The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-26
OLD POST OFFICE HISTORY.
Complete Set of Department Accounts from
the Beginning Found in Washington.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 25.-Capt. Henry A. Cas-
tie. Auditor for the Post ONCE Department, in
arranging for removal to the new Post Office
Building, has unearthed a complete set OF ac-
counts OF the Post ONCE Department with the
Government from the foundation OF the postal
service to the present day. These accounts fill
5000 volumes. and, while OF no further official
use to the department. are OF great historic
value. containing. as they do. the business his
tory-so far as the postal system is concerned
Of every city. town and village in the United
States.
Realizing their great value. Capt. Castle has
laid the matter before Librarian Young. and in
a few days the relics will be removed to the
National Library. The most interesting vol
ume is the first one. which is bound in coarse
pasteboard and is yellow with age. TIL ac-
counts in this cover the period from Oct. l to
Dec. l. 1903. entered in a handwriting almost
equal to the finest copperplate OF to-day, and
signed by Timothy Pickering. Postmaster
General. A comparison Of similar items In this
account and the one for the quarter ended
March 81. 1893. almost 105 years later. shows
how enormously the postal, service, has in
creased and is a gauge not only of the business.
but the intellectual growth OF the country. The
following are the most interesting items:
To cash paid for transportation of the mail sl1,5o5
To compensation of the PostInaster-General.
assistants and clerks. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. s53
The cost OF transportation of inland mail
alone for the quarter. ended March 81, 1888,
was S9.513, 5S1. ~, and included railroad and
special railroad. star route. steamboat, electric
and cable car. mail messenger and wagon SER
vice; The compensation o. Postmasters and
does not include the salary Of the Postmaster
General. The'total receipts OF the office under
Postmaster General Pickering were S62. 1886.
against $23.B5S 1908 to-day. The contingent
expenses a century ago included such items as
firewood. candles and mail portmanteaus."
Another most interesting volume is a COM
plete account Of the investigation by Congress
OF charges made against Postmaster-General
Return Jonathan Meigs In the year 1922. The
investigation was conducted by correspondence
guage. The record Of the entire proceedings is
also in copperplate entry. Postmaster-General
Meigs pleaded guilty to the charges, urging ex-
tenuating circumstances in each case, and was
sustained by the committee, of which Elisha
Phelps was Chairman. One Of the charges was
that he had increased the compensation of
the contractor carrying the mail from WASH
InKi2G ii the fe Contract. He, pleaded GtsI'I guilty ieI
TO this. and said that the. contract was
OF 1872 for a service by stagecoach in sum-
mer and on horseback in winter, as the con-
dition OF the road would not permit a coach
service. This road was the main line OF COM
munication between the seat of Government
and the four States of Tennessee. North Caro-
of Virginia. By the war OF 1872 the circulation
OF public journals was so immensely increased
that in winter q horse could no longercarry the
mail. and he put a two-wheeled sulky in the
service. and for. this increased compensation
was allowed. which allowance formed the basis
eral Meigs served from 1914 to 1923, through
the administration OF Madison and Monroe.