Identifier: thirtyyearsinwa00loga (find matches)
Title: Thirty years in Washington; or, Life and scenes in our national capital. Portraying the wonderfuloperations in all the great departments, and describing every important function of our national go vernment ... With sketches of the presidents and their wives ... from Washington's to Roosevelt's administration
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Logan, Mary Simmerson (Cunningham), "Mrs. J. A. Logan,", 1838-1923
Subjects: Presidents Executive departments
Publisher: Hartford, Conn., A.D. Worthington & co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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and accounts of the several clerks. The letters andmoney then pass to the chief of the so-called Money Branchwho again verifies the record and gives a receipt. Only the clerks employed in this branch have access to it,and the large iron safes, vaults, and ledgers give its quartersthe air of a counting-room. Each clerk gives a receipt forthe amount entrusted to him, and it is his business, wheneverit is possible, to forward, or to return the letter with its con-tents to the sender in care of the postmaster, who is respons-ible for its safe delivery and who must return a receipt forit to the department. Every possible protection is thusthrown around it. Whenever the money cannot be for-warded or returned to the sender, on account of the writersfailure to give his name or his post-office address, it is heldin the Dead-Letter Office for one year in the anticipationthat it may be applied for. If not, the money is turned intothe United States Treasury, and may be reclaimed withinfour years.
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CORRECTING THE ERRORS OF THE CARELESS. 335 The carelessness of a great many people in sendingmoney is almost incredible. Many letters are received con-taining large amounts, without a scrap of writing to indicatewhence they came or whither they should go. Over 80,000letters and parcels are received here every year bearing noaddress whatever, and among them have been found lettersknown to enclose drafts to the amount of $2,500 each. Yetit is but a small portion of the money received for which theoffice fails to find owners. It now returns to its ownersevery year about 850,000 in money and about $1,200,000 inchecks, while the amount for which no owners can be founddoes not usually amount to as much as 820,000 a year.Thus, thanks to the painstaking care of Uncle Sam, carelesspeople lose very little in this way. A fair sample of letters of this kind was that posted atBoston not long ago and addressed simply : â Dr. Wash-burn, Roberts College. Opened, it was found to contain acheck for Â

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