The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1855-12-20
-. .a ...,.,. From fuiuams AoatAl,
..i.TAs LsnAeN Ross Offiee. ,h

-
a.aq ii. rAs LsaAs~. Ress Osfiee.
a. xSSpost estabiihnebt The ot,ce in st
AattlRf G1nd, Eondoh, IL the hrst In tht
t6fH TIC Postmaster General md his stat
tfe ~ tke head Of IN ARMY Of over 20 900 per
sons and such 70 the concentration Of busi
NJ. that b biz Office u performed dbnut one
1oHftt of ia the postal business Of the king
doh. The number Of letters passing Through
'fCih' 1 yeAt b eteht times great ss the nun
Der passing through New York, and nearly as
Erat a the entire number in the United States
The number OF letters received foe delivery in
IOndon, Is the year 1884 was 103,S77 ,72e,
aad che number sent out, 97.s46,l06. This
gives total Of over 200.OO0,000 letters in q
single year.
seed except plain, Substantial stohe building,
some 400 feet by $50, supported by Ionic pil-
iAft, Ind having large hsil for the accommo-
ddtleu Of The public. During . lnte visit to
London, We were permitted by thecoartesy OF
Mr. Rowland Hill, to Ed thearrangcments and
Inspect he mAchldry BY which this immense
ebtabiiahmeut b kept motion, In tho "ln-
land Once" where the mails are made up for
thA couatry there Is comparative lulf IN tho
miadle Of the day, the letters and papers com.
ing 10 90 slowly that bat FEW clerks and sorters
0e on daty.. There are employed 10 London,
S035 persons ID the raait service. OF these.
49s are letter receivers--kccpets Of the small
sub-ofises located In all parts Of the metrop-
oils for the convenience d mailing letters. -
There. sre, in London, 1885 letter carriers, and
there are rooms Ia the post Office building for
mEny df these carriers TO sort and arrange
their lettsss. Then there ere ll52 othar per.
sons employed in the London post. Office; but
Of thepe, l60 money-ordcr clerks have quarters
10 another building. There are 253 Ia the
general post ohice, and 739 clerks, stampers
sorters and sub-sorters, engaged in the reeep
ton, delivery and dispatch Of the mails.
The mails are 90 arranged that oil letters
leave EOpdqn-no matter what direction they
are going--At the same hours st nine In the
morning, and nine ip the evening. Men on
loot, on horseback, and Ia carts, are constao'
Hy engaged, durisG tie day, in collecting let
ters from the various sub-olices and receiving
heases. in aH parts Of the Twelve mile circle;'
. ciscle having rAdias Of twelve mixes. Ia
induce publishers Of newspapers to get their
papers ready in the day, the post oliice sends
tks mail cart, at certain hours, TO the publish
ing houses, TO transport al the papers thcn
re2dy 70 tie centsal olhcc. This saves trouble
both 10 the publishers and TO the post .ofhct
denrtmcnG. There being about $4,000 news
papefs passinR through the London post Of
kee 6ily, and these forming nearly four-6iths
Of the 6ulk Of the mails, there is sn immense
Isbps in sorting and packing them. Cnless
sosas such plan was adopted. 1t would be al
most lmpossibls TO get I'd all Of The evening
mail fSr the bulk of the sosting, stamping
and dispatch OF letters is done 10 the last two
hours-from six to eight o'clock.
A good joke is told ofs porter employed to
carry to the post othce several large bags o.
circulars, Ill OF which be emptied on = table
n ~ oeacs. He then touched hi, cap respect
fully, aud MD be should ike 10 see "the geo
tleman ut fhe head" Sapposing he Mad some
special busissss With . high functionary, o
de departnest, be was conducted to the See
retary. {" Sis." says be touching his cap again
"l'te brouebt you down large number oiles
ten, and s6oah Ike 70 drink your health. =
Bsk athe genllemaa At the head told him h
would Be very much obliged TO him ifhe vook
never bring bin such quantity OF. ercn ]
he would carry these away with him. Ths
poos SelIow left, thinking ".the genuemso o.
DE head" Of Her Msjtstys post olice very On
GratefaI ior the favor Of the Ietters.
A. the bour of p. N. sppeosches, tb'
sasnber u perscn to deposit kttrfs beE'ns =
incsesse. fas<er ssd fAstes gathers tbe csowd
and, instesd s( dropping their tettess 'eisirely
the5 rush up 70 de box, and, with nsrvoa
tviicA. dash them in. and tben staad bsct sn
give room for oshen. Many stay snd lcsk 90
While she scear grows " fast and furious. =
Abouta quasteS belose six, men. hearing bar
coae staggering IN. and. by tapping ct 9 wood
- sti6e. whoe window u opesed by eierk
whe fecsivss The beg. empties il, and throws }
out. Boys with hsssis fdA Of papers, woura
hearine Ietssf end psnsy to pay ths pos'
aee. roagh- looking mechaaics. with beswn
aW ssd HONEST tscss. COM with sttsss, gs4f
rally stamped and. struggling through tb
crowd. they drop them through the slif in tb
GiB,aov. prepared to receive them In tbe 10
siis thsre s also . busy srepe. but m hurry o
nua1aioa A. AFsa shere are srfArase litter
dropping, ooe amer another, then hsndfnl
then thicker AMI hster they patter m as II th
esnruts without were charged with sttrss- an
they were. BY sB&n tempest. sAoSersd INT
the pn& o<6ce. The hand OF the clock ke~p
novtng tpsar,k the keusr. aHd the crowd whi
oat ana the showvr within couIinur In IncresHs'
1S cissk u tn open wlns3ov u ueany innnn'
tei with parcess ID letters and sack. % ers'
paers and sclow clerk ooBs 10 his RIB"