New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-07
STATEN ISLANDS MAIL SERTICE.
INSTANCES OF ITS INEFFICIENCY DETAILED
BY A SUFFERER

BY SUFFERER.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Few places within 100 miles OF New-York and
probably within the immediate limits Of the
Greater New-York possessed OF a more uncertain
or abomnable mail service than that with which the
present Administration has afflicted Staten Island
The individual who lives in the innermost recesses OF
country town reasonably expects to get his mali
within period Of twentyfour hours If he is within
short distance OF the City Hall, New York But
Staten Islanders do not. They are learning from
experience OF kind that Is anything but pleasant
that they might as well be in the Adrondacks instead
Of within FIVE miles OF the Mayors Office so far as
getting their letters with any degree of regularity
concerned In fact. they know that under the crude
moss-covered customs which exist anywhere
from a day a day and a half are necessary to get
letter from New-York at times, and woe be the
result II any mistake Is made In the address of the
letter. II the receiver gets in days he is ucky
Recently letter was mailed to a gentleman in one
OF the Offices the east shore of the sland-Staple-
ton. BY mistake this letter addressed to Tomp-
knsvle which Is a little less than mile from
Stapleton. and one station north OF H. The letter
mailed. az shown by the postmark in the early
afternoon from the General Pos;oice In New-York
The posmark at Tompkinsville showed that 1t arrived
there In the evening. The railroad mall clerk who Il
stationed at st. George then of duty and il
could not be him for reshipment to S;apeton
where properly belonged. The result that re-
mained in the Tompkinsvile postofice that night.
The next morning il was sent back by the early
mail. II finally got to its proper destination at
o'clock the next day or over twentyfour hours from
the time It left NewYork. The rNan service from the
island TO New-York Is almost bad. and so ur-
certain that individuals who must have fair degree
OF promp,ness employ messengers carry their
notes at increased expense. Letters which have
been sent from places on the east shore the T:21
o'clock mail In the morning rarely II ever get into
offices block away from the Postofice in New-York
at II o'clock This has been found to be the expert
ence OF the writer. Recently letter was sent from
the island leaving on the first mail The letter ar
rived at the General Posolce. according to the post
mark. four hours later An individual readily get
from Staten Island the City Hall with In nifty
minutes at the outside. Three hours and fifteen
minutes later this letter delivered from the POST
office to an ONCE In Fulton-st. 1t had oeen seven
hours in transit.
Staten Island people have other just complaints
against their mail service. About three years ago
the villages OF Port Richmond and Edgewater. which
take In large territory. promised under Demo
administration free delivery service. which
they entitled The poslofice inspector visited
the place laid out routes and then declared tina, the
..there is one barrier Your houses are not NUN
bered and until you number them and have signs put
on the street corners cannot go ahead
Nothing daunted the authorities went 10 work. had
the streets named. and after much work mad the
peope. no little number their houses.
The free delivery has not Yet been established and all
petitions and demands meet WIN yasue pIUHIes tnat
ly the Chamber Of Commerce revived the matter and
stirred up the Washington authorities They
told that in view OF the Greater New-York bill going
through matters would PROBABLY remain IN abeyance
the time The authorities in the Of Stapeton
use the unique for giving the place the
delivery that the village OF Edsewater is not on the
ostonfce map
Apropos Of the latter fact. the conditions they
exist somewhat mixed in regard TO OF loca
tions There IL Rosebank IN the village OF Edge
water and in the hamlet OF Fort Wadsworth is
pos office named Rosebank. The two latter names
railroad ma mes. Thus man living In Edgewater
calls himself resident OF Clifton and receives his mail
AZ Rosebank which is named after the sandy banks
in the rear OF the railroad Altogether the people
hoping for change and praying for the election OF
a Republican and change Of Admnistration
staten Island Sept. |. 1s,5. STATEN ISLAND
The Postofice officials OF New York say that IL there
1. anv ineficency In the mall service between Staten
Island and New-York /, will not be found in the de-
partment of which they have charge. The handling
OF letters in Staten Island itself Is something over
which We have no Jurisdiction whatever" said As
ssianf Postmaster James Gayler yesterday THAT Is
entirely In the hands OF the local authorities"
1t said at the order department Of the Postoice