Life — October 23, 1931 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Postage Due" Satirical Letter This is a humorous complaint letter from "Jack Cluett, Postmaster" to Mr. Ralph M. Jillson in Taylor, Texas, who apparently mailed live toads through the U.S. mail. The satire depicts the chaos that ensued: fifteen toads escaped the package, scattered throughout the post office, and caused havoc among staff. The accompanying illustrations show a bewildered postal worker surrounded by hopping toads and mail in disarray. The joke satirizes both the absurdity of mailing live animals and the postal service's bureaucratic inflexibility. Cluett's deadpan tone—treating the toad invasion as merely a "postage due" issue requiring additional stamps—mocks how government agencies respond to ridiculous situations with procedure rather than common sense. The P.S. about "wart remover for Mr. Denny" adds to the absurdist humor.