THE ALAMANCE GLEANER,
VOL ft
THE GLEANER
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
Im ■ *
& S. PARKER
tirnhmti, If, C,
o] Subscription. Potlaye raid : -
One X c * T . h ' 75
Six Months '" cq
Taree Months w
* I
Fvcrv person sending us a clnb of ten sub
with tho cash, entitles himself to one
fcr T,Ze for the lemrh of time for which the
Jb is wide up. Papers sent to different offices
jfo Departure from the Cash System
9
Rales of Adrerliiiig
Transient advertisements payable in advance:
yearly advertisements quarterly in
|1 m. 12 m. 3 m. [ 6 m. j 12 in."
$2 00,$8 00 *4 00 $6 00 410 00
I q " ; 3 00, 4 50 .6 00' 10 00. 15 00 -
•* v
Transient advertisements $1 per square
far he first, and fifty cents for each subsc
ADVERTISES! EiNTd.
Prices reduced
Perfected Farmers Friend Plows made in
Petersburg Va.
One Horse No. 5 Price $4.00
Two Horse No. 7 " 6.00
Tiro Horse No. " / 6.50
Two Horse No. 8 7.00
For sale at Graham by
• SCOTT & DONNELL.
Yarbrongh II o use
RALEIGH, N.C.
U, \V, BLACKNALL, Proprietor,
Rates reduced to suit the times.
45 Years Before the Public.
THE GENUINE
DR. C. MeLANE'S
CELEBRATED
LIVER PILLS,
FOR THE CURE OF
Hepatitis, or Liver Complaint,
DYSPEPSIA AND SICK HEADACHE.
Symptoms of a Diseased Liver.
PAIN in the right side, under the
edge of the ribs, increases on pres
sure; sometimes the pain is in the left
side; the patient is rarely able to lie
on the left side; sometimes the p&in is
felt under the shoulder blade, and it
frequently extends to the top of the
shoulder, and is sometimes mistaken
r for rheumatism in the arm. The
stomach is affected with loss of appe
tite and sickness;'the bowels in gen
eral are costive, sometimes alternative
with lax; the head is troubled with
pain, accompanied with a dull, heavy
sensation in the back part There is
generally a considerable loss of mem
ory, accompanied with a painful sen
sation of having "left undone some
thing which ought to have been done.
A slight, dry cough is sometimes an
attendant. The patient complains of
weariness and debility; he is easily
startled, his feet are cold or burning,
and he complains of a prickly sensa
tion of the skin; his spirits are low;
and although he is satisfied that exer
cise would be beneficial to him, yet
he can scarcely summon up fortitude
enough to try it In fact, he distrusts
every retoedy. Several of the above
symptoms attend the disease, but cases
have occurred where few of them ex
lsted, yet examination of the body,
after death, has shown the LIVER to
have been extensively deranged.
F AGUE AND FEVER.
DR. C. MCLANE'S LIVER PILLS, IN
CASES OF AGUE AND FEVER, when
taken with Quinine, are productive of
the most happy results. No better
cathartic can be used, preparatory to,
or after taking Quinine. We would
advise all who are afflicted with this
disease to give them a FAIR TRIAL.
~ For all bilious derangements, and as
a simple purgative, they are uflequaled.
BXTWAKE OF IMITATIONS.
The genuine are never sugar coated.
Every bor has a red wax seal on the lid,
vnth the impression Da. Mt: LANE'S LIVER
FILLS.
The genuine MCLANE'S LIVER PILLS bear
the signatures of C. I&LANE and FuxiHG
BlOs. on the wrappers.
Insist upon hawing" the genuine Da. CI
MCLANE'S LIVER PILLS, prepared by Flem
ing Bros., of Pittsburgh, Pa., the market being
j W1 of imitations ot the name Jf cLane,
. celled difleyntly bat same pronunciation.
GERTY CARNKmijig SOftG.
