New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-18

in 1881 were the appointment of Assistant Post
master Barnabas Bates, and of Cashier Samuel
was an Englishman, and Il clergyman by education.
lie introduced the system of msuring money letters
great deal of money by it. In l s3l the first safe
wa bought: 1t was strong wooden box, covered
where around the post-ofticc vet. In the following
year, 1852 the cho era ragged in this city and kiicI
tine st S Of peoP All that rHssb cond aEe
tIrr return: Ent Wien they came back th" G
OF Importance occurred. In 1880 the great fire
which destroyed the greater part of New York City
also burned the post office. The mails the furniture
the business of the office was conducted on the
sidewalk, and then was removed To- 4 shop in Pine
h.' next door TO the present Sub-Ircasury Two
weeks after the Office was removed to n building
called the Rotnnda situated in City Hall Park. fac
ing thainbcr5-St, and near COllcct-st now Centre.
The Rounda had formerly been used for the ex hb-
ti"n oil pictures, and was about fifty feet in da-
meter.
CHANGES AND CONFLICTS.
" IN 1896 1T was found that Postmaster Gouverneur
was dcfaultcr, and Jonathan l. Coddington was
appointed his successor. In the attcr's term Of
once the first attempts made to levy assess
mtn'S on the employees FOR political purposes but
were frowncd down by him. He bun an addition
to the postoiicc, increased the number of boxes to
ala, ana on complaint being made by the mcr-
chants that the Office was too far uptown estal-
l.
and Wiliam-st and charged cents for every letter
delivered from this city; as there were about
5000 letters daily, he made 500. The rents of
the boxes, sale of vast" materials and all local
earnings were also his omolmcntS. In Isl Mr. Cod
dngtons term of office expired, and in tho expccta-
ton of being removed hc did not renew his bonds
lr',ident Tyler thcr,upou wrote to him sayn.,
that lie had no intention of removing him and re-
qucstlng him to renew his bonds. Mir. Coddngon
compiled with the Presidents request: hut two
| lnr
Graham was appointed in his place. In 1915 tn,
post-oilice was removed to the Middle Uutch
Church, in Nassau-st. There he'd been some dini
Guilty III procuring this c,iIiloc. The prlcc dcuandrd
by the consstory was $3.50 900 while the Goyern
lnen was only willing to give $500, 900 The pro
Ject seemed about to be abandoned, when the Incr-
chant; made up the rest and the huldng was pur-
lSlG and held Office till lslo During his term Of
"ihcc attempts were again made TO levy political
assessments ON the employees, and this time the
parry making them, the Democratic. was aided and
allotted by the postmaster. lie removed letter
refusing 70 contributc to the campaign fund. The
HtG stephen whitney interested himself in the case
AND laid the matter before postmastcr-Gencrai
johnson; The latter made thorough invcstisa-
tion, and finding that Lynch had been removed for
political reasons only. ordered his reinstatement.
At TINS time 80 per cent OF the receipts was allowed
ior once expenses. and on petit of MIR Morris to
congress was Increased to go per cent. At present
is less than 40 per cent. AT this time the rate of
postage ON a single letter was Is cents for a distance
less han 80 miles 10 cents for more than 80 and
less than 60, l2i2 cents for over go and c.. than
400 niles and - cents far dsfan"@ cNc@r '';,,s
400 miles. On heavier letters the rates were IN
creased IN proportion to the weight. In ISIS the
rates were lowered to . cents for less than 400
miles and TO cents for over. Letters were almost
An association calling itself the Cheap Postage
HSsoclation and urging still lower rates. had been
formed under the presidency OF the former Assistant
Postmaster Barnahas Bates. He advised the public
10 prepay the new rates 50 as To create tronbc anti
lorce the introduction Of cheap stamps. In cousc-
quenco the windows of the post office were bcScccd
10y people eager 10 prepay their letters In order to
overcome this difficulty Postmaster Morris intro-
duccd stamps OF ms own, charging and 10 cents
apiece for them. The country poSma,tcrs would
not recognize this private stamp. In 1919 the
stamps and rates now in use were in.roducc.l In
the same year William V. Brady was appointed
postmaster, aud lac retained his office uni IS53
Isaac v Fowler was the next incumbent In IN5T
postal stations were established i'm ibis ct, 49, f
up as Twcuty-siXth-St. In 1850 IT va, fouud tI.,t
iMT' Fowler had emhclllcd large amounts of money
belonging to the office. He feel 10 "A forciu conn
try. General John \. Dix was his successor and
od until he Wa made Secretary of tho Treasury
THE OFFICE IN WAR TIMES.
During the War there were many exciting scenes
III the post oicc. The day after The firing on Fort
sumter the clerks subscribed for the purchase of a
SILK nag and stan, to be placed on tie building.
ne DAY OF HE f&g-raisng was a memorable one in
inc post-oilcc. Salutes fired from an old
prass cannon III the vacant lot front of the Office
and stirring patriotic speech was made from .
second story window by General Dix. The cnthus-
iasrn was great, and the crowd was so large that
several regiments could doubtlessly have been
raised on the spot. On the Office bc,,uin,, vocunt
by the appolntna mt Of General DIX 10 a CaLiurt
position, William Is. Taylor, who had been en-.
ploNrd III the onice from 1917. was appointed poe-
master. ne only served one year and was ,uc-
Gecded by Abram Wakeman. In the draft riots in
1868 Mr.. Wakcmans house in York Will, was
burned down by the mob and fears were enter
tanned that an attack would he made on rlr nost
office. One hundred guns with ammunition and
MY hand-bombs with five second fu~ccs were
brought from Governors Island The clerks ware
hSpt IN the building three days and drilled in the use
OF arms. Cannon were placed facing the doors and
the bombs were laid the ledge of the roof s." hnt
they could have been ignitcd and rollrI I,v,' a.,
tine heads OF an attacking mob. Kuitians wouII
nave been warmly received. An affair which has
dental killing of Il letter collector named Gsnr,, !
ILEldcr by the police in the riot in front of Tnr
In Mr. Wakcmans administration tbo i,,
dcht Offices at lorkvllc, Harlem, ManhattnnvijIc
hloonllngdaic lnwood and Fort Washington wrrr
discontinued and changed into stations In 1904
Mr.. Waterman resigned and was Succeeded bv lana.
Kelly, who held office until after the second r"t;"n
OF MI Lincoln. General Patrick II. Jones was The
neN postmaster, and continued in Office until SO
he less said about MIR ,oncS's administration ~,
better; me fact that on Colonel ,amcs's nppoint
inent he found the office in perfect state Of rhons
is enough to characterize that administrator Th
sunday after Colonel Jamess appointment We wnro
an ordered down to the Office and there found
eighty three mail bags containing matter that omnht
to have been sent off three days before. Rnt wc
soon got rid of it, ~ W.
IMPROVED POSTAL METHODS
Among the many reforms recently introduced
are the establishment of the auditors DEPART
lhen', the bulk-rate postage on newspapers !
aud magazines, and the perfecting of the rroi.,r !
department. The latter branch has been brought tn
the highest standard and is virtually a post o,ic.
within post-oiice The old independent Offices If |
Morrisania, fremont West Farms. WoodIo,y
kinrshrdGe, Riyerdac and Spuvtcn Duvvcl w,rn |
uisc3hticn ana changed into postal stations. II
would be an excellent thing if the Offices of Hroo
II, n, ooh \.