Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-11-20
Editorial Correspondence
WANDERIN Discontinued.

At last accounts we were at the Kirby
House in Milwaukee. We are not there
now, and so propose to post our readers
little further in regard to our soander-
ings. Leaving Milwaukee at 4 o'clock P.
M. on Saturday, we arrived in Chicago at
u o'clock the same evening. The follow
ing day being the Sabbath, we attended
the Centenary NJ E. Church, and heard
the eloquent and noted divine, r. M. Had.
field, preach two Of the best and most
powerful sermons we ever had the pleas.
ure of listening to. In the afternoon we
attended the Centenary Sabbath School,
and heard some most delightful singing
from chorus of voices who apparently
understood their business, and were not
afraid of performing it.
Chicago is truly growing city. Bust
ness blocks of huge proportions, magnif-
cent and costly residences, and cottages
without number, are being erected in all
parts Of the city. Four, five and six story
marble front business blocks, are going up
on La Sale, Dearborn, Clark, State,
Washington, Randolph, and other streets
in the heart of the city. Potter Palmer's
new six story marble front block is an or
nament to any street. The Chicago Trib-
une's immense fire proof block, is an I'M
mistakable evidence ofprosperity and sue
cess. Camp Douglas and the mile race
course on the south side, are now nearly
covered with buildings. The tunnel un-
der the river on Washington street is pro-
crossing rapidly and will be completed in
few months.
The school census has just been COM
pleted. The population is set down at
2,054, value of real estate at $l74, AGO.
$50, personal property $55, 1856, 34o-total
$23o,257,oOo.
The Chicago post office is one of the.
"big things" of the city. This immense
pile of marble is situated on the corner of
Monroe and Dearborn, and is second in
size in the union. A few figures gathered
from official sources, of the business for
the current year, will show what is being
done. The number of letters received for
distribution 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 papers de-
liyered by carriers, and seven million let
tiers are collected by these same carriers
about the city in the post Office boxes.
Five hundred and fifty thousand dollars
worth of stamps and stamped envelopes
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 hun
drcd thousand dollars were paid last year,
and money deposits of nine hundred
thousand dollars were received from other
Offices. The annual list Of registered let
tiers delivered and dispatched, reaches
one hundred thousand. The free delivery
of letters employs seventy six carriers, who
IF ha cif from 20
six times daily, an arrangement that daily
grows in favor,and prevents endless trouble
and confusion. One hundred and twenty
two clerks are employed, and double that
number would be needed had not practice
made them perfect in their difficult duties.
The daily receipt and dispatch of tons of
mail matter, suggested to Mr.. Sherman the
idea of a railway in the basement, which
he has just carried into effect. At its ter
minus the contents are raised by an eleva-
tor to the mail wagons. In every part Of
this vast establishment clock work rcgu-
larity is the rule, and so vast is the vol
ume of business increasing, that the whole
building will soon be required for the ser
vice. Quite curiosity is the daily pack
age of letters misdirected. Confding
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 enables the Off
Gals to do aught but consign them to the
dead letter Office. A perfect museum
might be made of articles that people at
tempt to smuggle through the mails. a
medicine case, a water spout, an iron drill,
and ladies' shawl were few of the arti
cles that met my own eye, each of which
were confdingly deposited with tao cent
stamp attached. The Office is rare Gu
riosity to visit, has its own organ, edited
by the chief clerk, Mr.. David Green. and
under the vigorous administration of its
chief, Mr.. F. T. Sherman, seconded by the
assistant, Mr.. Squires, and other heads of
departments, seems as perfect as possible
in every detail of its management.
1t would doubtless be interesting to de-
scribe every part of Chicago as minuely
as we have done the post office business,
but our space will not permit, and we
must close. WV.