"Ten minutes to ten—if I hurry I shall
catch the ten-fifteen train, and may man
age to be hack to dinner at two, matnt
uia."
So saving, Gerty Carnegie, with deft
fingers, rolls up a piece of mauuscript
music, and tlieu runs up stair* to
equip herself for the expedition to
town.
Gerty is in deep mourning. Only five
mouths ago sbe lost her brave, noble,
sailor fa;her, a captain of an ocean steam
er, that was lost with all souls on board
among the icebergs.
He has left his widow and an only cbild
wholly unprovided for, and they have
to depend upon iheir own exertions for
the uieans of subsistence.
So Gerty, who is a brave girl as well
as a pretty one, has thrown Jierself with
her whole youthful energy into the task
of teaching music, and the other day had
even attempted a con position; it is a
song set to Tennyson's "Fiow down,
cold rivulet, to the sea," a very, ambi
tious undertaking; but what is there too
high for the ambition of youth?
This precious work of art, neatlv
copied, she is now on the poiutof takin»
up to one of the music publishers of the
metropolis—she is living with her moth
in the suburbs—and her heart beat.*
high as she gives herself up to the archU
tecture of airy edifices, furnished with
fame, success and prosperity.
She hurries to the station, and jumps
into an empty-looking second-class car
riage, and takes her seat with her back
to the locomotive.
There's no one with her in the car
riage so derty begins to sing her song,
partly out of the fulness of her glad
young heart, partly with the purpose of
exercising her voice a little, for she hopes
to be permitted to sing it to jtho music
publisher; she has a clear and sympathet
ic mezzo-soprano voice, and, pleased with
her own performance repeats hdr bong
ofcer and over again.
Suddenly she is startled by a cough,
and, oh, horror! as she quickly turns
round, sl.e beholds in the far corner of
the adjoining compartment a uian.
Dreadful! Has she been giving an un
solicted concert to this abou niable
s anger, who dares to sit there, and, with
admiring impertinence, takes off his hat
to her? She feels inclined to cry with
shame and mortification.
Luckily the train slackens speed at
this moment, and in her hurry to get rid
of the man, Gertie is even willing to risk
her life in an attempt at jumping out
while the tram is still in motion, but
the refractory door save* her, for, wrestle
as she may, it refuses to open.
"Thank Heaven!" she ejaculates, as
she rapidly presses through the crowd
of passengers, and hastens towatds an
omnibus she ditciies at the entrance to
the station.
As Gerty pears her destination, she
finds, to her dismay, that her roll of
music, which she had fancied safe in her
muff, had vanishid.
Tears rise to her eyee, and she desires
the conductor to stop, for she must go
back to the station and we—an infinites
mal chance—if she has %ost it on the
way from the platforix to the omnibus.
Of course she fiuda nothing—not a
trace of the precious document, and, with
dismay, she remembers that she has com*,
mitted the imprudence to throw the
rough copy into the fire.
Poor Gerty! She asks one or two pors
ters whether they have found anything,
but they only reply with a stare uf in
difference and a half contemptuous "No
miss," and pass on, eo there remains
nothing for her but to return home.
"Oh, mamma, I am the unlucfciest
girl in this hateful world!" and she sobs
forth her pitiful tale.
««Well, my poor, dear child, don't cry
about it," her mother says, soothingly;
of course it ia very provoking, but after
all, it only entails a second copying, and
that I will do for you if yoa have not
(he heart for it. Where's your rough
copy?"
"Burned, mamma."
"But, Gerty, how ailly. How could
you destroy it so thoughtlessly?
"Oh, ddu't scold, mamma. Never
mind, it'a gone— and-I'll—l'll never
write—another," poor Gerty sobs, in
gr'*at "Me.
ouseuse, you'll reuieaiber every note
GRAHAM, NO, WEDNESDAY JUNE 11 1879
of 11, and just wiite it out again, dial's
ail."
