The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-20

The Post Office.
The people Of Ottawa must thank Mcssrs.
King IS Hamilton for providing the city with
the new post office, thereby furnishing them
with decent, comfortable and economical place
to transact their postal business. For years the
old room has been too small very uunandy and
entirely insufficient for the business of the Of
flee, but not until this fall had an earnest step
been taken to make the change necessary
When, however, Messrs. King IL Hamilton made
their very liberal offer to the governments
agent, there was no possible excuse the depart.
ment could offer against the change, and their
proposition was accepted, hence the present
handsome and commodous building and Office
We will not today attempt a detailed dcscrip-
ton of the building proper, but only give an
idea of the new office in which the postal bust
ness Of the city will be transacted on and after
next Monday, as will be seen by the notice in
another place.
The postoice is situated IN the southwest
corner of the building, a room about 30x75 IT.,
with entrances on Jefferson and La Sale streets
The main room, exclusive of the mailing room,
is 30x50 feet, in which the boxes, &C., are ar
ranged, The general plan OF the cases is V
shaped, the point being hattened, at which is
the general delivery, WITH two windows, one for
ladies' delivery, and the other for gentlemen;
there are also here accommodations for the sale
of stamps. On either side of the are windows
for the call box delivery On the left are the
call boxes which extend entirely over that side
and also over portion of the right hand side
Nm ha orb bnynpl hpyps al
delivery case, are the Yale lock boxes of which
there are two sizes; one size is once and half
the size of the call boxes; the Others, the same
size as call boxes. Underneath these are the
lock drawers, double row extending round the
". There are also tour Of these which are
double size, built with special reference TO the
necessities of such firms as Osman IL llapeman,
and perhaps one or two Others who handle i'm
mense quantities of mail. There are call boxes,
Yale lock boxes of both sizes, and drawers.
The wood work Of the cases is all of blackwell
nut and pine, which is about #. high; above
are glass doors all through, which can be thrown
open for ventilation. On the right, to the right
of the Jefferson st. entrance is the registry and
money order department, Il room or feet
square, provided with necessary desks and ac
commodations for business. As this room is sep
arated from the main room, it can be heated in
winter. On the left is the entrance TO the Post
Masters office In the east end is the mailing
room, large and convenient and supplied with
the necessary furnture for the mailing clerks
in this room i; also the vault, supplied with the
celebrated Debold's combination lock iron doors
All the Windows, rooms, drop.lettGr and newspa-
per boxes, are plainly marked by neat medallion
figures set on the doors or over the windows, &c.
On the whoe, it is one OF the most convenient
and handsomst offices of the country. Outside
the cases, there is an abundance of room, giving
owners of boxes an opportunity to get at them
readily Notwithstanding the crowd.
Renters of boxes will be supplied with one
key free; if, However, they wish more than one,
they can be obtained by making deposit with
the postmaster of 50 cents each, TO be returned
when the keys are returned, and the box given
ap,
After the Inconvenience Of the old office, the
public will not be slow to appreciate the bene-
Cts of the new, and we trust that they will re-
member that Mcssrs. King IL Hamilton have
spent something like $4,000 on this room, for
which they receive not a cene for the next ten
years