The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-05
POStmaster-Gene Report.


The main facts are repeated in the Pre-
sidont'S message.
The number of dead letters has dimin-
| ishcd nearly a million, owing to the use OF
envelopes with request for the return to
the writer's Of unclaimed letters directly
from the post office addressed. 1t is csti-
mated that fully fifty millions of these en-
vcopcs were used during the year, the
Department supplying about one-third Of
the number. The sales Of postage stamps
and stamped envelopes during the year
amounted to $l2,9SS, l34.3 80, leaving unsold
in the hands Of pOstmaSterS S4l2, 92S.1S.
| Experiments are in progress with
postage stamp printed on embossed paper,
which seems to ailord good security against
frauG. The flores of the paper being broken,
cancclling marks almost penetrate, so that
thew cannot easily be removed without de-
stroving the stamp. The adhesive proper
ties are also promoted, and other advan-
tagcs secured which commend the inycn-
| ton TO favorable notice.
The length Of routes has been increased
over the preceding year 22,32t miles; the
annual transportation, l,lll,S75 miles; and
cost, $780, l2 to which add Increased
cost for railway postal clerks, route, local,
and other agents, S24l i'll, makes an az
grcgate of 81 ,9lG,973.
At the date Of the last annual report,
Junction City, Kansas, l39 miles west OF
Wvandotte, and AS miles west OF st. Louis,
Missouri, was the furthcst point to which
continuous railroad line from tie eastern
cities towards the Pacific was completed,
4 gan existing east OF Omaha City, Ne
brasEa, in the line from Chicago to Rear
ney. This gap has since been filed up by
the completion Of the Chicago and North
western railroad to Council Bluffs, Iowa,
on the eastern side OF the Missouri river,
opposite Omaha, aud the Union Pacific
railroad uhc Platte route) has been
extended beyond keal7iey 800 miles to
! Chcvenne, at the base Of the Rocky
mountains, SO miles west of Omaha,
and lob miles west of Chicago, Hi
nois. The Junction City or Smoky Hill
route (Uuion Pacific railroad, eastern
DIVISION has also been extended l53 miles
to Hays City, making the length of the
railroad route west OF st. Louis 81 miles.
| The mails arc carried daily on these routes
west from Wyandotte and Omaha, and on
the Pacific side the mails are conveyed
twice daily between Sacramento and Cisco,
distance of "a miles, under contract with
the Central Pacific Railroad Company.
The lines are thus extending east and
west to meet each other-the average pro-
crcss on the Platte route the past year
| SUNDAYS eXccpted) exceeding one mile
per Gay. A continuation OF the work with
! like energy will verify the promise OF the
railroad companies by the year 1870 TO
span the continent.
The number OF post-otlices established
during the year was 1850; number dis
continued, Gill; decrease of offices,
.22G: number of post-oflices in operation
on the Both June, 1866, including sus-
pended Offices in the southern States, 49,
! $50 total number in operation on the 3Oth
June. 1867, 25,l62 number of offices sub
iect TO appointment by the President, S37 !;
number by the Postmaster General, 24,-
! 326.
| a large majority of Offices discontinued
are in the southern States, the service at
which was suspended by the Postmaster
General in May, 1861, and were not
! in operation thereafter, but not regularly
discontinued. ;.
These offices were reported by the audi
tor to the appointment oillce as having
failed to make returns for five years, anu
their diScOntinuance recommended as ne
cessary to enable that officer to close the
accounts of the late postmasters on the
books of his office, and for that reason II
was deemed advisable to formally dlscon-
tinue them.
The free delivery Of letters by carriers
has been in operation during the past year
in iorty-seven Of the principal cities. Inc
number of carriers employed was 943, al
an aggregate compensation of S699,934.34
This mode Of delivery continues to grow
IN public favor, as is shown by the H.
crease of hostages on local matter, the re-
duction of the number of post-ottce
boxes. and the large decrease OF adVer'
tised letters in several of the cities wherc
the system has been more efficiently con
Quoted. Experience so far justitles the
belief that it will superscde the present
system of box delivery, increase CORE:
spondence, especially in large cities, ano
not only pay its expenses, but yield re-
venue to the Department.
The details of postal service have beer
revised and carefully analysed in all thcl
bearings upon the transmission ana de
livery of letters to their address, and als(
mon the means employed for the return
! ~ dnod letters TO the writer's thereof. In