Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-16
IMPROVEMENTS IN TIE Posi- OFFICE

the records OF the POSt-Offlce Department.
In 1886 nearly all of the records were
destroyed by fire. Since that time as fast
offices and rooms of the Department, they
have been bundled and slowed away in
the basement, in a somewhat disordered
manner, but as we'll rs the limited and
inconvenient space would permit. In
searching for information concerning the
transa ctions of former Years, while it can
sometimes be found in a few minutes, it
not unfrequently requires a half day to
find the particular document wanted. As
soon as the new rooms are finished in the
basement. a detail of competent clerks
will be made from the different divisions.
and all the papers and records so arranged
and shelved as to be available at a mo-
ment's notice. The inside tier of rooms
next to the inner court of the building will
lie used for this purpose. Another inn
portant improvement has just been begun
under the supervision Of Chief Clerk
knowlton. The Postmaster-General first
declared that every letter that was received
At his Department, no matter how impor
tant OF how unmpOrtant, Should receive Il
respectful reply ut the earliest possible
moment. 1t has been the custom to refer
all letters to their proper divisions to re-
ceive attention, bat no record was kept
Of the final disposition Of them. 1t thus
became IN easy matter for clerk to
pigeon hole or throw into the waSte-basket
letters Of inquiry or complaint, especially
if that clerk had been tempered with by
the parties who feared complaint the
parties knowing to which desk it would be
referred. Under the new plan the con-
tents of all letters are Motel on printed
blink. which must be filled out and signed.
the letters placed on file, and the notes
turned over to the Chief Clerk, by whom
a record is kept of them, so that the letters
can be found Immediately or some one
held responsible for them. 1t is found
that more and better work is accomplished
by this than under the old system.
\ very curious circumstance has be
come known in connection with the
Treasury robbery. \ few years ago
twenty thousand dollars were stolen from
the Treasurer's off re, and upon the same
day it was discovered that q certain name
less gentleman, with several friends, visit
ed the vaults. OF this twenty thousand
dollars six thousand only We're recovered.
This sum was placed bg some unknown
parties to the credit of the Treasurer Of the
United States through 4 New York bank.
No further clue to This robbery was ever
discovered. 1t happens that on the same
day when the fortv-seven tn ru>and dollars
were taken. this very same gentleman who
went through the vaults several wears be-
fore when the twenty thousand We're taken,
also visited the vault, with several friends.
There may be nothing in this peculiar
coincidence, but it is fact which has
come to the knowledge of the detectives.
and which is being Considered by them.
POISONED WATERS. The Lancaster
OPenn.) Hammer of Saturday says In
formation has been given Us, on very re-
spectacle authority. that the water
in the eastern end of Pennsylvania
Canal. and extending westward some dis
lance has recently become poisonous in its
character, vet at the same time. of the ma
rne color. and >in-ultr!y transparent. even
to the whole depth, in its deepest parts
canal has been poisoned. and can be seen
ccl>, snakes. and all kinds of ti>h. even
bass. lay dead in the water, since this phe-
nomena has presented itself some
thought the pumping out of the coal mines
and the flow of the noNIou> water into
the SuSquchannt. and thence into the CT
nal, nj ght be the cause; others surre>,
that linc-boats have been sunk in the ca
nal somewhere above. Bat there are
i, ~ u,
ton of the cause, on account Of the Ioc:.-
ion of the feed Of the canal, and the river
not partakinr of this corruption at that
point The second idea seems improbable
rs there would be nothing in lime to de
>troy the fish. We shall doubtless hear
more of this before long"
The great boiler at the mill of the Smith
Paper Company in Lee. Mass, exploded
with terrific effect. the S.h. The. boiler
house, u stone building - by 50 feet. was
totally demolished. and three boilers. be
sides the exploded one, weighing from l.
to 20 tons each. We're thrown in various
directions. 50 great was tn. force of the
explosion that a piece of the boiler. weigh
M three tons, >ailc like Il Kite over adj
joining buildings and fell in the rear OF
the village hotel. ABOUT lOO rods from the
boiler-house. The boiler WAS TWENTY-FIVE
feet long and seven tect in ditlnctcr A
mlllwrlght. named Brown. who was max
lng repairs on the premises, WAS killed
outright, nearly the whole of his heal
beng cut OF 10y a mass of BRICKS Mr.,
tallOn. an operative. WAS injured 50 badly
that She cannot Recover. Mrs. Dt,nls,.v
had an arm borken by jumping from Il
window III the mill to escape from The >utf,
eating steam. and a dozen others Were
more or les, injured.
The MEXICAN BORDER TRouBLES.-A
dispatch from Brownsville. Texas. of June
Is, says: Intelligence has been received
here that yesterday morning Capt. Nc
Nicely OF the State troops. with a few of
his men, pursued, and after forced march
of % miles overlook L band of II cattle
thieves, aboat l. miles below thi, place
They showed fight, and in the engage
ment which ensued, the whole band of
raiders We're killed. Capt. McNeely lost
one man killed. He recap,urel 80 head
of stolen cattle.
Speaker Blaine WAS severely injured.
and Vice President Wilson and Ann,
Louise Cary, the opera singer, were we'll
shaken up by an accident on the Harlem
Railroad Saturday. The car was thrown
from the track while going at a rapid
rate.
1t is stated that by the eruptions of old
volcanoes. continuing for Several weeks.
several villages and towns in Iceland have
been destroyed, a number of lives lost
and several thousand people rendered
homeless.
Smallpox and diphtheria are steadily
increasing in New York city. During the
week ending May 3lst. III cases of thu
former and a of the latter were reported.
and last week l26 cases of smallpox and
e. of diphtheria