New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
BY SPECIAL DELIVERY.
UNCLE SANS SERVICE THROUGH THE POST
OFFICE GROWING MORI: POPULAR

OFFICE GROWING MORE POPULAR
When a husband wants TO send word up TO his
wife that ne won't be home 10 dinner as he Is going
10 the club with friends from out-of-town;
when the young man wants unexpectedly and hur-
ri, dy to inform his sweetheart that he will be up
take her the theatre that evening; when the
man Who took umbrella by mistake from the
house of friend at which he was calling wants 10
send II back the next day Gf such thing were ever
heard of; when the minister starts In on his ser
vice and suddenly finds that he has left the notes
for the at home the desk: then. in all
these there is immediate call made upon one
of the many improved methods of rapid communi-
cation In the city. The telegraph. the telephone
the special delivery of the postofce or the district
messenger boy-one of these is Immediately made to
give evidence OF its utility.
OF the who has a telephone in both
his office and his house has for the other
TENS when simply message is concerned. But If
there Is a package to be sent. a messenger boy or
the Special delivery must be employed. The man
without telephone can - nd a short message by
telegraph at cost OF % cents by messenger boy.
paying from ~ cents 10 81, according 10 the dis
tance. Should II be a mile or so. IL averages about
% Cheapest OF all II the special delivery Of
the postofiice. which * - cents for any distance.
Many persons will say ofha nd that the telegraph IL
the quickest and most trustworthy. but there have
been cases known where for instance. "a man tele
graphed that he was going TO be at certain des-
ilndilOn al SuCn tn" ana IN thc tnu arrived dnedd
of the telegram announcing his intention.
Uncle Sans special delivery. while IL is n
ircy without It's faults has been popular from the
start 1t has the advantage OF being cheap and at
the same time sufficiently prompt to meet the needs
Of the gr majority OF emergency cases. The mora
the working OF the system Is understood by tho
general public the more patronage does it receive.
Not only letters delivered but also nil packages
up to four pounds in weight. The record of the
special delivery department in the city OF NewYork
shows that. with one exception. there has been
ncrcase each year in the number Of pieces received
at the posiof'ice For the year erdng in June 1895
the post toiice handled 5T,s36 letters and packages
having a special delivery stamp affixed thereto
rhis incrcas. OF l5'2 cent over the pre-
r. N Morgan. superintcndent OF the city depart
msnt Of The postofice. told Tribune reporter that
special delivery pieces had proved TO II" paying
feature OF the postal service in tho United States
While al class"s o persons look ndyam,asT o, ,he h
greater number of letters bearing special delivery
Of the city. large number of them went to hotels
Mr.. MORAN said that many persons had IN" ide@
often Obliged 20 remind senders and addresseos
of special delivery letters and packages that the
intended 20 secure special transpcrtaton such
dispatch OF tn" mails Il which II forms part. II
Is only upon reaching the branch station from
called for by the stamp IS or can be mad" Another
point Mr.. Morgan mentioned ~as that. when sp'
cry at the address the letter. and there was no
one 20 take II in or sign for ito receipt then II
ceased 10 ha "sp.cinl' aud was taken back 10 the
post Office and airiod hy the regular carrier on
his lex trp the same ~ my other letter.
In this citv substitute carriers are used for tho
dcyeri ly of special matter These receive eight
cents &. svery letter they carry with limit of ~
"a month placed upon the amount They can make IN
this way In of the other cities Of this and
ether States iher, nrc regular messenger boys
employed for this purpose. BY doing this special
work a substitute carrier IL able to make on AN
nyern.. 81 month. the pay of regular
one running from $500 slo10 year. There are
at tn. present time in Ncw-Nork 20 substitutes.
A New Yorker who Is ont OF the city, II ne
mail letter with specal-dcliycry stamp so that
IL will BE- delivered at It's destination to as late rs
II D. m Thus. n the letter T. an important one
he can be sur. of it, delivery the day or ia
arrival in the city and not feel that II may he
kept over . dny for delivery next morning
The mail H. sent out every thirty minutes from
fh, postofiirc II is token uptown the West Side
hy tho Third-ala. cable line. Thus pcrsons who
keep themselves posted are able 10 ngure accl-
rsfIlv on the time IL viii take special delivery 10
:, och IA certain uptown destination There are
twenty four branch offices In the city from which
letters are u one" delivered.
Mr. Morgan said TINT tn" service was being CON
st"ntly Improved. and every means adopted
were complaints occasionally sent 20 IN" occ fay
Ing that n letter with special delivery stamp mad
Leen delivered no quicker than one without. THIS
waS possihlc for the reason that the regular car
ri.r had been the one who could reach the nd-
dress the quicker and got the letter TO deliver
In ca SOS Of this kind the letters with special stamps
are often given 10 regular carriers