A Letter, a Lad, and a Lizard

The Postal Service delivers letters, and sometimes it delivers service above and beyond the call of duty. For instance, the postmaster of Orlando, Florida, received the following letter in December 1954 from a boy who sent an important enclosure:

Dear Sir,

I am sending my chameleon because I live in Fostoria Ohio and it is to cold for him here. Will you please let him loose. 

					Sincerely yours, 
					David _________

P.S. Could you let me know if he arrives there O.K. Than you very much. I am so woried about him.

The postmaster responded:

December 7, 1954

Dear David,

I received your chameleon yesterday and he was immediately released on the Post Office grounds.

With best wishes for a very Merry Christmas I am, 

					Sincerely,         
					L. A. Bryant, Jr.
					Postmaster    

The lizard traveled in style in a pre-stamped envelope for three cents (image below). Fortunately, the envelope had been hand-canceled.

Nowadays, David still could mail his chameleon, but he'd have to package it more carefully than slipping it into a pre-stamped envelope. His mailing container would have to protect as well as contain his chameleon. Rules and instructions for mailing animals or plants can be found in Section 601.9 of the Domestic Mail Manual, at www.usps.com/publications/manuals/welcome.htm. 

If you must mail your chameleons to Florida for the winter, remember to package them securely!

Image of hand-canceled envelope which carried a little boy’s lizard to safety in 1954.  

HISTORIAN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
JULY 2008