Never, mamma. It is a bad omen;
it me that 1 aui not to succeed an a
composer, so there's an end to that
dream. And now let us have some din
ner, and then 1 must go up to the terrac.*,
and give my lessons at Mr. Harmon'*."
And Get tie dries her tears, and tries
to put on a cheerful facv, and to do juss
tiee to the frugal repast that is presently
sec before her.
In the afternoon she departs rather
heavy.hearted, and with laggirg steps,
on her daily duty of teaching. At tlje
Harmons she fiui& her two pupils, the
txAus, Winny and Ethel, in a state ot
glowing excitement.
"Qh, Miss Carnegie, papaJ >consent
ed to our giving such a jolly party on
the fifteenth, our birthday, you know.
There's to be a dinner party first for the
fogies, and then .we are to have music
and singiug, and to wind up with a
dance. And yon must come. It would
be so kind if you would but just sing a
song or two, and Wiuny and I are to
sing our duet, and then you must stay
and join in the dancing with the rcfst ot
us— -do!'' %
"I don't dance at present, you know,
Ethel, but I will come wiih pleasure,
and help you all I can to amuse your
guests, and I'll play for the dancing, then
you need not trouble to engage anyone.
The fifteenth, you say? That's to-mor
row week. Very well—it will suit me
perfectly."
And then the lessons are and
Gerty returns home in the dark, drizzly
January evening, forgetting all about the
party, and thinking of noticing but her
lost song.
The week goes by, and on the eve of
the party Mrs. Carntgie asks—
"By the bye, Gerty, what are you go
ing to sing to-morrow evening at the
Harmon*?"
"Oh, I don't kow, Mamma. Anything
that comes into my head at tha time. It
does not signify in the least. Tftfc people
—the old ones, I mean—will have eaten
so much dinner that they'll bo content
to doze to any ditty, and the young ones
will wish it over as quickly as possible
so as to commence Lie dancing. My
will merely be a stopage and the
choice of scngy, therefore, immaterial."
"What a lovely girl!" Tom Went
worth remark* to bis cousin, Ethel Har.
moo, next evening, us Gerty makes her
appearance iu the drawing room. "Who
isshe? I fancy I have setn her face be*
fore."
"Yes, she does look lovely to-night.
That black gauze daess sets off her biiU
liant complexion," Ethel rejoins. "She
is Miss Carnegie, our music mistress,
and I'll introduce you to her presently.
But you must come and sing firdt. You
can spoon afterwards. Cjme. I'll play
your accompaniments, if you like. What
will you sing—"Tom Bowling."
"No, I've sung that at every party
t'ie«e last three years. I'll sing a new
song, and play my own accom[>aniiuent
by heart, tha»k you all the same, Etty."
And Mr. Went worth seats himself at
the piano.
What is that?
"Flow down, cold, rivulet to the sea."
Gerty listens with straining ear*. L>
•he dreaming? Her own song? How dare
anyone
But as she stands and listen*, her heart
beating fast, the tears come welling up
to her eyes, and she hastily step* behind
a window curtain to hide her emotion.
Mr. W sntworlh has a good tenor voice,
and sings simply and unaffectedly, and
with intelligent interpretation, and some
how Gerty ia more deeply affected by her
own song than she has ever been before.
The song ceases, and Gerty still stands
listening. She hears the comments and
plaudits on tlss song and singer, and her
heart exults.
She steps from her hiding-place pres
ently, and is immediately accosted by
Ethel Harmon with a request to take the
now vacant seat St the piano.
"But first let me introduce my cousin.
Mr. Went worth, Miss Cornegie. Has he
not a splendid voice, and did he'not sing
thst lovely song splendidly?"
•'Would yon ./object to telling me from
whom yo» obtained that song, Mr.
Weitt»ortl>?" Gerty asked.
"jXot at all. It was in the oddest wav.
I found it in front of a railway car at a
way station, piobably dropped there by
a young lady who had been singing it
about half a dozen times in the carriage,
fancying herself alone, I imagine, and—"
He comes to a full stop, and a look» of
amazed recognition comts into his face
a he noticed Gerty'a confusion.
