Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-04-13
Our New York Letter.
NDw YORK, April Z. 1876.

tary OF the Treasury to the Post.
office and Custom House, stating,
that owing to lack Of appropria.
ton to cover such expenses, the
supply OF coal, water, and gas &c
these building must be at once dis.
continued. Ii may not seem SC
great a thing to be deprived of
these commodities for few days,
Excepting for the inconvenience to
clerks. but its seriousness will be
realized at once if one reflects for
a moment on the relation which
the Post Office bears to the COM
merce Of New York City, and
through it to the whole country.
So perfect and regular have become
workings of our postal system, that
our banks and merchants have come
to rely as implicitly upon the
Ipunctual arrival of their mail re
mittances to effect clearances and
meet obligations, as though the
cash was being hurried to them
by special messenger. So true is
this, that the detention for an hour
or two of a European or other i'm
portant mail, will crowd the office
with anxious business men clam
oring to know the reason of the
delay, and imploring the utmost
despatch possible. The largest
portion of the clerical work which
renders possible this prompt and
efficient service, is done at night,
or in other parts of the building
where gas is constant necessity.
With these points in mind, one
can easily imagine the consterna-
ton and distress which the closing
of the Post Office for even one
night, would cause; and that if
such Interruptions should be con
tinued for a week numerous fail
ures would result.
But just this was what the order
from Washington meant, and as
no disarrangement of mails had
followed, your correspondent call
ed at the Post.offce to learn how
the difficulty was surmounted.
Here in bis elegant Office be found
Postmaster James, a strikingly
fine looking man, with short iron.
grey hair, dark eyesand moustache,
a hearty voice and a cordial man
ner, with executive ability writ
ten all over him, and from himself
and his secretary learned the fol-
lowing facts in the case.
The Postmaster also holds the
position Of Custodian of the Build
ing, an Office in which his immedi-
ate superioris the Secretary of the
Treasury, and which, while it in
wolves immense additional respon
sibility and the giving Of extra
bonds, is filled by Postmaster
James without salary. 1t was in
this capacity, therefore, that he
received the aforementioned cir
cular. His reply was prompt, and
to the effect that as Custodian. he
should carry out the orders at
once. As Postmaster, however,
his course was very different, and
consisted simply in becoming per-
sonally responsible for the indies
pensible supplies, of which gas is,
of course, the main item, amount
ing to something like 500 perday,
and he remains so at the present
writing. This prompt action on
the part of Mr.. James, which "a
verted losses and damage to trade
which would have cost US dear, is
fully appreciated by the business
community, and the office is in re.
ceipt of numerous letters testify
ing its gratitude. Through the
courtesy of the Postmaster, your
correspondent was also afforded an
opportunity of inspecting the build
ing from sub basement to cupola,
and also the interior workings of
the different departments. Many
of the particulars when learned
would be of interest to your
readers, but must be reserved for
another letter.
At the Custom house1ittle troub.
lie was experienced, there not be-
ing same necessity there for night
work, and everything there is run
as smoothly as possible consider
ing the recent cutting down of the
force which was rendered necessa
ry by the spasmodic economy OF
the Government. Sixty employees
have been discharged this month,
and the Collector states that, as a
result, the Government is being
cheated of ten times the saving
thus effected, through the INSULT
cheney of the remaining force to
watch the importing business.
Plymouth can no longer boast of
the only first-class church distur-
bance liz this vicinity. A darkey
Methodist congregation, also loca-
ted in Brooklyn, is exerting it
i