Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-17

In order to facilitate the work at distribute
ing Offices satisfactory experiments are max
ing with railway or travelling post offices.
Thus letters destined for the distributing
Offices between Washington and New York
inclusive, are distributed by clerks detailed
for that purpose and placed on the cars.
/ Similar experiments are making on western
routes with satisfactory results, and the sys-
! tenn will probably extend to all the leading
J routes. The Post Master General recon-
I mehds that provision be made for the neees
sary additional clerks, superintendents and
/ travelling postmasters, While the imtnedi-
ate effect will be 10 increase expenses some
/ what, he believes that ultimately when the
| plan is thoroughly organized, it win reduce
the cost of distribution. sau 3.e g
Raz a. FOREIGN NAIL SERVICE. ha,T
The aggregate postage [sea, inland, and
| foreign) upon the correspondence exchanged
with Great Britain, Prussia, France, Ham
/ burg, Bremen, and Belgium, for the year
! ending June Both, amounted to 81, 1896, sos 90,
i an increase of STA, $50 4S, as compared with
the lastyear, and ST., ASS. 81 in excess of the
4 largest amount, realized in any previous ifs
\ cal year.. The collections in this country
amounted 70 1881, 7S0.6S, and in Europe to
! S517 875.O1: excess Of collections in the
1 United States 1868, s5567 This result is
significant and gratifying, showing largely
| increased correspondence with Europe, mott
withstanding the civil troubles agitating the
country, and the interruption of postal COM
munications with the Southern States.
The transatlantic mail transportation was
performed as follows: + d tre-.,, .r. sa
Blythe foreign steamships of the New York
and Liverpool, Canadian, Bremen, and Ham
burg lines, s770, 365O1. ~ 'f''
By British contract mail packets of the
Cunard and Galway lines, 1929, 240. IS. M
The amount paid by this department for
mail steamship service to and from Europe
was S37l,740 44-the steamships employed
receiving the sea postage on the mails con-
veyed as compensation for the service. OF
this amount the Liverpool and New York and
| Philadelphia Steamship Company received
$202,9l 81 for fifty-two outward and fifty
three inward trips between New York, Queens
town, and Liverpool; the Canadian mail
packets, S77.l75 30 for ffty.three round trips
between Portland and Liverpool and Quebec
and Liverpool; the North German Lloyd
Steamship Company, S46, 149 81 for sixteen
outward and fifteen inward trips, and the
New York and Hamburg Steamship Company,
| S45,501 Is for thirteen outward and twelve
| inward trips, between New York and South
ampton.
The total hostages on the correspondence
exchanged with British North American prev
inces during the year amounted to 1907 ,37l.-
80, an increase of $S1, 62S. 90 over the amount
reported last year, and of Sl29,61S.SS over
that for the previous fiscal year. The post
! ages collected in this country amounted 20
Sl6s, 756.74, and in the provinces to $685.
6l5.64 excess in favor OF the United States
$50, l40.l0. This extraordinary increase of
correspondence is probably partly owing to
-. Al. n. Il
sympathizers and refugees, have taken up
their temporary abode in Canada and other
provinces. .ry ....
The total hostages on the mails conveyed
TO and from the West Indies amounted to
$50 ,99O1S, and thercost of transporting, the
same to and from Havana and other West In
, dia ports vas $40,3S103, Sl9,653.l5 less than
the United States hostages on the mails con-
veyed.
The United States hostages upon the cor
respondence exchanged with Central and
South America, ria Aspinwali and Panama,
amounted to Sl4,2O6 81, all of which was
paid to Cornelius Vanderbilt for the sea and
lsthmUs transportation.
Arrangements have been concluded for
carrying mails between this country and Bre-
men and Hamburg by steamers sailing IN
der neutral flag in time of war when the
safety OF tue u.
A correspondence has been opened with
several of the post departments represented
by commissioners at the Paris international
postal conference with the design of opening
relations with those European countries with
which the U. S. have hitherto had no postal
arrangements.
Including the suspended post offices, the
whole number on the 30th June, 1864, was
% 87S of which 1916 are in the loyal, and
$500 in the disloyal States. The number Of
Presidential Offices is 7O5, and 2S,1 72 are un-
der the appointment of the Postmaster Gene
raj .e.~
During the year, 6l9 post Offices have been
established, 78S discontinued, and 2ll changes
made of names and sites. The number of
cases acted upon was 5,579. -Four. thousand
seven hundred and thirteen postmasters have
been appointed, of whom 3,02S were TO fill
vacancies OccasiOned BY designations; GA by
removals; 259 by death 1873 by change of
names aIfd sites, and GIG on establishment of
new offices. r
At the close of the fiscal year there. were
twenty special agents, whose salariesamounted
TO S34, 100; four ,hnnhred and fourteen route
agents. receiving S3l3,9l2. ffty-three local
agents, 2,009 and one hundred and five
baggage masters ia charge of through and
express mails, S6,7s0.t - a-'
The free delivery Of mail natter by carri-
ers has been introduced at sixty-six Offices,
employing at present, 6S5 carriers, at an ag-
gregate annual compensation of S3l7, 06l.22.
.rf - DEAD LETTERS, -
The number of dead letters of every des-
scription received and examined during the
year was 3,508, 825, being an increase Of
95S, 400 over the preceding year, attributable
mainly to the return of large numbers of
army and navy letters which it was found
impracticable to deliver.
Daring the year there were registered and
remailed to respective owners, as containing
money, 25, 1852 letters, containing an aggre-
gate of Sl3l. 6l1.24, of which number 20,O59,
containing Sl04, 665.S4, were delivered; ALP
letters, containing S20,4S5.49, were returned
to the department., being addressed chiefly to
soldiers and sailors, and persons transiently
at places of mailing or address.
The number of dead letters containing pa
pers of value, other than money, as deeds,
bills Of exchange, drafts, checks, &C., re-
ceived, registered and returned for delivery
to the owners, was II, 436, and the nominal
value of the enclosures therein was 81, 6l5,-
694 20, being an increase over the previous
year of A, lO4, or about fifty per cent while the
increase of the value of the enclosures was
but 81, 1864 The number of these letters
delivered was Ii 1878, or ninety per cent.
During the year $3.50 letters and pack
ages were received containing photographs,
daguerreotypes, and articles of jewelry. OF
this number, 29,999 were sent out for deliv
cry, 26, 6o7 of which contained photographs
and daguereotypes, !, 4I0 articles of lewelry