The New York herald., 1875-08-31
The Vast Edifce Thronged with
Curious Spectators.
CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE OLD AND TIE NEW.
Accommodations that VIII Suffice for
Thirty Years to Come.
THE FIRST FAST NAIL TRAIN.

Rarely the history Of this city Of business palaces
has the opening OF any building been attended with
such tremendous crush OF visitors as surged In cop
Gus streams through all tho corridors Of the new Post
01lce yesterday If any felt curiosity TO
Inspect palace OF letterS-and the name con
geys no exaggeraton to him who has seen lit was
well worth seeing tho crowd-a busting curious in
quisitive and rather wonder stricken multitude, who
pried into every hole and desired TO know
What each little for and expressed in
he end great delight and wonder the magnidcence
the structure and admirable adaptation TO It's pc
mliar purposes hundreds ofdetails. There was
renewal of this stream of visitors all day long,
br with truly American hurry and impatence the in
IpectIon was always sharp and quick, and every
minutes new 'sea OF faces" to be
ErRAL
A good many Of the cirosity seekers evidently
rural visitors who had probably just arrived, had
heard Of the gorgeous building and fastened
down to IT. There is doubt that
Tor some time TO come the new Post Once
will be OF the ''lons' Of New York and will
be included among its principal architectural sights
such as the Sub Treasury, the Custom House. &c To
visitor from Boston it affords also interesting
parison with the magnificent structure rearing in
the Hub, and which greatly resembles Post
Office in style and the luckless Chcagoan will doubt
gaze at it with twinge of envy when he remembers
how unfortunate his city has been with its costly
United States building. The writer rapidly
passing crowd CT Westcrners the ground floor yes
Ierday when he heard of them say . Damn that
hullett why didn't he give building like thisf''
That man must have from Chicago.
REVOLUTION CITY TRAFFIC.
II probably has been noticed by many that quite
number of restaurants, lunch counters barrooms and
other similar accommodations for hungry and thirsty
pnbc have recently been opened in the vicinity OF the
ediace in anticipation of the vastly increased
Tahc which always follows in the wake OF post Office
II noteworthy fact that already yesterday
lhis increase of traffic perceptible while
ness round the old building rather dreary to
In the place all had been silent hitherto,
while 1t now perfect hive; in the other all had
been life and bustle and had suddenly given way to
gloomy stiffness that have appeared most strange
10 old resident OF that quarter That many bitter
regrets followed tho removal OF the Post Office nobody
will doubt who realizes the serious loss resulting
TO SO many restaurateurs and tradesmen from
the dimnution of their traffic. These regrets
were only cqualled by the keen delight with
which the denzens of Park and the corresponding
portions Of Broadway and neighborng greeted
he opening OF the edhce which brings them both profit
md convenience, and which Is by many regarded as
eny the centre structure of magnificent array of busi
palaces be both in the not far
distant future.
A STRIKING CONTRAST
Nothing could be more striking than the great
rast between the old Post Office all New Yorkers
have seen it a working day, and the edihce
appeared yesterday. There all was old dngy mouldy
hded. The mdew and rot of time were upon every
window, every door, upon the lopsded furniture upon
he rusty hinges upon the beared and dismal aspect of
svery part Of the old church The very seemed to
be heavy though 1t had been confined too long in
lha al oil y,ac
get out Off Here what decided and pleasant change
Everything new, shining and beautifully clean;
Everything basking the abundance OF sun
Ihine and fresh air. Wide corridors spacious
apartments lofty ceilings and splendid furniture delight
The eye at every turn. The employed in the Post
Office all appreciated the delightful change from the
Postmaster down to the letter carrier They literally
reveed in the abundance of space air and light many
Of them having suffered much personal hardship by the
,rampei proportions the bad ventilation and the poor
light in the old structure The latter more especially
has impaired the sight of than old Post once
smpoye, that the change had a considerable sanitary
significance for them
STILL BUSY
The public at large, of course regard the building as
entirely finished but although it in working gear so
far the Post Office and the concerned much
BY way Of finishing touches remains to be done Accord
ing TO Mr. McAfee, the custodian of the building
formal custody transferred to Postmaster James
until tomorrow, September l. Some $50 laborers,
and carpenters still at work
yesterday in the new building On the
Park side they at work the
surgeons the mezzanine floor (Shere the phys
cal fitness of all applicants for positions in the Post
Office will be tested putting up partitions and putting in
the furniture On the ground floor they were still busy
putting in the fastcnings the doors and shut
ters. On the second floor number OF men might have
been seen cleaning the windows whose enormous size
forbids the employment Of women for the purpose On
the third floor large number putting down
pets and moving in furniture Whether tins work TO
pc suspended tomorrow for time or TO be carried to
completion without any interruption it yet remains for
Postmaster James 70 say
REMAINS BE DONE
One OF the most conspicuous wants in the build
Ing is directory to tho various Everybody
who had business with the officials naturally looked for
It entering through the great portico. Mr. McAfee
said that this important little feature be added to-
morrow. 1t viii be very welcome TO the public
md not less so to the officials, who were
yesterday with qucstioners Then the en-
closures the general delivery and postage stamp
windows the wardrobes where the carriers of the dis
rict have to leave their uniforms quitting duty
,ther small portions of the great work have vet to be-
completed. The proper labels the various windows
md doors remain also to be furnished experimenting
Architect Potter suggested at time that the letters
De painted the transOns, but the probability that
they will be emblazOned golden color on the door,
while for tho screen windows handsome metal plates
with black letters 70 be used place Of the pres
ent printed posters, which are only temporary make
Ihiits ill the others ready Then there the
nerous annunclators aud speaking tubes, which Will
hot be IN working order for days. All these, Of
course merely minor features, the absence Of
which will not impair the efficiency Of the department.
but only cause temporary Inconvenience.
WHAT THE POSTMASTER THINKS THE CHANGE
Postmaster James found hard at work yesterday
al his private Office IN the building He all
lay long the recipient OF many hearty congratulations
rom friends and other officials who large num-
Ders 10 admire his handsome quarters and perhaps
u was they who furnished the pTofuson Of nowers
HIS private room Is modest enough as regards his
public Office which adJoins IT, the general opinion ex-
II hx ia ~. atapt pt.ale ~
city The Office OF our Mayor certainly makes but q
poor showing compared with H. II Is especially the
Immensely LOFTY ceilings which mpart such an effect OF
grandeur TO the rooms the Post Office and this
Is strikingy manifest In The Postmaster's room
81 like our new quarters even better than antci-
pated should Postmaster James said In rcnly
10 the query to how he liked the change al was
somewhat afraid that we should not have light enough
owing the lnmensity OF the structure but now ind
that the Ilht Is perfect, and that you know is tho