Ce2 - First Day Cover

I like 'busy' covers and this CE2 First Day Cover fits the bill. This appears to be its travels...

2/10/1936 - Washington DC
2/10/1936 - Miami FL
2/11/1936 - West Palm Beach FL
2/12/1936 - Jacksonville FL
2/12/1936 – New York NY
2/13/1936 - New York, NY
2/13/1936 - Washington DC
2/13/1936 - Clarendon VA

On back there is an instruction 'If not delivered in 5 days return...' which given the postmarks might have been met. But on the front there is a 2/22/1936 stamp, did the PO follow the instructions and get this Special Delivery cover back to the sender in the five days? (and the 2/22/1936 is just a private 'receiver' stamp)
Don

Wow that is quite a cover and looks to be in excellent shape. Great find

Dianne

Typical of many philatelic airmail covers ... to be addressed to "general delivery" and then get returned to sender.

The "Feb 22, 1936" was applied at Jacksonville, Fla, (note matching ink color to backstamp) dating the letter 10 days in the future as the day for removal from the general delivery files if not called for or otherwise instructed before then. From section 819.3 of the 1932 postal Laws and Regulations volume:

Thank you, John.
Don

So why was it delivered to all those cities? Was this cover on a route and these are the cities it serviced?

I assume that it was hunting for the addressee (note post office handwritten addresses on front).
Don

So do you think the addressee made his address vague to see where it would travel to? Or just not properly handled by post office?

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What...ral-Delivery
Don

I think that reads too much into the cover. It starts plainly as a FDC of an airmail/special delivery stamp addressed to a relative. The USPOD would not intentionally handle a letter improperly. It flew as directly as it could to the destination and received all sorts of transit and receiving marks typical of special delivery mail of the era through each forwarding. The address changes would come only through proper notifications by the sender or recipient. The USPOD would not send it around the country willy-nilly. This cover has similarities to covers I have seen chasing traveling salesmen and always one city behind their travels.