A DEAD LETTER OFFICE SALE IN AMERICA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1574, 2 June 1887, Page 2

A DEAD LETTER OFFICE SALE IN AMERICA.

A sale of articles which had nccnmulated m the Dend letter Office at Wnshington during tho year has just been held. The catalogue presented some curious features. It was a book of ninety- five closely printed pages. There were approximatoly 25.000 miscol'aneous articles enumerated, which were separated into 4500 puckogea. Besides theso, thoro wore 2GOO books and 133 pieces of jowollery. Tho sale continued forsoveral days, Tho packages are wrapped m paper, so that the only clue to what thoy contain is found m tho catalogued This is often misleading, because of it's brevity m description, and tho interest of the purchaser never flfigs m con6equonco. Among the contents of the packages, underclothing for both soxos and of all sizes is most numerous. The following ure specimens : — Women's cheap hosiery, gartors, corsets, chemisos, bustlos, undershirts, and shoulder braces. Other packets contained dtcel pens, rosaries, razors, galvanic girdlos, n.irrors, cigars, a ropo halter, soap, women's back combs, doll corsets, egg beators, ear muffs, electric batteries, dark lanterns, sugar spoons, a crucifix, oil paintings, Easter eggs, mar bios, six small sowing machines, Indian mocassins, tooth j brushes, bayonets, Turkish bath towols, dontist's forceps, duck calls, fifes, roller skates, undertaker's embalming needles, bow aud arrows, pipes, artificial eyes, otc. ad lib. Tho catalogue embraced everything from " Thoughts on Daniel," through agricultural reports, Christinas stories, autograph albums, and dictionaries, to tho * Lives of lllustrioua Shoomakors."

The oonoert by the St. Stephen's Choral Society takes place this evening at 8 p.m., punctually, m the Oddfellows' Hall. Per. formers are requested to be at the Hall by 7.30 p.m.

A curious discovery was made at Aberdeen lately. The trawler Sybil, of Lowestoft, landed a ling at Point Law, and the fish on being gutted was found to contain m its stomach a blaok pint bottle corked. ° In the bottle there was found the following message written m penoil on one side of a piece of paper:— '• The schooner Anne, of Bangor, m a sinking state. My men have given up— all hope abandoned. Writing this, dear wife, if this should reaoh shore, know what has become of your darling Willie. God bless you." On the other side of the paper is the following :— " January 24tb, 1886. Dreadful Btorin. Both masts gone ; Bhip waterlogged. Good byo, dear wife, for ever, from you* loving husband, William Jansen."

Skinny Men.—" Wells' Health Renower ,' restores health and vigor, cures Dyspepsia* Impotence, Sexual Debility. At ohemists and druggists. Kompthorne, Proueer, and Co., Agents, Christohurch.