Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-16
/. THE PosToFFIcE.
Business Transacted Therein Dur.
ing the Past Year.

ing the Fast Xear.
Only three years ago the site upon
which Devils Lake stands WAS bare
prairie. One solitary log house marked
the only sign of human habitation.
Over the naked plain, where now stand
the solid evidences Of western enterprise,
in the shape ofsubstantial business blocks
and comfortable dwellings, were gather
ed the frosty offerings Of the north wind
congealed into folmidsble drifts by the
milder atmosphere that is reported here
by the Oldest inhabitant to be ''to the
manor born" From Oh. the starry sky
the glinting rays Of the full round moon
revealed scene Of lonliness that must
have been painful evcn 10 the gaunt
grey wolf who. taking his diurnal exer-
cisc, paraded the limitless cxpanse un.
molested. Little did this animal, long
since driven to the hen.roosts of Rock
Island, think then that the time was
near at hand when il would be danger
our for h,n. to cit upright on Stansburv's
"Mount Airy" and snarl at tho echoes Of
the night; or that he would be called
upon TO sacrifice himself upcn the altar
OF Sam Dodd's sheep corral in tho nat
ural endeavor Of procuring the blood of
u young mutton 10 sstiatc his abnormal
thirst.
Great changes haze taken place in
these three short years. The jingle Of
tho sleigh bell, tho rumble Of tho roller
mill, the snort of the iron horse, the
bang Of the grand piano and the clang Of
tho fire bell; tho in,pctuous "II,, there,
Jimmy" Of tho school boy as no hurls
the fleecy snow ball, tho "k.-yi Of moro
than 100 blood dogs tina. await tho
coming Of the 18th Of August and their
daily potion Of butchers bones, tho in
spired strains of music from the full
strung band, waited through the FROST
stained windows Of Terpsichore's abode,
the hum drum Of trade and the buzz of
Yankee bargaining--all attest the pres
cnce of civilization and denote the inilu-
cnce Of progress.
Three years ago Pete Morris, and Jim
Reed, and Cal pcrcival, and Mike Co.
burn. as each pulled out from the lend
of the track" then twenty-five miles
east Of here, carried in their inside coat
pockets the few missivcs that came from
far.of friends to the fewer denizens ot
the now celebrated Devil. Lake region.
Now the full-cquipped postal car, with
its blue-capped manipulation Of mails, is
but little more than equal to the emer-
gency Of carrying the tons of letters and
papers destined to tho people who have
taken home. here. Then such thing
as u postoffice was unnecessary; now,
two men can scarcely do the postal bus
mess ofthe town, aud the volume Of mail
is constantly increasing. Devils Lake is
the distributing point for northwestern
Dakota. Twenty-one postotiiccs are sup
piled from this place, and all the mail
routes Of this region center here. The
following tabulated statement of the bus
iness for 1855 will show the importance
Of the Devils Lake postofiice less than
three years after the town Was st,vted:
| Postal Business.
Receipts from sale Of stamps, inclul.
ing box ...."........ .s::s e.
Salary, clerk hire and expenses. s......SiyD 60
Receipts in excess Of eKpcn-cs.....-.. 1878 -
1 Min n Sj3Is 81
| Registered Letter Business.
Registered at this ONCE and orw ardeI. ....... 1885
Received and delivered .."...................l 1868
Handled in transit 1854
Total .7Ot2
No. Of registers male and forwarded in December,
2oJ
No. OF registers made aud forwarded In December,
J)a
| Showing an incrcass Of.
Money Order Business.
| Number Of orders Issued, Sl2l evs,. G,
Number Of postal notes, S74 e" s'A'''" o.
Amount VI fees received On orders
/ J8