The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-26

well regulated United States postrfice.
The Philippine station now consists ~
two rooms and a hall. The hall is IN the
center OF the building. and the main
door. On fact. the only ioor. opens into
IL. on one side. TO the left as you enter,
a low railing n a screen separate the
distributing room from the public hall.
In the distributing room are the mail
sack rack. Mr.. Naiis personal Office, the
letter boxes. and MT. Vans bed. The
drop box hangs On the railing. and the
general delivery window is to be placed
beside H.. Across the hall. to the right
as o enter. are the money order. reg
istry and stamp departments, all in
one. with a single window. There the
big safe with it's precious supplies
stands, and there the two clerks. Con-
way and Kelly. hold forth and have
their beds. II is an albright ~postofhce.
and the troops are mighty glad to have
IL.
But the dearest thing about the Phil
ippine station is outside the door. 1t is
the thing which most OF all gives IL a
homelike air and takes a fellow back
to the land where he wishes he could
be right now. IL Is a board hanging
on the wall. with a long strip of paper
tackled on &. bearing the list OF "un-
claimed letters on the other side OF
the door is a big blackboard. and there
NNfN Ia AAR AAA NAAA ~ "ANNNH
Overland mail -four days late" We
thought the other transports certainly
would be in yesterday, but when late
in the afternoon nothing had been
heard OF them. the notice on the black
board was changed To Overland mail
five days late" The blackboard also
announced that the mail for home would
close to-day at l. m. Similar notice
was sent to all the ships and to Camp
Dewey. This morning the nal will be
collected and brought over to the post
Office. 1t goes straight through to San
Francisco by the City OF Picking. which
has been released by the navy from her
charter
Men from different regiments have
been detailed as clerks In the postofice,
and the mails for the commands In
camp will be made M separately and
sent directly TO the regimental or COM
pany postmasters.
The San Francisco postoflce did a
brilliant thing with the mail that was
to come out by the third expedition. II
was all put on board the Morgan City,
the slowest OF the five transports. Two
days after the Morgan City left San
Francisco. the Newport sailed with
General Merritt. The Newport has been
here five days. and the transports are
still coming. We have the mai for those
two days, and we might as well have
had the other mail. But then we get
two bites at the cherry.
The new postoffice is a great relief TO
roubled minds. II settles the much
vexed question OF sending soldiers let
tiers unstamped. The First brigade left
San Francisco just as the postofice de-
partment issued It's first notice OF Its In
tention about such letters. and the boys
got an idea that they could send any
thing home by mail simply Endorsed
soldiers letter" The first mail went
by Hong Kong. and It cost ConsulG Gen
eral wildman $500 Mexican to put Brit
ish stamps on the letters. IL was almost
Impossible to get such stamps here.
The boys have not been paid since they
enlisted, and the officers who had money
have used or lent It all. Now. however,
it's all right. The Picking will deliver
10 the San Francisco office "A great pile
OF letters bearing the legend:
Soldiers letter. shove II ahead!
Three months pay due. nary IA red.
Plenty OF bareback. no soft bread.
Soldiers letter. shove IL ahead
-Cavite Cor. n. Y. sun.