The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance

It occasionally happens that when the eye is unable to make out an address, the ear comes to the rescue. In London a letter came to hand directed to Mr Owl O'Neil, General Post Office. But no one was known there of that name. A clerk, looking at the letter, commenced to repeat aloud, "Mr Owl O'Neil, Mr Owl O'Neil," when another clerk, hearing him, exclaimed, "Why! that must be intended for Mr Rowland Hill,"--which indeed proved to be the case. A similar circumstance happened in Edinburgh, with a letter from Australia, addressed to Mr ---- Johns. 7. Scotland. It proved to be intended for Johnshaven, a village in the north of Scotland. Two odd addresses are as follows, one being from America, the other from Ireland:-- Little Alice, Serio-Comic Singer, London, England. to Edinburgh City, Scotland, For Pat Feeley, Katie Kinnigan's Son, Ould fishmarket close, Number 42, send this with speed. An American gentleman having arrived in England, and not knowing where a sister was residing at the time, addressed a letter to her previous residence thus-- Upper Norwood, or Elsewhere. The letter having been delivered to the lady, the writer intimated to the Post-office that he had received a reply in ordinary course, and explaining that the letter had been delivered to her on the top of a stage-coach in Wales. In admiration of the means taken to follow up his sister, the writer ventured to add, "that no other country can show the parallel, or would take the trouble at any cost."