New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-15
"HELLO. WASHINGTON"
pocTN,.STER SULLIVAN EXPERIMENTS
WITH THE LONG-DISTANCE TELhPHoNh
N TRANSACTING OFFICIAL BUSINESS.

Andrew r Sullivan the Postmaster OF BROOKLYN
had \ novel experience last week. To tell the
truth tho whole truth. and nothing put ,he 'ru'''
II may be added that he had two novel experiences
but only one OF them is worthy TO be marheu VII"
a white stone . an. ~
A "a now known by everybody, the Postoihce DE-
partment after considerable backing ana hi'ihs
o,auv decided n fortnight ago. that the pro-
I'D, ~ free delivery I'm Brooklyn's large annexed
district should begin on the first OF May "he"
This decision was reached II left rather scah' uho
for securing the necessary quarters lot inc SIN
carrier stations that TO be established IN this
,o,rl,orv procuring furniture and making other
arrangements.
The needed buildings. however. were selected anu
,.,r,uauv approved by officials OF the Depart
mont, but the formal approval, although expec'eu
nv Mr. Sullivan by the middle OF last week. had
not arrived and he began to grow nervous as
each succeeding mall failed to bring 1t. lie was IN
an cxpectant frame Of mind constantly. but wheh
Friday mornings mail came In and the looked-tor
document did not arrive. he made up MS mihd 10
"cau mn Washington on the phone
nm Mr. suIIivan's desk are telephones. One
q, then, connects him with all the Departments
NJ the building over which he has charge so that
he can instantly communicate with any OF MS
suhordinates The other puts him into communica-
,on with the rest Of the world 80 far as the long
dts,anc. wires can reach. Without moving from
chair he rang up c'Hudi III p'''"'J' ""'
asked to be connected with Washington lie was
,sked whom he wished TO see In Washington. and
gave the name OF the official OF the Posofiice De-
nartment having charge OF the business In hand
In obou, twenty minutes his "'phone' rang. and
he was Informed that the man he wished 70 see
was ready to talk with him. lie then learned 10
his satisfaction, that the contracts had Deeh APP
proved and that the official papers would be for
warded In the Of three or four days. lie
manfred II he would justified In going ahead ana
making definite arrangements with the owners or
the property In question. seeing that tho time was
abort and was told that 1t would be all right TO
do
The Interview, 1t Is needless to say, was salts
factory one at all events at the Brooklyn end. ana
Postmaster Sullivan felt that the 81 OF expense
which he incurred In calling up Washington had
been well invested. 1t the first time he had
made OF the iongdlsance ,eepnon none, Tor trans
III IA wonderful he said. in speaking OF the mat
ter the next day. that can without moving from
my chair thus put a yIsi at nv" Washngom The w ee
nhone is certainly one OF our greatest rnarve!s 10
have sent telegram q wa wsh nd tho no
result would not have been one-tenth as satisfac,
rory vnT have TO do is to say that you talk
;yvith a certain man in any place where he may be
will make the arrangements. and If you do not get
Your man there will be no charge Inc telephone IS
80 S9 nuder If is Unless we think back to the times
when such thing was unknown. And that Is not lot
occasiSn TO use 1t often In talking to Washington.
hut I see now what an immense convenience 1t may
be at times. - ,o casa. . ,s,.
which he paid Boston to attend dinner given
nv the Postmasters Associa ton OF New England:
lie vent in company with Postmaster Dayton. OF
New-York; the Postmaster OF Boston was also
Guest Of the Association Messrs Dayton and Sulli-
San expected to see not very large company. per-
haps twenty twenty-five people. but to their sur
mise they found about eighty of the postmasters
pf The New England States at the dinner. The din
ner took place the evening OF April o. the pres
postma sters OF Massachusetts. 1t Is believed that
nv coming together occasionally the postmasters or
his section OF the country mutually profit by the In
ierchangs of ideas and experiences me visiting SUNG
their Yankee brethren obtained some valuable hints
from the speeches which the visitors INDUCED In.