BELATED MAIL MATTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1393, 20 March 1912, Page 4

BELATED MAIL MATTER.

POSTED OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO. (By Telegraph— Press Association.) Christchurcli, March 19. The alterations that aro being made to the Lyttdton Post Office, consequent upon the raising of the clock tower, liavo brought to light letters that havo been lost for over twenty years. Leading from tile clock tower to the room in which private boxes are situated is a wooden tunnel about a foot square for (he accommodation of weights suspended' from the clock. 111 the room on tile first floor there ii a window looking inlo the tunnel. When the workmen opened up the bottom of the tunnel to-ilav to dear away some mortar that had fallen into it from the top, they wore surprised to see several eld lette-s, and one or two ancient newspapers. Further investigation disclosed a bundle of letters tied up as if for delivery. The- letters were nearly all postmarked to show that they had been posted in April or May, ISB9, and they were all addressed to pi'oplc in Lytlelton. Some of the addressees are still alive, and.residing in the port, and others—officers and men on board ships—have left, but their names are remembered, and others, again, have died. It seems, from the condition of this belated mail matter, that some letter-carrier or deliverer of mails of twenty years ago, has taken this means of disposing of a few troublesome letters and newspapers, so as to avoid tho fatigue of delivering them. Peoplo who know the design of the building scout, the idea that the letters could have fallen accidentally inlo the tunnel. The letters, (eciinie'allv, are "dead," but it is probable that the post oflice authorities will do their best to deliver ns much of the mail ns possible.