The Portland daily press., 1881-01-12

POSTAL expenditures were..14, S74,772 36,1O1 1921
Postal revenues were..... S,51s,o67 1885, AIS
Postal deficit was. 6,356,7 2,7S6342
The deficiency in 1880 being less than per
cent OF the gross expense-i. g. last year the
government received more than go cents for
every dollar expended, while in 1860 it only
realized about 81 cents.
The northern states contribute 81 per cent.
OF all the postal revenues, and occasion only
"a per cent. of the expenditures, while the
South pays only ISL per cent. of the revenue
but calls for rs per cent of the expense So
that in the South there was last year a deficien-
cy OF about 3 "a millions, and in the North a
surplus revenue of about one million.
In 1860, $4,000 was received for registry
fees; in 1880, 100000. Only one registered
letter in 6,25S is lost.
Free delivery was introduced in 1868 In
l04 cities 2,6SS carriers handled 932, 121, 843
pieces in 1880, at an average cost to the govern
ment of I of CENT piece.
The money orders were first issued in 1864
and now extend to 1929 offices. Last year
$200,000,00O was transmitted in 144 million
domestic money orders without loss to the
u
of aquarter of a million dollars. The average
amount of each order was $14, the average
fee ID cents, and the whole less to the United
States was only $5,435.
The Thanking privilege was abolished in
1878, and the same year postal cards were put
in circulation, of which 272, $50, 500 were sold
in 1880.
In 1860 single letter postage for over 5000
miles was ten cents, and newspapers,
pamphlets, &c., paid one cent an ounce; now
transient papers pay one cent for two ounces
and publishers mail their papers to subscribers
at cents pound.
Foreign postage has been reduced from 80
cents to an average of cents.
In 1860 every person in the United States
paid, on an average, % cents for postage; in
1880, 6S cents.
Iu 1860 one letter out of every 11S miscarried;
in 1880 only one out of 2S9.
During the past three years only $2,755 out
of nearly 800 millions has been lost by post
masters
The railway mail service was inaugurated
in 1864. Last year 2,65S, 4S3, 22O pieces were
distributed upon 800 railroads during trans
portation of 81, 1885, 1893 miles.
Our own post office seems to be doing its
share of this great work. Like Satan of old
we have during the waning days of the de-
parted year, been going to and fro and walk
ing up and down in it; and now give our
readers the result of our observations and in
quiries.
The early bird that frequents the corner of
EXcha and Mid61a cfra will
the work of the day begins at g. just the
genteel hour for June, but rather early in
December.
The first job Tor the morning clerks is the
sorting OF the midnight mails for city delivery
For this purpose the mail matter is separated
into three divisions:
First, the lock boxes and drawers, 600 in
number are attended to.
Meanwhile the free delivery mail is laid
aside for the carriers Then the rest of the
city mail is sorted alphabetically for general
delivery, the mems and women's mail being
assigned to different compartments.
By this time the early mails require atten-
ton, the first leaving for the Maine Contra l
at 6.30
AT the first mail (after the Pullman)
reaches the office over the same road.
The last mail leaves for Augusta at 5, and
the last arrival for the day is at $50 from the
Boston & Maine Railroad
Between these hours mails are arriving and
departing at short intervals, and the work of
receiving, opening, distributing, delivering,
postmarking, sorting, making up into routes
and mailing is constantly going on. AT 10 the
days work is supposed to be closed
From 10 p. IN. to a. M. the office is in
charge of the night clerks who despatch and
receive the two midnight mails and work up
on the early mails until a. m.
The lock boxes are accessible from a. m.
to 10 p. m. throughout the year. The general
delivery windows are open from s a. m. till
$50 p. M, and in summer fro 73O to $50.
The cashiers office is open for the sale OF
stamps, &c.. from 8 m. (7.3O in summer) to
$50 p. M; for registered letters from a. m.
to p M, and for money orders from 8 a. m.
to 5 p. m.
An average of 63 pouches of mail and g.
sacks OF papers is despatched daily over the
different lines, and 40 pouches and 100 sacks
are received for distribution.
This work is all performed in the main
Office
The different railroad companies transport
the mails between their stations and the post
office at their own expense; the night mails in
covered wagons.
The carriers Office work begins at 6 a.. N.
and ends at 9 p. M.
First, all mail arriving after 5 of the previ-
GUS afternoon is taken into their room in tie
north corner, duly stamped with the carrier
post-mark and sorted into the ten carrie,
routes. Then each carrier sorts his own mail
into streets and starts on his first delivery be.
tween and 8; the last delivery is made Eabout
33p. m. -Four collections are also made from the
70 street letter boxes daily.
Every piece has to be counted and entered
Oh each. carriers daily return and is then taken
to the post-marking table. A carriers daily
walk is estimated at between % and 90 miles
so that it takes him little over three years te
travel distance equal to the globes oircum
| ference.
In rallied enclosure adjoining the Postmas
ter's room is the cashiers department. Here
seven young ladies under the direction of the
cashier sell stamps, postal cards and stamped
envelopes, issue and pay money orders and re-
ceive and deliver registered letters. Here al
so packages are received and weighed, boxe,
rented, the accounts and records kept. anG
clerks and route agents paid.
Our post office antedates the revolution and
| extends into colonial times. In 1775 the Con
| tinental Congress appointed BENJAMIN Frank
| lin Postmaster General for the thirteen colon
! les.
Franklin commissioned Deacon Samue
Freeman as Postmaster of Falmouth Oct 9Th
| 1875 Deacon Freeman was Postmaster O
Falmouth and Portland nearly 80 years, unit:
he was removed by Jefferson on account of hi
| Federalism, June 80, 1904.
This is a list OF our postmasters since 1775:
| |. Samuel treelnan.... 1775-1SO.
| 2. Thomas NJ Prentiss. ....... ......lSO4-1SOI
| 3. Joshua Wingate, Jr., .1sO5-1SO,
| 4. James Wingate ............... 1SO5-lSli
8. Robert Ilsley ...............,.....1S l5-1S2.
| .. Math. Harris ...............,. 80:
| z. DIR. Nathaniel Law. ....1S23-lS2;
| 9. Nathl Ailtheu .1S29-1S3.
>. Thomas Todd. 49,. .1S34-133
| ~. Nathaniel Mitchell. ..,..... 1S39-1S4
II. Col Sylyanus 4 Lyman. .1841-1s4
| II. Nathaniel l.. Woodbury.. .1o45-lS4
10 Josnda Duhn ........ 1S49-1S6
| Ia. Nathaniel l.. Woodbury.. 1S5:-1S5
| l5. samuel Jordan ....,. IS57-1 SO
| IL. Major Andrew I. Dole ......... 1S61-1S So