6 of the most bizarre items in history ever 'ship' in the era of popular post office

Today sending a letter is easy with the arrival of the internet and email. Parcel? There are express delivery companies, and you can ship them around the world at absolutely adequate prices.

But that is the story of today. In the past, the post office was the only place people could trust to deliver mail in the cheapest and safest way. The problem lies in the things that people sent from the past not only mail, but sometimes the very bizarre items, no one thought can be sent at all.

1. The postman "ships" the child to visit grandparents

One of the most bizarre parcels to mention in 1914. It was named Mary Pierstoff, then a 4-year-old girl.

Her parents turned her into a mailer, sending her children to visit her grandmother from the city of Grangeville to Lewiston in Idaho. The reason being told is that the price sent by post is cheaper than buying a train ticket.

The reason for this is because Mary at that time weighs only 48.5 pounds (under 22kg), while the maximum weight of a package is less than 50 pounds (about 22.6kg). Plus, there were no regulations regarding sending people, so the post office had no choice but to take her to where she needed to go.

2. Package of mail worth US $ 1 million

Hope diamond is one of the most famous famous jewelry in history, with an estimated value of about 1 million USD (23 billion VND). But few know that the owner of it used to be so subjective enough to send a fortune through the mail, just like a bunch of vegetables and fish.

It happened when Harry Winston, the jewel broker and owner of the 45.52 carat diamond, died. Before he died, he decided to pack the diamond in a simple brown box, which he gave to the National Museum of History by post.

No one knows where his trust comes from, knowing that the cost of sending this million-dollar box would cost only $ 2.44, plus $ 142.85 in insurance if he lost. Fortunately, the postmen responsible for transport had done everything from A to Z themselves, ensuring the parcel was given to Leonard - the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution at that time.

3. People have once stuffed dead animals and dead animals into a post office box

In the list of the strangest things sent by mail, animals are indispensable - both alive and dead. Many times, postmen in the United States have to deliver rotten fish without undeniable, because they are properly stamped.

An interesting case involving sending animals occurred in December 1954. At that time, a man in Fostoria (Ohio state) sent a letter to the Orlando post office (Florida), accompanied by a parcel that was a gecko.

In the letter, this person said that the gecko needs a new home, because Fostoria is too cold to live. The man suggested that the post office would release the gecko back to the wild, and sought to inform him whether the animal was safe or not.

A happy ending: the Orlando post office did just that, and sent him a Christmas card for him.

4. Million-dollar debris of the Titanic

In 1912, the world witnessed the most terrible disaster in maritime history named Titanic. The ship, departing from the port of Liverpool (England), heading north across the Atlantic was wrecked, killing more than 1,500 people.

But around the disaster shipwreck also has many interesting stories. For example, up to 90 tons of Titanic debris washed up on beaches in Italy, then sent to the US via . mail.

For those who do not know, these debris are estimated to cost about 1-3 million USD.

5. "Ship" illnesses by mail

It happened in the late 19th century and was recorded by the New York Times. Accordingly, in this era, doctors took advantage of the post office to transport samples - from plague, smallpox to dead birds, rats . for research purposes.

Of course, this is a very dangerous method that can spread the disease uncontrollably. Therefore, lawmakers later had to ban the transportation of such goods recklessly.

6. Pneumatic mail transmission system and . cat packages

At the moment, the term "pneumatic system" - pneumatic system may be strange to us. But in the early 1800s, this was a system installed throughout buildings in New York City, to deliver mail to the floors at the fastest speed. These tubes are usually located in basements, and their operators are often called "rocketeers" - rocket launchers.

Of course, the pneumatic tubes worked well, improving the city's mailing rate then. But one fine day in 1897, a rocketeer had the idea of ​​wanting to test the speed of this system on living things, by trying . a cat.

Fortunately, this foolish play did not have any unfortunate consequences. The cat is still alive, and thereby prove that you can send live animals through the system, as long as it fits.