The times., 1899-08-06
4 huge FUNERAL PYRE
Tons Of Applications for PostOfiiees
TO Be Burned.
The Written Evidence of the Hopes
OF Thousands of Patriots to Find
POSTMASTER General Smith Needs
Field Meet - Local Rowing Notes.

An interesting york viii shortly be be-
gun by the officials of the Postofice De-
partment. II viii be the destruction by
fire OF the old files made prior to the year
1883, which are stored away in the gloomy
recesses and corridors Of the present old
PosIofice Department building. Postmas-
ter General Smith has issued an order di-
recting that these fles be destroyed, and
II has been decided that they can be best
gotten rid OF by burning. There are tons
OF old contracts, proposals, and applica-
tions for Office which viii be reduced to
ashes In this manner. There are hundreds
Of farmers in Maryland and other nearby
States who would gladly receive these
ashes for use as a fertilizer were such an
arrangement possible.
Postmaster General Smith decided 20
take this step in view Of the fact that the
PostofHce Department viii be moved TO its
new home in the Avenue during the first
week in September Even with the thou
sands 5of square feet OF floor space in the
mammoth new building there Will not be
any too much room This being so, the
officials Of the department are desirous OF
dealing with the space as economically as
rogsibie. Recently the conclusion was
reached that this could be done best by de-
stroyiag q large number OF old hles con-
tanning documents which viii never be OF
any earthly use 10 the Government or any
one else. These papers have been care
fully preserved by the Postof1ee Depart
snent year after year, and stored away IN
cases and fling racks, standing in almost
every corridor in the old building Visitors
10 the home OF the country's postal system
have been surprised to find that the Offices
We're SO much crowded that files and racks
and cases had TO be placed in corridors and
cellar and other places not intended for the
purpose
The work OF burning the old documents
will soon be begun. Ii has been placed
under the supervision OF l. s. Elmer. at
tached 70 the Office of Chief Clerk of the
the Postofice Department He has not
yet completed details. for the undertaking
is a gigantic one, and considerable time,
perhaps several weeks, viii be taken up
digging the old papers out Of their musty
seclusion and tumbling them into large
draws and wagons 10 be hauled TO the pub
lie dumps or wherever they Will be burned
The burning site has not yet been chosen,
but IL viii be somewhere in the suburbs
where there viii be no danger OF COM
plants against the smoke.
When seen by a Times reporter last
night " 3 Shallenberger, second ASSIST
ant Postmaster General, said he was glad
arrangements were being perfected for the
complete destruction OF these tons OF use
less and valueless papers.
The last Congress- he said, author
ized the destruction Of certain papers
which viii never have any value In the
future and which have none now. 1t Ia
better 10 burn the old files than TO sell
them, even though they are totally with
src1u frfsrU 70 cell
old money orders that have been paid for
one year. The contractor receiving these
old orders disposes OF them to paper mills
which make money order paper. These
papers are little more than a vast amount
OF rubbish, weighing tons They are OF
dates so far back that there can be no
nnssibiiitx nf any claim ksing made on