"By Jovv! you are the; young lady.
I've been wanting to find yort ever nine".
I tried to trace you at the time, but yon
hau vanished, and I have been advertise
iug for yon (jib whole of last wet k. How
is it you never read the advertisement?''
"I never see the |>apers. lam so glad
it is found, for I wanted to take it to
the publishers."
'•Tlfen it is your own composition. I
had no idee of it. I thought it was
simply something you were practicing
for your singing lesaons. „
Gertie blushes crimson at the recoN
lection of that absurd vocal journey in
the cars.
Then the petition for a song from her
being repeated, she complies, and she
sings and looks her very best, and Tom
Wentwertb gazes and listens iu rapt ads
miration.
Later on in the evening, lie persuades
her to walk through a qaadrille with
liiin, and presently says—
•'l'll tell you what, Miss Carnegie. Let
me take yoar song to the publishers. 1
am personally acquainted with Mr. W
can stand 011 its mcri', yet these pub*
o lishers are peculiar," and i>erhaps I may
be able to juanage it, better for yen than
vou could for yourself."
Gerty gladly accepts the ofler. The
song is published. Gerty does not know
till many months later that it has been at
Tom's expense, and the business necessi
tates so many interviews between the
two young people that uob&dy is very
much &prpri£eit when, iu Jhe merry
mouth of June Gerty (Jarnegte is turned
into Mi-s. Thouias Wentworth.
HOSPITAI. FOR r ■VFIH.n AND FAIL.
, |NU I.ETTCUS,
GUESSING, DETECTIVE AND OTHER WORK
AT THE L>KAL> LETTER OFFICE.
V
[From the Washington Star.]
The Dead Letter Office is net accurate
defined by its name. To be sure deceased
letters of the common sort undergo
cremation there, and the more important
and illustrious dead are houored like
great among the ancient Egyptian*, by
embalming; but for all that the office it
is not so distinctively a sepulchre tor
the ashes or 01 her remains of dead letters,
as a hospital where sick, deformed and
maimed letters are doctored, cured, and
sent oli their way rejoicing, to fulfill
the ends for which the) were created.
There is a fascination about the
Dead Letter Office. Nearly every one
will acknowledge a certain excitement it*
reading anil building romances upon
tho letters ot strangers. Nearly c every
one takes an interest in working out
ingeuius methods of solving puzzles,
whether they be rebuses, enigmas or
leller»addres*es unintelligible to the
uniiiiuted. Nearly every one can uinler*
stand the attractions ot a detective work,
which hunts down some careless letter
writer to do him a favor. And every
oho can appreciate the pleasure of
officially opeuiitg somebody-else's pack*
age, perhaps to find a gold watch, or a
diamond ring, or a skull, or a rattle
snake; and of learning from letters the
dearest secrets ot ottiers even though
they Aiajmtt to bo divulged. Mure
than
THREE MiI.LION'S LETTERS A TEAR
1 arc now received nt the Dead Letter
Office. TUey are drawn from all clashes
ut mail ami furnish an
epitome of the correspondence of the
country, The first step in tlieir treat*
meiit ia to examine them in order to
discover whether tlicry have received
the proper and prescribed consideration
and if nut, and the posiuias er is dis*
c ivered he is handed over to tho tender
uieicies of the "blowing»up clerk," who
then state facts to hiin. A vigorous lec
ture HI which the bureau expresses its
amazement and surprise at the unpardon
able ignorance .etc.,etc., is the most severe
puuislnueiit inflicted. It is only recently
that an ctfort has been made to* establish
the death penalty iu aggravated cases.
A fey days ago a clerk iu the city had
occasiou to h todle a parcel addressed to
the Smithsonian Institution. It was
scut through a post-office iu Texas ami
a label on the outside informed the public
that it contained two live scorpious, a
live centipede and a Mexican spur.
