National Republican., 1888-04-08
POSTMASTER ROSS HUNTING
FOR \ SUITABLE BUILDING FOR
POSTOFFICE PURPOSES.
Those Obtainable Not Acceptable in
ANY Respect-An Oncr to Build lie
Could Not Entcrtnin-Th search to
he Prosecuted.

Little lid Postmaster John D. Ross i'm
aGinc when he started out To- search furAI
temporary building for the city postoflicC
that the authority given 10y Congress to Sc
cure lease on such building would be t.
him what the elephant was to the man who
drew IT,. lie doesn't know what to do with
II, His search has been in vain. All the
available buildings In the city have been cX-
Gmined by that industrious gentleman, act
ing rs agent for the Postmaster General I'm
the matter, but none found suitable.
A reporter of the REPUBLICAN called on
Mr.. Ross at his rooms in the National Hotel,
and was cordially received Ivy that gentle
man. On stating his errand, Mr. Ross said.
81 certainly will give you all the iuforma-
tion IN my power on that subject. ! con.
slider the REptBIGCAN a most excellent pa
per, and the SUNDAY edition Is one of the
hest papers issued in the city and ! enjoy
reading II every sunday
lie then reviewed at length his search
among the available structures, and cspe-
cially the buildings known as the medical
museum and The E-slrcct rink, and they
were rejected. THE reasons for the reieC-
tion of these two buildings were published
in the REru BLICAN fully at the time. J
Next Mr. Ross turned his attention to the
building on the corner Of Thirteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue northwest, known
as the census building, aud in It found that
II came nearer what was wanted than any
other building in the city, and he began to
hope that his search was at an end. But he
was doomed to disappointment, as that was
occupied as offices for u southern railroad
company and could not be secured Other
buildings were investigated, but with the
same rcsult--thcy were either too small or
occupied.
~. ,I;- ,i,,s Al. 80, ,..,-, 4. - -..... ...
what exhausted. On last Friday morning
a committee of citizens representing the
owners of the old Lincoln Hall property,
corner of Ninth and ID streets northwest,
waited on him and asked him to examine
that location and see If II would suit. The
owners would erect building for that pur-
pose provided they could agree on the plans,
and If the government would lease Il for
term of years. Although the latter clause
of their demand could not be complied WITH
Mr.. Ross investigated the location and
found that the lot was 100 feet square,
and If building was erected thereon it
would cover an area of 10000 feet, or lit
tie more than that now occupied BY the
present building in which they are located.
In order to transact the postutllce bust
ness in building on that location II would
he necessary to have q large driveway In
the rear from the ID street side. Allowing
about 1000 feet oh each floor for their use,
and that was just about the space they have
now. So, although the negotiations have
not been dropped for this location, II Is not
expected that the offer of the owners will
Ire accepted.
Mr. Ross has about given up the hope of
securing a building suitable for the pur-
poses or that some citizen will build such a
one necessary on private property, and he
Is tirnipOr NJ IN 70 l,n nlt
bility of having a temporary building erected
on some of the public reservations. After
careful consideration of the latter project,
Mr.. Ross has decided that building one
story high and covering an area of about
10000 feet or two stories high, covering
1000 feet is the dimensions that the tenn.
porary building should have As to the
cost of erecting such building, lie at pres
sent has not come to a defiuite conclusion,
hut thinks that $4,000 or $4,000 would
suffice for the purpose. II such building
Is erected ii will probably be of a material
that can Ire used in other buildings erected
by the government. Mr.. Ross does not
think II would he advisable. il such a build
ing was decided upon, to put up too costly
one, as il is well known that Congress will
erect suitable structure at some time for
the purpose.
As to what reservation the temporary
building will occupy, il such Il course Is
adopted, Mr.. Ross said that he had no idea
1t had been suggested that the most access-
bic location would he the southeast corner
of Judiciary Square, hut it was questionable
il another building (even temporary one)
would be tolerated there such hue and
cry having been raised when the pension
office monstrosity was erected there. If the
Judiciary Square location could not be
secured, then the nearest convenient public
reservation would be that Of Armory Square.
But it will be time enough to select the
location when Congress authorizes tenn
porary building to be erected.
Mr.. Ross is deeply interested In getting
his office out Of its present place, and has
been interchangeable in his endcayors to find a
suitable building.