The Portland daily press., 1898-07-09
MAILS FOR THE FRONT.
Uncle Sam Now Has a Postcfffce ON
Foreign Soil.

| The war, with the consequent military
| and naval movements, along the South
Atlantic coast, has resulted in materially
| increasing the work of the postal officials
throughout the south.
Wherever the United States flag goes
the mail sack follows apace. A United
States postoffice is upon Cuban soil.
Eben Brewer has been designated by the
postmaster general to take charge of the
new postoffice, with a force of clerks,
hang out his shingle, designating his
Office.
It's the first time this government has
located postoffice upon foreign soil. AS
the United States armies advance, the
service will be extended, and when the oc-
casion demands it. regular post routes
will be established in Cuba and Uncle
| Sa m's mail carrier will go upon his daily
| rounds. 1t will be no international ar
| rangement at the outset, but will be con-
| Quoted solely under the auspices of our
own postoffice department. AS progress
| is N ade in the conQuering in Cuba, con
nee ton will be made with the postal sys-
| to m, which is now maintained by the
Insurgents in the regions under their con-
troll, SO that letter posted in New York
or San Francisco will go safely and speed
lily to its destination in the interior of
C1ba.
At the present time tho service of the
postoftice stops at Jacksonville, Tampa,
Key West, or the ports ON the Florida
coast. Connection is made with the ships
of the blockading feet, and the flying
squadron, but it is from the coast towns
only. Letters addressed to the officers
and men of the fleets mailed at points
| north or east of Washington are now car
ried south in the through postal cars.
The department operates railway mail
service from Springfield, Mass. 20 Tampa
Fla. on a quick schedule The postal
| car starts from Springfield and picks up
the sacks at the cities and towns along
| the line. At Washington another car, If
| necessary, is attachedFto the train, and
crew OF mail clerks carry it through to
Charleston, S. c., without relay, where
another crew takes hold.
The through sacks from the moth are
made up, sealed, and stacked in one end
OF the car, not to be opened until their
| destination is reached. In the car which
is attached at Washington, open sacks
are placed, and at every postoffice the
mail is taken aboard the flyer. The let
ters for the way stations are assorted in
the cases made up into bundles to be
sacked and thrown off as directed, while
those of the fleet, the armies, or reside nts
of Florida towns are distributed in the
proper sacks.
When Tampa is reached, if that is the
nearest port to the vessel to which the
mail is going, the postmaster segregates
the mail for the officers and sailors and
makes it up into other sacks, to await the
arrival Of the official despatch boat from
the ship, which puts in at convenient op.
portunities.
| A great deal Of the mail goes to Kew
West for Admiral Simpsons feet, and
Commodore Schleys flying SO uadron.
where it Is sent out by the local postmas-
ter to the fleets and delivered by the de.
spatch boats to the proper officers of each
ship, who attend to the .. distribution of
| the letters.
The mail for the armies at Tampa goes
| south in the same way. The pouches are
delivered to the postmaster and the far1uy
officials must apply to him for the mail
Great care is exercised in the handling of
| the mail after 1T leaves the postofiice Eat
Tampa. Special messengers are detailed
by each commanding officer to get the
mail for the troops in particular vicinities
and they transport it to the camps, where
it is kept in a stated place, at which the
| sold ers call and got their letters. The
mail for Chickamauga passes through
Washington but goes out on another
| road.
1t is not proposed to establish any sys-
| tenn of espionage over the mails going tn
| the fleets or to Cuba. The sacredness of
the seal Of an envelope bearing the United
States postage stamp will be scrupulously
observed. AS much care will be taken in
the delivery of the missive as if it were
addressed to q peaceful resident of citv
of the republic.