, that is Mr. Jewell’s instructions to me.” “Very well,” she said, smilingly; “if it is his request of course I will comply with it,” and, taking the pen she signed, in dashing characters Imogene Jewell.” And ihat, or the name that represents, is the one by which a now famous actress is known on the stage to-day. She wrote the Dead-Letter man a very pleasant acknowledgment of his kindness, told him she had taken his name lor her own and inclosed a handsome photograph. If there had not been a wife and baby to obiect who knows but that nomadic letter might have made a match ? This story would be more interesting if I coujd .sail the characters by their right names, but this particular official —remarkable phenomenon!—is modest, and doesn’t like to appear in print as the hero of eveAa dead-letter romance.—Wathinctoa Car. Chicago Inter-Ocean.