The clerk was somewhat fl-jrriod, it is
alleged, at the ll to tight that lie held
"poisonous varmints'' in bis hands, llis
agitation was not decreased when he
received from a bole iu tho box what lie
imagined to be a ttiug. It was discovered
that be liad, only cut himself upon a
projecting rowel of the Mexicau spur.
Neverthrlpa be tbirsts for the Mood of
tbkt Texan postmaster.
DISCOVERING VALUABLES.
At the opening table the contents of
aoeh letters as need to be ojwuetl are
to be discovered. (u former times the
champion letter-opener was he who
turned in the in«»4Luxmey as the result
of his labors awranuch ingenuity was
exercised iu the selection of letters
likely to prove valnable. One of the
numerous improvements in the system
introduced by the iwcwut chief, Mr. £.
J. Dallas, makes tlie number of letter.*
opened, whether containing money or
not, the tost of efficiency. But the
influences of the old custom still make
the eyes 01 somo of tne clerks glisten
when the opening of a letter bring* to
light a crisp bill of a large denomination.
Special etlorts are of cou-se made to
rfcturn or forward letters containing
valuables. Over ninety |>ci cent, ol
such let'.ers are diaposed of. S»ige
letters containing small amounts sent
under fictitious names tor improper
(>ur|>oßes, and some cominnuica ions sent
to lottery dealer*, after tailing of
delivery either through order ol the
postmaster general, as in the latter ease,
or fur other reasons, are refused by the
senders, who disclaim any kuowledira
ot them. Thus the commnuicaliou is
lett suspended after the fashion of
Mahomet's coffin between writer and
addressed. Alraut S7OO iu greenbacks and |
SI,OOO in government (rands are the'
largest amount that have been Ltkeii from
letters iu recent years. Twelve thousand
,doltais is the largest amount that has]
ever been found in a single letter. A|
draty unclaimed and ccnsequently bogus
tound in one tetter, wus for $2,900,000.60. j
It is noticed that since the iractioual
currency has beun retired, postage stamps
to about the saiue amouut have appeared !
in letters received. This establishment
blessing the prudent postintsiers whp
invested in tlieir whole slock on hand
just before the change by which the
number of stamps sold ceased to be the
basis of their compensation.
DEAD LfcTTKK CONL'NDttC Jl9.
The "guessing" de-ks at the dead letter
office are ot interest. Long practice has
made tho clerks ex|*erts at their work.
Atone desk addresses are translated,
misdirections detected, and writer saved
from tne natural consequeacea of careless
ness. The editorial capacity of reducing
to English let'.ers words twisted into au
inky labyrinth or words run into a
horizontal line the pewer of put ling one's
se't in the writer's place, au at quaiuiance
with the usual mistakes ot misdirection,
and a minute knowlecge of localities and
directories aro necessary for success iu
this work. The office has no blind reader
to te'l the cowect address by the sound
of the misspelled names; nor doeait need
one. fc At the desk ot the cldtk who
examiues letters that hive been sent out
from the dead letter offi e unsuccessfully
guessing powers it a different kind are
required. He reads the returned letters
through carefully and seeks lor a clue
which will enable him to find tl.e tender.
A person must write very guardedly
indeed to prevent the dropping of any
hint which will enable the amateur de
tective with his discovery cicular to
trace the letter to him. One astonished
individual w-ho/reuicved information
from tlie office of a letter containing
tuouey which he hud misdirected was at
such a loss lo comprehend how his
whereabouts had been discovered that be
wrote to the clerk telling bin* to keep the
money and se;id him iu its stead au
account of the method by which this had
been accomplished. As his request could
not be complied with, lie is, perhaps,
still MI a state wonder.
WUT LETTERS GO ASTHAT.
