The evening times., 1898-09-19
LETTERS FOR CAMP wIKoFF.
Postal Service for the Soldiers Sys-
tematfcally Conducted.

Postal Service for the Soldiers Sys-
tematfcally Conducted.
Postmaster Van Cott, OF New York
city, has transmitted to First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath a report upon
the condition of the postal station at
Montauk Point, which is one of the most
active military camps in the country.
The report states that the postal service
at Montauk is in excellent condition; that
there is no congestion whatever, and the
work is being performed in a systematic
and expectations manner.
81 interviewed several of the officers
and a number of the privates and order
lies" the report states, "and each of
them expressed the utmost satisfaction
with the service they were receiving. The
commissary department in particular re-
ferred In most complimentary terms to
the character of the service. represen-
tative of a large New York business
house informs me that all of his orders
and communications to his firm were sent
through the mails, as he did not feel Ike
trusting other modes OF transmission Or
all of the persons with whom l convers-
ed not one criticised or in any way COM
planned of the postal facilities. The quar-
termaster estimated that there are from
sixteen thousand to eighteen thousand
men In camp at the present time. ABOUT
thirteen hundred of them left on the l4th,
and he had orders to provide for nearly
two thousand more. AS to when the rest
would leave he could furnish no informa-
ton. 1t is not likely, however, that the
camp will be entirely abandoned Tor some
time, but this depends upon orders re-
ceiyed from the War Department. If the
camp is abandoned it will be necessary
| should say, to keep the station open for
a limited period at least as letters and
other mail matter will continue to arrive
there from other points until the change
of the location of the troops becomes
generally known
Continuing, the report says that from
G 900 to 5000 letters have been received
addressed simply to "Montauk Point or
Camp Wikoff," without any designation
as TO regiment or company Ihis, In
spite of the fact that repeated request
has been made through the press
and otherwise for regimental and
company designation upon the face
of all mail addressed to men in
military camps. However. the postal
clerks at Montauk Point and the men
designated by the military authorities are
hard at work correcting the list OF regl-
ments and companies now located there.
giving the name of each man and of1cer,
and the mail is to be distributed as
swiftly as possible when received. A cor
rected list of all the men at Montauk
will be completed today, and copy fur
nished TO all of the officers of the regi-
ments.
Acting under authority Of the military
postal act. the Postoffice Department de-
livers mall pouched by companies to the
regimental headquarters, and IL is the
duty Of the officers of the regiment, act
ing under the orders of the Secretary OF
War, to detail men from companies TO
make the distribution of mail to the ad-
dressees When mail pouched by COM
panies is delivered to regimental head
Quarters the work of the Postoffice De-
partment ends and the work of the War
Department begins. II was determined
when the military postal service was es-
tablished that inasmuch as regiments
were moving from point 10 point, and
the postal representatives could not keep
trace of the individual men in the regi-
ments, 1t would be better for the work
of distribution of mails in detail TO be
performed by the military authorities.
and that work has always been under the
direction of the War Department.