The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-12-20
POSTAL PROGRESS.
An Interesting Sketch of the Growth and
Development of the System.


Ex-Postmaster General James in his adj
dress at Woodstock, Connecticut, gave o
very interesting little sketch of the growth
and development of our postal system. Ac-
cording to this statement the first Office in
America was established ut New York in
In 1740 road was blazed from Paulus Hook.
now Jersey City, to Philadelphia, over which
the mail was carried on horseback, but at no
stated intervals. In 1853 Benjamin Frank
lin, then postmaster of this city, was made
Deputy Postmaster General of the Colonies,
and so improved the service that it produced
revenue to the Crown of triple that of Ire
land. The fact that the economical philoso-
pher had made postal system self-sustain-
ing was SO startling thing, even in those
days, that the British Postmaster General
commissioned Hugh Finley as Surveyor of
Pest Roads Of the Continent Of North Amer
lea, and sent him over here in 1878 to see
how it was done. Mr.. Finley's tour began
at Casco Bay, in Massachusetts, Colony and
ended at Savannah, Georgia, occupying
period Of a little over nine months.
He kept q journal, the manuscript Of
which is still preserved in the archives of the
Post Office Department at Washington.
The perusal of this precious document re-
veals the fact that human nature in the Post
Office has not changed much since that day.
Mr.. Child, the Falmouth Postmaster, COM
planned of the liberties the neighbors took
Will lu 1aet 10 fap ~
privacy, and inducing him to ask for the APP
pointment of a successor unless separate
Office was furnished him. At Boston the
mail was received on Saturday afternoon, at
six o'clock, and complaints were made of the
stupidity of the Postmaster-a complaint
which sounds familiar even in our day. On
his way from New London to New Haven
he encountered several sarcastic people who
inquired if he had not met the postman
driving oxen At New York he found the
Postmaster doing the postal business OF
that young city with the aid of one clerk
and one rnnner to deliver the letters.
Franklin's administration was found to be
business one and very effective; but, as he
was opposed to King Georges administra-
ton, he was removed, thus showing that
political removals began in a very early pc
Rod of our history. When our Constitution
was adopted the Post Office Department
was organized by the appointment of Sam
uel Osgood as Postmaster General with his
headquarters in the New York Post Office.
He was allowed one clerk to assist him,
which certainly was not a very imposing
array Of assistants. There were then only
seventy five post offices and one thousand
eight hundred and seyenty-fiye miles of post
routes in the United States. The total ex-
pendtures for the first year were 1872, 40;
the total revenues, $37, 1875, leaving sur.
plus of $5,795 At the end of the fiscal
year, June 80, 1881, the rs post offices had
increased to A, 512 and the 1875 miles Of
post routes to 344, 00C miles, The total ex-
penditnres had increased from 1876, 140 to
$39, 251, 73C.46 and the total receipts from
$3.50, 1886 to 1886, 1856, 1892. For the year
ending June 80, 1882, the department has
been self-supporting for the first time since
the war Of the Rebellion, The greatest
deficit IN the department since its establish.
ment occurred during the closing year Of
Buchanan's administration, when it reached
the enormous amount Of $40, 952, 542. 50.
Since that time it has been gradually grow
ing smaller and now is self-sustain'i e.
->--40s~-.>-
Additional reading natter on fourth