SOME CURIOUS SUPERSCRIPTIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1239, 25 November 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

SOME CURIOUS SUPERSCRIPTIONS.

Not the least interesting of the many postal curiosities to which the newspapers from time to time give publicity,, are those • rolating to addresses on letters ; and it occurred to tho present writer, after reading the pleasantly written article on Curious Epistles in a recent number of this Journal, that possibly a few selections from his collection of Curious superscriptions might interest the reader, •■ ; ■ While performing atßoltoii in September, 1802, Hay, the comedian, received a letter from Charles Dibdin, whioh bore the following address: Postman, take this slieot And carry it to Mr. Hay; And whether you ride more or colt on, Stop at the Theatre, Bolton; If in. what country you inquire, Merely mention Lancashire. A letter bearing the following address was received.at the office of the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, in February 1880: To Uncle Toby this missive is sent. And I'm sure tho penny is very well spent. Tho wockly newspapor, 'ho Chronicle named, Is in Newcastle ami through England famed. Mr. Editor this to mine uucle will give, And I heartily hope .that both may long live. "Uncle Toby,"it may bo well to oxplain, is the assumed namo of the conductor of the "Children's Corner" in the paper mentioned. Shortly previous to the arrival of the above, a communication addressed as under reaohed the samo office: To Nowcajtlo I want to go;' And, now Post-office desriei, You'll hand mo gently, I trow, To Editor of ''Notes and Quericj,"

Some curious examples were publishod in the Chromolithograph in 18G8 j these among others:

"Mr.—, Travelling Band, one of the Four playing in the street, P,orsha [Pershore], Worcestshire. Please to find him if possible,"

B, R—, a cook as lived tempary with a Mrs, L—, or some such name, a shoemaker in Castle Street, about No, Hobe'rn, in 1851. Try to mako this out, She is a Welsh person about 5 feet 1 stoutish, Lives in service some waro in London or nabourede London," ■ 'J This is for her that makes dresses for ladies that livs at tother aide of rode to James Brocklip, Edensover, Chesterfield." "This is for the young girl that wears spectacles, who minds two babies. 30 Sherif Street, off Prince Edward Street, Liverpool." The wag who sent an epistle to " The biggest fool in the world, Tunbridge," had little thought, we may be sure, that it would be thus endorsed: "The Postmaster of Tunbridgo cannot decide to whom ho should deliver this, as he does not know tho writer," It is related in an old almanac that at the end of last century a gentleman wrote a letter to a lady of rauk in London, addressed thus.: "To the 25th of March, Foley Place, London," It was delivered in due course at the residence of Lady Day. A glance at the calendar will show that Lady-Day is colebrated on the 25th March,

Two or three years ago, a gentleman at Ayr received a letter the envelope of which had these Hues:

Awa too auld Scotland, aail spcer for John Graeme; It's a wido direction, but a wccl kont name, In the New Town o' Ayr, at tlio auld Brlg-on'; Ho sells a drop whusky-but tho postman will kenAnd if ye should fin' him, as I'vo nao doot you will, ' I'm certain lio'll no grudge tho postman a gill, An old " Postio," of Chepstow, Monmouthshire, informs us that he onco delivered a » letter with this address: Postman, my hearty, Use tho uttermost dispatch In taking this letter To the Inn Bonny Thatch. John Kitchen tho Landlord A fine old English Host. ' Good cheer was ids motto, Good Ale was his boast, On Tutshill, near Chepstow, On the banks of tho Wye, You will find it with'ease, So, old follow, good-byo.

We are further informed that an epistle having tho following duly reached its destination :

Postman, this tniisivo which I soud Is for a tried and valued friend j From England's nhoros to Ireland's nationMark well the pkco of destination. Tho name is Bird, you'll find tho pair, And young ones, too, in Mountjoj Square; The number, wen, all snug and neat, You'll find the nest in Emmett's Street, So now to Dublin haste away, And find the Birds without delay; They'll clap thoir wings, and sweotly smilo A welcome to the Emerald Isle.

About the year 1850, a Mr. Carver was the recipient of a communication from Nottinghamshire bearing theso lines, They were published in the Leids Mercury at the time:

I request, Mr. Postman, this letter you'll send To George Carver, my brother, a trusty old Friend; Ho mado bricks and tilos without, straw or

stubble; Froo from Egyptian bondage, tho' not without trouble. At Denton, near Otley, in Yorkshire, you'll find him; The postage is paid, you liavo no causo to mind him,'

One other example, and that tho latest that has come under our notice. In June last, the following amusing address on an evelope passed through tho Lochee postoffice :

Wako up I my bauld Postieo'. Bonnio Dundee, Gather up your old traps an' mak' aft for Lochee, By Camperdown Wood an' by Gourdie's atey brae; Nor linger at Mackio's dram-shop by the way, liko a flash o' greased lightnin' leavo Fowlis far behind, But at Boll's o' Muirloch you may stop to tak' wind; Gif the maimer's at hamo, gio him this like a brick, And, till I come. doon, I'se bo awn ye a " sic." Chmbm'Journal,

At a recent Sabbath evening serrico in this' city the pastor, who' was going to Europe for the summor, took a very affecting leave of his congregation, and at the close requested that all should join with him in repeating the Lord's Piayor,"after which" the choir should "sing a hymn." As soon as the prayer was finished tho basso struck up " Rocked in the cradle of the deep," and tho organist favorod the audience with a mock thunderstorm, with howling winds, etc., between the verses, And then the benediction.

A darkey went to sleep while, fishing, and tumbled off into deep water, He sank and rose a couple of times, when his. companion, old Undo Dick Lewis, seeing that ho made no effort to save himso;i', got bold of him and drew him to the bank. It \\ as then discovered that tho uegro was still asluep, liis cold batu having nu oliect un him whate? ;r, Uncle Dick manng. dto awaken him by rolling him iu tho mud and wearing out two or three lightwuud knots oyer his head, Whon the darkey awoke ha expressed much surprise to find ills dothesjrfet, anil asked Uncle Dies to explain,