le all their goods all the time. It is the understanding of this
principle and its working out through the catalogue and all other
auxiliary advertising, backed up by the goods required, that makes the
possibilities of this trade.

Receiving and Opening Mail.

While the catalogue is under course of construction, the whole
mail-order system should be thoroughly gone over, tightened up, well
oiled, improved where possible, and put in proper shape to handle the
large volume of business which is bound to come immediately after the
distribution of catalogues.

Where the mail is large, it is usually brought from the post office by
wagon, the smaller deliveries being brought by regular post office
carriers. All registered letters and parcels are carefully checked as to
number, by actual count, and compared with number entered on post office
registration sheets, before signing for them. Envelopes are first cut
open by one or more persons. Registered letters are kept separate from
all others, are distributed separately and accounted for before any
ordinary mail is handled. Each opener is held responsible for the
number of letters received, which are checked back, totalled, and the
totals must agree with the total number given out by the one in charge.
In the event of any error, it must be examined into at once and
everything made O. K. A positive check is kept upon all letters and
every precaution exercised to prevent the possibility of mistakes or
loss of any kind. Ordinary unregistered letters are treated in the same
careful manner. Special tables are provided for mail openers, and each
one occupies a separate space or division. When a letter is opened, the
amount enclosed (whether in bills, express orders, drafts, checks, post
office orders, stamps or silver) is carefully counted, checked and
entered on the order, totalled and compared with the amount customer
claims to have enclosed. If these agree, the amount is signed for by the
opener or stamped with an initial stamp, and the envelope is also
initialed. The money is usually placed directly on the order it belongs
to, both are put in a box or basket specially provided for the purpose,
and each succeeding letter, with the remittance it contains, follows in
its regular order as opened, until the mail is all completed. In some
cases the money and orders are separated at once. Each letter or order
is examined carefully, to see that the name and address are given, and