Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-29
Facts and Figures In the Post Omee Ne.
si p0rtment, q 7{7Tz7

Did you ever read through a Patent
Office report for the fun Of the thing !?
/, We never have, but we have a friend
who has come the next thing to it. He
says he has just laid down, after a
careful perusal, the last report of the
Postmaster General and, furthermore,
he insists 1t was not so veiy stupid af.
ter all. Indeed, lie found in 1t a good
many items of general interest. II
you do not believe it, we give below
the statistics which he culled from it,
and which he has handed to the Jour-
nal for publication and you can Judge
for yourselves:
The number of Postmasters appoint
ed by the President is 1,2O6. The
number appointed by the Postmaster
General Is 3O,663.
Fifty-three cities in the United States
have the free delivery system. Num-
Der of persons employed to carry on
the postal service in the United States,
from the Postmaster. General to the
last appointed clerk, 44,655. a.
Number cf dead letters received for
| the year ending June 30, 1872, at the
Dead Letter Office, 4,24l,374 In these,
unregistered, there was $63, ,57S.96. In
the registered dead letters there was
$7,68372; total, 81, ,562.4S. OF this
amount $6l, ,282. .73 were deliverdt to the
owners The balance is awaiting dis
position. M +, ~,
Nineteen thousand nine hundred and
nineteen dead letters contained bank
checks, drafts, deeds, etc.
Eighteen thousand three hundred
and forty-eight of these were delivered
| to the owners.
Eight thousand four hundred and
fifty-six dead letters and packages con
tanned books, jewelryiand other prop
erty.g
Fcrty-three thousand and ninety
three contained photographs.
Twenty-six thousand nine hundred
and fifty-two contained receipts bills
of lading, etc.
Thirty y.eight thousand and twelve
contained postage and money stamps
and articles ofamall value.
One million five hundred and twenty
nine thousand seven hundred and sew
EN- had no enclosures, and were remail
ed to writer's. N
Three hundred and nineteen thous-
and two hundred Of these letters went
back to the Dead Letter Office and
were destroyed. F
Two million two hundred and nine
| ty-four thousand five hundred and
seventy-five had no name of local adj
dress inside, or they were iilegiblc, or
were circulars, and consequently de-
stroyed. IA y. g. 81 u
Three hundred and twelve thousand
eight hundred and forty-six had been
held for postage; were either wholly
unpaid or were not prepaid one full
rate, or were stamped with illegal or
revenue stamps.
Sixty-two thousand three hundred
and thirty-seven were misdirected ;the
Post Office, State or some necessary
part of the address being omitted.
Four thousand six hundred and for
ty.one had no address whatever.
On the 18th of July, 1872, there
were ,775 money order Post Offices
in operation in the United States.
| Two million five hundred and sew
enty-three thousand three hundred
and forty-nine domestic Chat is, with
in the United States) money orders
were issued in the year ending June
30, 1872. Their aggregate value was
$4S,5l5,531.72.
Two million five hundred and sixty
eight thousand three hundred and fif-
ty money orders were paid; payment
on only thirty three of these was
fraudulently procured.
Three hundred and fifty thousand
two hundred and eighty-five dollars
and sixty-six cents were received from
the public as fees by Postmasters for
money orders issued.
One hundred and five thousand nine
hundred and seventy-seven dollars
l and seventy seven cents Is the excess
of receipts oyer expenses for conduct.
ing money-order business for the year
ended June 80, 1872.
The salary of the Postmaster in N.
Y. city is $4,000 per annum. No other
Postmaster in the United States re-
ceives more than $4,000 per annum,
without any perquisites. Seventy
three Postmasters in the United States
only receive 81 per annum for their
services.
From October 1, 1871, to June 80,
1872, (nine months) $747, 7,426.0 were
| sent in money orders to Great Britain
and Ireland from the United States.
During the same time $780, 08ll.S3
were sent to the United States from
Great Britain and Ireland. Six hum
dred and thirteen thousand six hum
dred and fifteen dollars and twenty
five cents more being sent to Great
Britain and Ireland than was sent from
that country to the United States.
Eighty-five thousand five hundred
and seventy-nine dollars and ninety
two cents were sent to Switzerland in
money orders during the year ending
June 80, 1872.
There! If these facts and figures
are not worth knowing may, interest
ing-do not blame us for them. II
they are, our friend has requested us
to return thanks to Postmaster Gener-
al Creswell for his attention in send
ing him copy Of his report. During
all the months 1t has been laying on
his table, he says he did not know
what valuable mine of statistical in
formation he was harboring. Spring
field Journal.
REMARKABLE RECovERY.-One Of
the most remarkable cases of recovery
| from what no one could have suppos.