Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-01
THE NEW MAIL Man
Postmaster McKeal Takes the
Reins of Office.
MANY CONGRATULATIONS.
Mr.. Collins Summarizes the Great
Growth of the Office.
OFFICIAL TRANSFER DETAILS
MANY CONGRATULATIONS.
OFFICIAL TRANSFER DETAILS

a shower of congratulations for both gentle
men, a deiuge of official documents for Mr..
Mexican and a number Of expressions OF
bonhommie and good-fellowship which were
pleasant to all persons concerned. So COM
plete and perfect were the preparations that
have been in progress for over two weeks
that the transfer of $4,000 worth o. Gov
ernment property from Mr.. Larkin to Mr..
Mexican was accomplished in a few hours.
The United States Inspectors, Messrs. Riggs
and holmes, were surprised by the way
things were hustled along, and their ex-
animation, although careful, and their
severe scrutiny of accounts was accelerated
in every possible way. Everything was o.
X. and not q hitch occurred from first to
last.
Mr.. Mexican was assisted by Messrs. A.
/. Swift, of r. c. Smertz & Co.; John D..
Kramer, of the First National Bank of Al
lechenv; W. R. Errett aud Robert Mexican,
respectively cousin and brother of the new
postmaster. People are guessing which one
of the above four gentlemen will make up
his mind by o'clock this morning whether
or not the position of cashier in the post
Larkin was assisted by Superintendent OF
Mails Collins, ]. P. Larkin, G. G. Wagner,
Assistant superintendent of Mails, and
Cashier McCailey, Messrs. Riggs and
Holmes played star roles as watchdogs of
the treasury.
During the last hours of afternoon work
the suburban stations were transferred to
Mr.. Mexican by ymeans Of special statements,
very simple procedure. The Plttsburg
main Office transfer was a much more i'm
portart matter. The general property was
all listed in the most careful manner, and
Postmaster Mexican was instructed to per-
sonallv view every article enumerated, and
see it checked of the list. This painstaking
inspection occupied nearly two hours hard
work.
THE MONEY ORDER DIVISION.
In the money order division it was noted
what orders were paid, payable or in transit
what letters of advice were received, what
money was required to balance the business
of the day, and what the number of the last
money order issued by Mr.. Larkin was
The next money order issued will be con-
secutive in number. Whoever gets the first
money order issued this morning will have
Mr. McKean's official signature by legal
proxy. In the registry division the checks
and stamps were balanced and an account
ing made. The salable articles were all
gone over the sam: way, and a balanc =
struck to the sum of one cent All blanks
were numbered and noted and even mail
pouches and gunny sacks were placed in the
manifest.
When everything had been fixed up and
turned over to Mr.. Mexican, Mr.. Larkin
turned to his successor, and, with a hearty
handgrasp, congratulated the incoming Re-
publican postmaster of Pittsburg. There
were many congratulations, and the transfer
was made according to law. At II o'clock
Superintendent of Mail Collins invited
those present to the Hotel Duquesne, where
a quiet little dinner had been prepared to
commemorate the occasion of the evening.
Mr. Collins guests were the following gen.
tlemen:
James s. Mexican, John B. Larkin. w. c.
Connolly, A. E. McCandless, Robert Mexican,
A. L. Swift. Harry Schwab, w. r. Errett, g.
g. Wagner. Leonard Wales, w. c. Moor, ]. P.
Larkin, G. F. jain, II. W. Gleter and A. H.
Griggs, George n. Mccain and George Wei
shons.
LARKIN REMEMBERED.
Earlier in the evening Mr.. Larkin was
presented with gold watch and chain and
a pair OF ONYX sleeve buttons by the officials
Letter Carriers Association. To both of
these gifts Mr.. Larkin made an appropriate
and feeling response. Inspector Pattison
did not visit the PostOfice during the even
ing. the affairs of the postOffice not being
within his duties. Mr.. Mexican received
official notice last Thursday that his request
for ten new carriers had been honored, and
that he could proceed Immediately in filling
the list In the usual manner in conformity
with civil service rules.
SUPERINTENDENT COLLINS REPORT.
That the postofice business of a city fur
nishes as accurate an index of the growth
and importance of the city as the Clearing
House reports cannot be questioned. 1t is,
however, only at rare intervals that the pub
lie is enabled to digest the figures showing
the volume OF business of their postofice.
Such an opportunity has not been presented
for over four years; at least thoroughly
complete statement has not been made
within the term of Postmaster Larkin.
The immense growth of our CITY can
easily be discerned in the wonderful in
crease of the volume of the postofice busi-
ness. A very complete tabular statement
showing the figures by years as a basis of
comparison has been carefully prepared by
Mr.. Stephen Collins Superintendent Of
MdllS. 10 SdCu Ol Tue SuDlOllSO BdDleS MI.
Collins kindly appended a few remarks
which emphasize the story told by the
numerals:
The deliveries in the calendar year of 1889
were as follows;
Letters i3 335 366; postals, 2344, Ola; regisrers
Al newspapers, 4 4S9, ,l9S; carriers employed
a. Collections for the same year were. Let
tiers, 9,l96.69I; postals, 2S96,6l2; newspapers,
S22 297; pieces handled, IS, l267O7i per carrier,
S524l2
The cost of service was. Aggregate. SS4 464 l6;
mills, %: per carrier, SS9S IS; postage on local
matter STA l45 Y; increase in number of letters
delivered for four and a half years, SO per cent;
increase in number of postals delivered for
four and a half years, % per cent; increase in
number of registers delivered for four and
half years, so per cent; increase in number of
newspapers delivered TOR four and a half wears
53 per cent; increase in number of letters col
lected for four and half years, l3S per cent;
increase in number of pOstals collected for four
and half years, l47 per cent; increase in num-
Der of newspapers collected for four and q nalf
years. IS per cent; increase in number of pieces
handled for four and half years. SO per cent;
increase in cost of carrier service for four and
4 half years, Y per cent; increase in postage on
local matter for four and half years. LIS per
cent.
PITTSBURG'S PHENOMENAL GROWTH,
''The figures summarized above tell the
tale of Pittsburg's growth, said Mr. Col
Inns. "Oyer a hundred per cent increase in
delivered letters and postals indicates that
Pittsburg's business and social growth hss
been over double in the above period. Else
where 1 will explain the increase in the cost
OF carrier service. But in the latter item is
shown one Of the most potent reasons for our
demands that the Office be given increased
and superior facilities. The postage on
local matter has increased 11S per cent in
AZ wears, beats the record of any big city in
the country, even the big boomer towns of
the West and Northwest. But the chief
cause for congratulation is found in the
financial table which have prepared"
Increase in gross revenue for ~ years. 81 per
cent; Increase IN clerk hire allowance for AZ
years 80 per cent; Increase in cost of free de-