, 1874-05-17
The POST-OFFICE.

IHL EO61-OI NlNL1s
Row work Goes On by Day and by
Night.
The peaceful Or other citizen who receives
his daily epstle or newspaper from the hands Of
the active carrier does not much trouble himself
about the doings Of the Post Office as concerns
the internal arrangements OF that establishment.
Ho does not reflect on all the Hleepless hours,
1.-The r1gils long," and the mild profanity ex-
pended by Uncle Sans employees in the work OF
sending postal communications to their proper
addreBses- Indeed, there are thousands of per-
eons resident in Chicago who hardly know, and
who certainly do not much caro, that clerks
and distributors are kept at work all night
long receiving and sorting mail All tho
departments OF tho Post Office, with the
exception of the carriers, are kept open without
internission as, otherwise, it would be simply
impossible to arrange aud dispose OF the immense
amount OF matter daily and nightly deposited
there.
THE POSTAL SYSTEM
Of this city, since the accession OF Zen. Jonn
Macarthur to the Postmastership, has become
metropolitan, and the manner OF delivery has
bean very much Eimplided- So lately as one
wear ago tba entro mail OF the city WAS delivered
from the main Post~0hice, no branches e1lstlng.
Now there nre ei1 postal stations in the city,
distributed as follows: North Division. North
CIark Street Turner Hall, Is carriers:
Northwest Station, corner OF Milwaukee,
avenue and Fig street. 5 Carriers west
Diyieion, corner of Halsted and Washington
strcets, &c carriers Sourthwest Station, corner Of
Ashland avenue and Eighteenth street II
carriers; South Division Station, corner OF state
and Ihirty-second streets, II carriers; 6socK
Yards Station, Transit House, carriers.
There are retained at the main Post-Omce,
corner Of Wabash avenue and Harrison street.
IS carriers, WHO attend to the two Divlslons OF
HStation A"-the first Of which Is comprised
between the main and south branches OF the
river, in the north and west, and between honms
street and the Lake on the south and east. The
second division Of the section 1s bounded oy
Adams street on the north and Twenty-thlru
street on the south, the northern half OF the
latter thoroughfare being included. Ihe lake
and river form the boundaries.
DURING THE DAT.
The workings Of the day department have been
a1reody fully described The mail received at
The Post-Ofice is divided into six casses, ~
bulk, and shipped, in regular mail bass. doly
nose Al the district stations it is redlstr1buted
for the different carriers, WHO commence tncl1
rounds at o'clock in the morning: and make
their last "route at 4:S0 in the afternoon. Inc
Superintendent Of the Free Delivery Department,
lfr. JOHN II. Hubbard, has laid out capital
n|ap. intricate in appearance but simple IN exc
cution, By which all mail received for TINS CITY
can bo delivered with expedition that is truly
astonishing.
TIE present main building, as is well known,
was built for the purpose OF worship and il not,
therefore, the best place in the world for postal
| business, but everything has been arranged n
the best possible manner, 80 that business conld
not be more expeditions If conducted IN the hnest
structure ever built by the Government The
mail received at night is also divided into 1ts
proper sections but one man from each station
is detailed to separate it for the respective car
riers 80 that the latter can leave on their routes
when they report p tie moin'ng ho
way. The employees detailed at the general Of
flee for ..-
come On at o'clock, 13 arc kept at work until :!
O'Clock next morning, and ~ are enployeo iln1il
midnight, These are not by any means entirely
occupied by city work. They also sort and place
| in their proper boxes or other recePtacles, the
| letter and newspaper mails Tor the DIN efent
| States and Territories, Europe, and other parts
/ Noney-Order Department, and half-a-dozea In IN
the negistered-Letter Room Three or tour
| bows are constantly employed in stamping al the
letters received, aud this they do with an expe-
| dition that is utterly overThemlns 10 ~ ~
| uuinitiated observer. Elevators convey the
packages Of letters, newspapers. ana pamphlets,
| from the upper to the lower floors, and vice
| versa, SO that the amount OF hauling done ), ls
| materially lessened. There are hours OF the
| eyening when the amount Of mail received is SC
larxe that it appears nothing short Of mirncu-
lous how the clerks can ever dispose OF It IN an
| intelligent manner, Yet, the number OF mis-
| takes made is comparatively few, Tor, IN tnls az
in cverv other detail sMr- Hubbard has laid down
plan by which every negligence OF error can bs
| detected, and the distributor who Is unfortunate
| cnouqa to keep up series Of blunder2n8s Il
almost certain Of official decaplIatlon'
| TIE DISTRIBUTORS
at work look like so many composito1s, ane
throw letters into their proper boxes with
| that electric rnpidity which distinguishes
| veteran "typo," ~bile engaged III his useful &C
cupation. Tbs General Mail Department is uode'
tue supervision OF Capt. Maurice J. MeGra:h
| md tie night duty is superlntendeo py hf
The assortment of newspapers is tho mos1
| 1aborious work connected with tho post-ohce
! and this is what detaius moro than dozen me1
| all through the night. Tho Clerks employed II
| tie Letter Department are rarely detained be
I youi o'clock in the morning.
= n any Young man, anxious to have ian eas1
| time = IN the Government employ, wishes to 20
| come disabnsed Of that idea, lot him try and N
iuce Gen. Macarthur to give h1m q berth as
| nipht distributor.