The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-11-26
LETTER FROM CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, Nov. 18th 1868.

EDS. TRIBUNE After storm there
is always a calm. this is especially true
just now, of the political state of our
country. 1t has been next to an impos-
sibility to attract attention of any other
subject than political one, for several
months past. Now that the contest is
decided, there IS rush for long neglect
ed commercial, literary and professional
pursuits. Considering this an opportune
moment, [ have concluded to offer some
peculiar, but | hope, not uninteresting
information.
It has often occurred to me whether
any recipient Of large daily mail ever
gave full thought to the gauntlet each
snissive had run before reaching his hands.
To give an idea of this would like to
lead your readers quiet morning walk
through the magnificent pile Uncle Sam
has erected at the corner of Dearborn and
Monroe streets, for Mr. Postmaster Sher-
man and his assistants. The Chicago
Post Office is now the second in size in
the Uniol and without doubt the best
regulated. 4 few figures gathered from
official sources Of the business Tor the cur
rent year will show what is being done
The number of letters received for distri-
bution is forty-fve millions; mailed IN
the office and collected by carriers, six
teen millions and half; number of city
letters, sixty-one millions foreign letters
one million and half; circulars, three
millions and half, and newspaper bags
to the number Of one hundred and fifty
thousand, equal to four hundred and fifty
thousand bushels. There are nearly
eight million letters and two million pa
pers delivered by carriers, and seven
million letters are collected by these same
carriers about the city III the Post Office
boxes Five hundred and fifty thousand
dollars worth of stamps and stamped en-
velopes are annually sold, and some ten
thousand money orders, for more than
two hundred thousand dollars Forty
one thousand FIVE hundred orders for
about seven hundred thousand dollars
were paid last year and money deposits
ofnine hundred thousand dollars were
received from other Offices The annual
list of registered letters delivered aud dis
patched reaches one hundred thousand.
The free delivery of letters employs
seventy six carriers, who visit every cor
ner of the city from one to six times daily.
An arrangement that daily grows in favor
and prevents endless trouble and confusion
One hundred and twenty-five clerks are
employed, and double that number would
be needed had not practice made them
perfectin their difficult duties. The daily
receipt and dispatch OF tons or mail mat
ter, suggested TO Mr.. Sherman the idea
of a railway iii the basement. which he
has just carried into effect. At It's ter
minus the contents are raised bv an
elevator to the mail wagons. In every
part of this vast establishment. clock
work regularity is the rule, and 50 vast is
the volume of business increasing that
the whole building will soon be required
for the service. Quite curiosity is the
daily passage Of letters INSTRUCTED. Con
fiding writers will put on the county
alone, or possibly only the state, while
numerous letters in plain. bold hand are
minus just the important word that en-
ables the officials to do aught bat consigr
them to the dead letter Office 4 perfec
museum might be made of articles tina
people attempt to smuggle through tht
mails. A medicine case, water spout
IN iron drill and lady's shawl were
few OF the articles that met my own eyes
each OF which were confdingly deposited
with a ttco cent stamp attached TIL,
office is a rare curiosity to visit has IL
own organ edited by the chief clerk MIR
David Green and under the vigorou
administration of its chief Mr.. f. T
Shsrpan. seconded by the assistant Mr.
sSquires and the heads Of the various de
partments, seems as perfect as possibl
in every detail of its management.
Directly opposite the Chicago Pos
Office on the Post Office Place, are tn
rooms of our sparkling juvenile, The I'll
tie Corporal, which is now published i
magazine form, and claims to have tn