CURIOUS ADDRESSES AND ENCLOSURES IN LETTERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1670, 26 April 1884, Page 4

CURIOUS ADDRESSES AND ENCLOSURES IN LETTERS.

But time flies, and there are one or two comers of the main room to be scon before the bags are made up. One of them is devoted to the tusk of extricating from their hopeless situations the letters which, through the incoherence of their addresses have got into a blind turning. Experienced officials search the " Post Office Guide" and directories, and if a probable destination is found, the endorsement we have all sometimes seen on our letters " Try so and so," is made. Some of the most extraordinary perversions of addresses, which have been detected by this process, have been preserved by the department in a book which is shown to visitors. Ono would not at first sight recognise that "Santlings, Hilewite," was intended for "St Helens Isle of Wight," or that " Haselfeach in no tanipsbire" meant " Haselbeach, Northamptonshire," Metropolitan places come in for their share of distortion. Uolborn Viaduct is consolidated into " Obanvidock," and Mile End appears as '•'Mailanil." Either an excess of loyalty, or some laziness as to the precise division of labor between the Sovereign and her Ministers must have prompted the person who addressed a letter "To the Secretary of Wore, Chelsey Osbitile, Loudon, Queen Victorir," while the importance of preserving a broad distinction between urban and rural districts may perhaps have animated Lord Northbrook's correspondent, who addressed His Lordship as " Lordnorlhbrook, Stvoton House, Country." Of course there are addresses which are absolutely hopeless and there nro letters which bear no address at all. Ono can quite understand from one's personal experience lliot a letter must occasionally be slipped into the post in a blank envelope; but it is somewhat startling lo bo told that in each of the last two years there were more that 26,000 ot such letters, and perhaps still raoro so to find that carlcssness is not precluded when money is at stake, for in this batch was enclosed in each year about .£6,000 in cash, cheques, or some other form, It was perhaps, however, confidence in the host Office rather than negligence which was exemplified by the man who in 1881 posted a .£5 Bank of England note without any cover whatever, but merely folded in two, and bearing a penny postage stamp.—The English Illustrated Magazine,