Letter from Clara S. Hill, United States Post Office, to Mr. Alfred E. Stearns, September 12, 1914
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Clara S. Hill, United States Post Office, to Mr. Alfred E. Stearns, September 12, 1914
Subject
Letter from Clara S. Hill, United States Post Office, to Mr. Alfred E. Stearns, September 12, 1914
Description
Typed letter sent from Clara S. Hill of the United States Post Office, to Dr. Alfred E. Stearns. Unable to explain Mr. Lee failed to receive letter. States college students don't give names at Post Office so delivering to college students amounts to a hunt. Doesn't understand why postage didn't return to Stearns. States letter was handed to Stearns. States no clerk remembers an inquiry for mail for Thomas Lee and all remember seeing the letter.
Transcription
Sir:
Replying to your letter of Sep 10, relative to your letter addressed to Thomas Lee, I very much regret I am unable to give any explanation of Mr Lee’s failure to receive it, except that it might possibly have been out, or not yet received when he called. Being addressed to South College, and the M.A.C. being the only college open at the time, we may have tried to effect delivery there. We are greatly handicapped by students not giving their names at the Post Office on arrival in town, and as we have no correct list of new men, we have to resort to various questionings and carriers who have a similar name, sometimes take a letter bearing other initials, for inquiry. The letter was in the General Delivery case and I personally returned it to you, I fail to understand why your postage did not reach you, I do not recollect seeing it, but am careful to always return any excess. The notice sent for better address, was not the correct form for that purpose, but being out and awaiting supplies from the Department, we have been obliged to use parcel notices, and the space for filling in the amount of postage has been left blank, and presumably crossed out, but with a great many such notices to send, and being short of help during vacation time it is very possible some error was made in the notice.
No clerk who attends the General Delivery window recalls any inquiry for mail for Thomas Lee, and they all recall seeing the letter there.
I can only express my regret that any irregularity has occurred, and trust you will have no cause for future complaint.
Very respectfully
Postmaster
Replying to your letter of Sep 10, relative to your letter addressed to Thomas Lee, I very much regret I am unable to give any explanation of Mr Lee’s failure to receive it, except that it might possibly have been out, or not yet received when he called. Being addressed to South College, and the M.A.C. being the only college open at the time, we may have tried to effect delivery there. We are greatly handicapped by students not giving their names at the Post Office on arrival in town, and as we have no correct list of new men, we have to resort to various questionings and carriers who have a similar name, sometimes take a letter bearing other initials, for inquiry. The letter was in the General Delivery case and I personally returned it to you, I fail to understand why your postage did not reach you, I do not recollect seeing it, but am careful to always return any excess. The notice sent for better address, was not the correct form for that purpose, but being out and awaiting supplies from the Department, we have been obliged to use parcel notices, and the space for filling in the amount of postage has been left blank, and presumably crossed out, but with a great many such notices to send, and being short of help during vacation time it is very possible some error was made in the notice.
No clerk who attends the General Delivery window recalls any inquiry for mail for Thomas Lee, and they all recall seeing the letter there.
I can only express my regret that any irregularity has occurred, and trust you will have no cause for future complaint.
Very respectfully
Postmaster
Creator
Clara S. Hill
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
September 12, 1914
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence