The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-12

vantage. Yet the department has been
unwilling TO grant requests when nave
been made for additional clerks Win
which to handle the business of the Seat
lie office. now grown to enormous proper
tons.
in Seattle Is not an uncommon individual
That his kind are not more numerous Is
to be wondered at. especially when one
learns the true condition OF affairs wilhh
the office. as was done yesterday py
Post-Intelligencer reporter
The truth OF the whole matter seems 70
he that the department at Washington
refuses To recognize the need for better
facilities for transacting the important
business Of the Seattle postotfice. There
is neither room enough in the little build
ing of which the government is now
tenant, nor is there apparently enough
men 10 handle the sacks and sacks OF mail
matter that arrive daily. The members
of the present force work from eleven 10
eighteen hours per day, day in and day
out. week after week. with no rest for
Sunday But the worst part OF IL Is that,
hard a. they work and long as their hours
are. there are times when the work stacks
up days ahead of them, and there appears
TO be no possibility of catching up.
Extraordinary Conditions.
Yesterday there was "A stack Of 2 90 let
tcrs in the general delivery department.
These have 70 be passed through the
hands Of two directory clerks. They are
twentyfour hours behind In their work
now. with no immediate hope of getting
even. This is the system pursued: When
a letter arrives consigned TO the general
delivery. or without having any particular
address upon 1t. 1t Is turned over 10 tie
directory - IN IN
these letters alpha beticany Then they
80 through daily corrected directory To
see II the party 10 whom the letter is d.
rected has a street number or has ordered
his mail forwarded. In case there is no
definite address given in the directory, the
letter Is placed In the case, under the mi
tial OF the name on the envelope
Bat. as Is constantly happening under
present conditions. man woman has
left q forwarding address: then the let
ter has 10 he reGirected and forwarded by
boat or train TO the proper destination
or course, all this means extra work
and when the department gave Postmaster
Meem but one extra clerk. when two or
three Were needed 81 simply results in
that much delay Of mail matter and con-
ssquent irritation on the part of the pub
lie. who foofs the bill ="
Extraordinary conditions prevail In Sc
attic Men are coming here daily ~ the
Taia l011. They register q some hotel
and spend q week or two shopping pre-
paratory 70 enbarkng fer the gold aelds
The day before the steamer sails. they
leave word with the postoffice "a forward
their mail 20 Dyea or SkaRway or 20
Dawson CT the Copper river. "a the case
. may b.. II you don't believe that .nis
results in a multiplicity OF labor. visit the
EoStcf'icc and sec for yourself
= third window was added 10 the gen
erai delivery department yesterday morn
ing. II served 10 relieve fn "A measure the
blockade that has existed for several
hours daily at the E-ostoffice for weeks
bat there Is urgent need for a fourth win
d7w. As high a. thirty people were in
line IL front II one window yesterday
afternoon. At least sixty were !n the
building al ore time waiting for the de-
livery 81 mail A. the stamp ana regis
tered letter windows there wa= a crowd
% perhaps thirty more. and o. course
little space was ie.- for the passage -
men ard women tn ard out o the Office
The building - rented - tne depart
nsnt from the Puget Sound Improve m1@nt
. Company NJ an annual rental OF go
X has been continuously occupied as the
postoff1ce ot Seattle for about eight years
past.