It is curious tu exauiino into the differ*
cut causes which bring letters to the of
fice. Au astonishing number omit the
address and it is found that
these couMfu proportionately more valu
able enclosures than any other class of
letters. Most of them are trailed by bu
sines* men. who, in the hurry, lorget to
address them. The writer who pain
fully verities each letter ol the address b>
a corresponding movement ot the tongue,
doesn't scud much money through Hie
malts. Others are unstamped and held
for postage. This is found to be especial
ly the caso where letters bear a printed
address or wheie they contain mouoy or
ders ll llie stationer* would agree the
30,000 letters a month held lor postage
might go forward with certainty, through
the universal use of government stamped
envelopes. But the stationers do not
agree. The bulk ol letters that c>ine to
the office are ot course those that are uirs
I claimed, through the death or iemo>alol
tbo person addressed. Stress will belaid
iu the new postal regulations upon the
specific cau*e of the lion-delivery of let*
ters. It has often happened tluit the news
ol the death of a correspondent is thus
brought to the knowledge ot Irieuds iu
1 another locality.
"WASHED STAMPS."
Very lew letters, comparatively, come
to the office becau-e they bear washed
poelage sumps. There are many differ
ent ways iu which good stamps may ap
pear to have been used, and |>osimasters
are not spt to paw har»h judgment upon
thoir pat rous. Perliaps Irani 50 to 75
ielters a mouth, which come to the office
for oilier causa*, are found to bear re*
used stamps. Tbe tact that chemicals
have been used to remove the cancellation
mark ia mir« easily net acted after some
time lias el-tpscd. There sro tio data ou
which to ba»e (lie extravageut estimates
til it have been made of the IOM to tbe
government by the second use of postage
stamps. .
• HOW GovEKmnorr LOSES.
The loss ia doubtless considerable, but
it ia believed that the lack is not so great
as that which resulted from the failure of
postmasters to collect or return oii-pre*»
paid postage. There has been no way
in which to bold poet masters accountable
lor thess amounts. The country post-,
master win* keeps a store feels a delica
cy about dunning a customer for a few
cents unpsid postage when he is not com
pelled to pay the aiuouut himself, tie
may lose trade and cause the person
dunned lo sign a petition to make a rival
store kee|«r post master. Where the
postage due has be»*u collected, there is
no certainty tlmi tbe money has been
forwarded. The amounts treturued un
der this head art* in the aggregate ab
surdly small, wlien it that
' tellers arc »cut systematically and iu
NO, 15
large numbers without sufficient pos
tage.
A CASE or DK®CIF.NTBTA*PB.
A single Instance iimv bo givep. A
majt ill (his city largely interested in
iiiuil Contract* Kent numerous circular* to
postmasters through (lie west lo obtain
information which Would aid bim in bid
ding for the routes p:;s»ing through their
respective sections. Tlie envelops con
taining the circulars- wen* eealeo, ami re
quired tnnli (Ttx !• till ten cents postage «.
each. The remler placed a iluee staum
upon each envelope, reasoning doubtless
that (be |H*nm&ster from whom tin) nn
pahl postage would be due, would nev
er charge iiini«elt witli a !ebt for which
be had received no' equivalent, which
was put upon him by tbe trick of another
aud which the government would never
call upon linn to pay. There are numer
ous other methods of getting ahead of
tbe gwvernuieat in a similar way. The
new special design stamp which will
soon become familiar lo the public by
general use aud through the stamp col
lecting lieird will, however, go far to
wards remedying the evil.
SUPRItESSION or VICIOUS MAIL MATTER.
Another cause which brings or did
bring matter to the Demi Letter Office i«
the uumaiia>Mliiy ot obscene and senn il
eus matter. It is noteworthy in this con
nection that no obscene book aud only a
few obscene pictures have come to the
tffice within three years; before that
ime the mails were fl-KMled with them.
This result is ascribed to tiie labors of
; Special Agent Comstock, as the repre
sentative of lire Society lor the Suppres
sion ot Vice. Mr. Comstock, in the work
which has, rather strangely, mane hiiu
unpopular, seems b* have behaved w.th
great discretiou and to have kept care
fully within tye statutes. The post office
authorities say that, he has never in »
single iuslaiice violated tbe sanctity of
sealed matter in the mails. lie has' fre
quently been arrested, but never cwi>-
■vi:ted ; and, as the records ot the IKjJ
Letter Office show, his labors have been
effective.
