The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-05
improvements in Letter Mails.

improvements in Letter Mails
A few years ago it cost as much
time and trouble to pass single let
ter through the mail as it would to
transfer a hundred thousand dollars
worth of property by merchant or
banker. If Miss Susie Higginbot-
tom, of Hardscrabble, received q
brief letter from her Adonis, who had
come to live in the metropolis, u
large amount of blanks, paper,
twine and circumlocution, were ne
cessary to insure the delivery of the
missive. The letter was first care
fully inspected by mailing clerk i'm
the st. Louis post office, then entered
upon book showing it's origin, date
and destination, then wrapped in n
small blank, which also contained the
same important information as the
book, then rewrapped in piece of
brown paper, then tied with bit. of
twine, then superscribed "Hard-
scrabble" and finally deposited in
the mail pouch; arrived ut it's desti-
nation, the worthy postmaster took
it through the reverse process of un-
tying, unfolding and re-entering the
''way-bill' upon another blank book,
and after all this circumlocution, and
waiting a good hour for a mail of a
dozen letters to be opened, way-bills
filed, &c, the impatient Susie re-
ceives the expected letter.
All this nonsense about way bills
has been exploded, and the reform in
this matter. inaugurated by Hon.
Montgomery Blair, late Postmaster
General, has already saved the Go
vernment many millions in BLANKS,
paper and twine," as we'll as clerk
hire, and afforded conveniences to
the public that are altogether incal-
cnlable. At the same time that this
reform was inaugurated by Mr.. Blair,
he urged the adoption of money
order system by them, by which
money letters should be withdrawn
from the mail and the temptation to
rob it thus be abolished. These and
other kindred reforms have been car
ried. into successful execution by Gov.
Dennison, his successor in the Post
Office Department, and. the postal
system of the United States has made
more progress towards perfection in
the last six years than during the
whole of its previous history.
This article was commenced with
the purpose of making special allu-
sion to an invention Of the assistant
postmaster at. st. Louis, Marshall
Smith, Esq, which ADDS greatly to
the facilities for transmitting letter
mails. The invention consists of a
box, instead of a leather pouch, as a
receptacle for letters, during their
transit from one part of the country
to another. The box is made of wood,
strongly bound with iron, and Sc
cured by the usual post Office pad
lock. The box is about two feet long
10y ten inches wide, and four or five
inches deep. Within, on the sides OF
the box, are iron-toothed guides with
q follower, designed to press the let
ters into compact form. The letters
are placed in the box upon their
edges, with iron labels separating the
parcels for different offices, the fol
lower pushed up, the lid closed and
locked, and the mail is ready to de
part. With this arrangement, no
wrappers are used for the parcels de-
signed for different Offices, and the
mail can be closed within few mi
nutes of the time for it's departure
from the Office. The same advantage
is obtained in the saving of time in
the distribution of mail upon its
arrival. The same mail that used tc
require an hour for it's distribution is
now IN the post Office boxes, or in the
hands of the carriers, within fifteen
minutes after its arrival.
This invention, combined with the
disuse OF wrappers, has saved to the
Government the services of eight
clerks IN the St. Louis Post Office,
besides an incalculable amount il,
wrapping paper and twine. But the
great advantage gained is in the saw.
ing OF time to whole community
mailing letters when necessary within
five minutes of the time of departure,
and delivering them within u few
minutes of the arrival of large and
dmportars;. mail The Postmaster.
6gneral s "a aa22eorized e to adopt this
ksroy .eos eoacet}l1ly, and, from his
: ( it Likely