Evening capital., 1899-11-08
KANSAS CITY.
BITS OF THE CITY'S PROG
RESS.
Her Postofice, Parks And The
Central High School
Ruildinp

u
Lower. 1t gives the pupil grasp IN all
parts OF his work, and is pleasure TO
the high schools, when these pupils enter
there well trained, we'll drilled and ready
to take up the more advanced work.
The Whittier school is only one of the
perfectly conducted ward schools OF Kan
sas City, and typical of what these ex-
ce lent schools are II is not difficult
matter to discern that Western people
think and believe education 10 the chief
defence of nations" and that "our
schools are all the days and nights OF
our existence.
Kansas City does not mind spending
money to please her people. She be-
lieves in enterprise and progress whether
the cost to obtain it be large or small.
Every year the city spends any amount
of money on the streets, and has adopt
ed one OF the finest systems OF spHnkling
the principal thoroughfares every night.
At the parks six months in the year free
entertainments are given, such as band
concerts. theatricals, picnice, electric pic
lures. etc only costing the car ride to
and from to Sc: them. And what OF her
parks. The city has been wisely planned
| for future development. Her advanta-
ges made some difficulties and suggested
some improvements, After the proper
location of railways, by which every part
of the city is easily reached. then the en-
terprise OF these lines established beauti-
full private parks.
Among these are Troost. Budd, Wash
ington and Fairmount-embracing many
hundred acres. To supplement this the
city acquired by gift from one OF her own
citizens, magnificent natural park OF
1884 acres. II has frontage OF nearly
three miles along the Blue river. and IS
so diversified by steam, hill. valley. for
est. meadow, some precipitous bluffs and
deep ravines. that the highest achieve
ments of the landscape grandeur and the
master touches OF natures handiwork
may each be seen at turn in the road.
This great gift was appropriately ac-
knowledged by public acceptance June
75th. 1896. attended by nearly 10000
people. FaiImount Park does not be-
long TO the city. but is owned by COM
pany. II contains 60 acres; is well man.
aged, and its beauties are enjoyed in
summer by Kansas City's thousands.
Its superintendent is one Mr.. Wadhell.
There are number of cottages at the
| park occupied by Kansas City people
during the heated months.
There is large dancing pavilion. the
atre, rustic summer houses, an artificial
lake, together with various attractive
features Characteristic OF all parks. 1t is
reached by electric railway and carriage
road, and is about seven miles from the
city. With its numerous inside parks,
connected with the general system, Kan
sas City promises to be one of the bright
est and prettiest cities as well as one Of
the healthiest and happiest. The present
Kansas City postoffice is nothing to boast
of. Business is being done in an old
bailding which is very dilapidated and
much the worse for wear. A handsome
and commodious government building OF
granite is in process of construction near
by. 1t has been eight years in building,
and the delay in finishing it is great
source Of annoyance to the postoffice
officials here, who are much overcrowd-
ed in their work. There seems to be no
definite time set for its completion, how
ever, but when completed it would have
cost over 81, ,ooo. 900. One would never
take the tall, heavily set country farmer
with chin whiskers la hayseed variety
for the postmaster, but this is he, and his
name and title make him known to the
world as Col. S. F. Scott.
He must be a politician with a big
"pull'' or he never could have been OPP
pointed postmaster. for he knows abso-
lutely nothing about the workings of the
Office over which he is supposed to reign
supreme. We began to question him as
to the receipts, management, &C.. and
after a series Of 81 don't knows" he po-
litely informed US we we're "too much for
him" and as politely turned US over to
another gengleman with an unpronounce-
able and an unspellable name. He in
turn turned US over to some one else,
and we began to despair lest we were
"too much for the whole postoffice de-
partment. There is always luck in three's
and the third gentleman who knows his
business, at least, politely showed US the
internal arrangements OF the Kansas City
postoffice. To him we are indebted for
much of the following information. There
are seven lady clerks employed in this
Office, two of whom work in the city
mailing department, and FIVE who do
clerical work or serve at the stamp win
dows. Last year there were 5000. 900
worth of stamps sold at this Office
Twelve to fifteen tons OF mailing matter
pass through the Kansas City Office daily.
The letter mail alone amounts to from
! 500 to 1000 pounds daily. and there
are from II to Ia tons of second class
matter per day.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays this
amounts to "a tons, because the weekly
papers on these days increase the mails
weight. To the assistant superintendent,
Mr.. d. +. Clawges we are also indebted
for information. Small letters are great
source of annoyance at the postoffice.
also letters containing keyes. coins and
other hard substance. These are some-
times torn open by the stamping ma
chine and cause trouble. And what shall
we say OF the stamping machine. this
wonderful evidence of mans genius.
thonght and mechanism! The Barr-Tyke
machine for stamping letters is the one
in popular favor. This is the invention
of Kansas City man. Mr.. Barr, rail-
way postal clerk on the Sante Fe Road.
who not having the time TO perfect the
machine, enlisted the interest Of Mr..
Fyke, also Kansas City man. Run
ming regularly, the Barr-Fyke machine
stamps easily &C. 900 letters per hour. but
under pressure it may stamp from 90 900
to Ioo. 900 per hour. The die. with date,
&c. is changed every halt hour.
fCort;,,.1