RATTLESNAKES AND OTHER "DESTRUCTIVE
MATTER."
No one who has attended a sale of nr.'*
claimed packages at the dead letter iffi e
needs to be toid that tbe article* receiv
ed are as varied in character as tlie let
ters. Everything under the sou that can
be brought witbiu tbe weight limit serins
to find it* way into tbe mails. Tbe
strangest articles are the ones most like-
Wto come to fhis office as uuinaitable.
Destructive matter cannot be lorwapted.
A vigorous rattlesnake, well shaken be.
tore being taken, is considered among
I postal eftrks as hlglUv destructive wai
ter. Bottled specimens of soaie tluU
have beeu mailed alive are ou ex ui bit ion
attbecffice. The sharp teeth of a mow
ing machine, lately mailed, ranked high
as unma:table matter iu tlie minds ot the
clerks required to handle theiu. Tbe
package, however, to whicu strongest
objection baa been made contained *
complicated instrument of t rture, with
sharp piojeding points, designed to be
fastened to a cow's nose to prevent bar
from drawing her owu milk.
A BEPOSItOBT OF SECRETS.
As specimens of all k'nda ot correct
pondeuce reach the dead letter office, tlie
new clerks sometimes read things thai
cool their blood in the warmest weather,
or make them hot wit b.excitemeiu though
the thermometer Ik at zero, in'euded or
committed murder, burglary, aud other
crimes of violence; treason, conspiracies
to defiand tbe government; political .e
--crcts, domestic secrets, information ot
every variety of wrung doing, wben tliev
become tlie tliemes of letters, make thril
ling reading for a dead letter clerk/ But
it this office is not tlie grsve yard of let
ters, it is the grave yard of secrets. They
are buried tliere. No use can he madeot
information thus obtaiued. Letters am
personal matters between the writer and
t te addressed and tbe office is supposed to
know tbe contents ot those received oulv
so far as will ensure tlie forwarding or
tbe return of tbein. It is only by a strict
observance ot tbe sanctity of sealed mat
ter. that a government can retain tlie
confidence of tne people as a safe medi
um ot communication. Not everv mat
ter that writers would wish not be known
is criminal, ami tbe same rule ot secrecy
; must apply to all.
PROPOSED MULTIPLICATION OF DEAD LET
TER OFFICES.
Tlie necessity of treatiug information
obtained in tlie office as if it iiad never
been acquired, furnisliee areasou for con
fer in g the power to obtain snch knowl
edge upon tbe lowest possible persons,
and upjn those who would have the len>t
temptation and opportouity to make u-o
ot tlie secrets of others. It thns consti
tutes a strong argument against the
proposition now before tbe House to es
tablish branch dead letter office* in tlie
principal cities. A man would prefer ibat
hi* correspondence should be ex|»med l»
strangers in Washington rather than that
it should be read by bis ueigblmrs in tlie
local pos'nffice. This plan of branch of
fice*, wlieh was ft ied once, as tar as San
Krkncisco is concerned, and abandoned,
is objectionable on other grounds. It is
unecessary. Persons who desire a rapid
return ol faiiing corcespoudence put their
name ami address on tlie envelope, or
use tbe special request envelope, it ap
pears from an eEaininatiou made a day
or two ago, that more than half of the
letters received at tbe New York office,
gave informal ion on tlie envelope Which
ensures their prompt return tiuopeued tu
tbe sender. This multiplication of dead
letter offices complicates tlie system. con
tuses one in tbe seareb for misdirected
letter*, and involves an increased expeu>
,» For roughness ot the skiu; Mir two g
parts of brandy with one jmrt ot
water aud waah the face night ami iuotu-^
, \> 1 ip. .