The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-23
SOME POSTOffICE CURlOS.

WASHINGTON, D. C.. July 1e.--There are few
places in Washington OF more general inte'-
est than the postofhco museum. Beginning
modesty several years ago with the peculiar
things found In the mails unclaimed, the
museum has grown with rapidly, and now
embraces collection at once interesting aud
Instructive
II occupies large room on the nrst noor
OF the postoffce department building, and Is
steadily expanding. Already Curator s. |,
Slack is making preparations to move to the
new building on Pennsylvania avenue, where
large we'll lighted room on tho second hoor
mas been set aside for Its use.
Postmaster General Smith takes a keen in-
terest In the museum, and during his receni
trip to Cuba made arrangements for the ac-
QUESTION OF several old Spanish postoffoe
relics. These have arrived and occupy con-
spicuous places in the collection. They attract
tie greatest amount of attention. The prn-
cipal relic is an old Spanish letter box that
was located for many years at the Grand
Hotel lnglaterra, In Havana. All OF these
letter boxes have been replaced by the regu
lation United States box. The old Spanish
letter box was made in Switzerland, and con-
structed in such a manner that the collector
could not see nor handle the contents Of the
box. the arrangement being the automatic
ciosing OF the sack by peculiarly constructed
frame top, upon which the sack was secured
When the collector arrived he detached the
bag. and in doing SO locked the mail pouch.
at the same time closing the letter box The
arrangement was both heavy and cumbersome,
although safeguard against pifering
~
Just to the left of the entrance to the mu-
scum as one enters is the Spanish flag that
waved over the old postoffice at Manila. When
Dewey planted the Stars and Stripes over the
Soanish capital, this flag was removed AID
sent to Washington. where 1t finally found q
place in the postoffce museum. The real
olirio OF this collection, however, is the post
office bulletin board used In the Manila posi-
office, This board took the place OF tho
general delivery" as we understand It IN
this country. 1t is about a foot long by about
six inches wide and so constructed that upon
the small sliding panels the names of the
persons to whom letters are addressed are
pasted When a citizen saw his name upon
the board he called for the letter at the Of
| flee, and, after paying fee, it was delivered.
| Over the top of the board are written il
| The names of some Of the delinquent CORE
| spondents are still on the board.
| Nearby is the coat of arms of Spain which
was torn from over the door OF the old post
office at Santiago 1t is evidently an antique,
great grinning Spanish gargoyle. or masK'
o.; heavy metal occupies position near the
door. and through Its capacous mouth Cur
ator Slack explained the residents of santi-
l 80 Tl,a 10
well worn, illustrating the service it has
| seen
The consistency of man is illustrated by a
piece of flooring taken from the old postothce
at Baltimore. II shows in distinct outlines
the footripnts of the distributor. who occupied
the precise spot day after day for years, his
shifting feet, lis he moved In the peculiar
sway.ng motion common to all distributors,
wearing hollow the exact counterpart OF his
feet in the heavy floor.
Occupying commanding position over the
doorway is an excellent painting of Benjamin
Franklin, the first postmaster general while
directly opposite is crayon OF Postmaster
General Charles Emory Smith.
The display of curios is well planned. and
Curator Slack has story for nearly every
e, kibit. AS the visitor enters the door he
is struck at once with the great neatness
and taste displayed in the arrangement d
the exhibit The articles are for the most
part placed in large cases with glass fronts
| as clear as crystal
Western mail carrier bars the way for
q short space and you turn to examine and
marvel at the fidelity of the reproduetoa
There, astride of big chestnut horse, siti
star route carrier. dressed in typical from
tier style, with pistols peeking out of leather
holsters at his side, and his precious burdei
Of the mails securely fastened on behind. Th'
horse was once alive, and the taNdermist hal
made faithful reproduction In marked con
trast with this mode Of carrying the mails Il
the pneumatic tube exhibit. showing how
Uncle Sam, by the employment of modcr'
methods. shoots the mails with lightning
rapidly In large cities. The first pneumatic
carrier ever used is on exhibition, as Is III
, latest improvement. Within a short time tn
curator hopes to have miniature tube SCI
vice In operation SO that the features OF N
| system can be practically illustrated to visit
ors.
+, Great interest centers in the exhibit OF tn
railway mail service showing the interior q
the mail cars and the clerks at work, CALM
asserting the malls, while the train Is run
ming at sixty miles an hour. In this exhb
also is shown the method Of catching tn
mail bag while the train is In motion, as we
az the way they have of dropping off a ma
sack at a small station. It is astonishing ho'
few understand the system which has don
80 much to revolutionze the railway ma
service. The curator hopes to have tral
, in operation shortly which will demonstrai
' the method of catching the mail bag.
It is interesting to note the different kind
S of uniforms worn by mail carriers in for
eign countries. There are life-like represent
8 atoms of carriers from the almost naked ma
!. runner OF India to the beieweled and heayil
clad carrier in Russia. There is a sturd
little Japanese carrier. with sandals and we
> ventilated hat holding out letter with
: Japanese address. ON to one side Is the ma
carrier OF John Bull resplendent in suit {
: dark blue lavishy trimmed with gold brai
, Then there is the mail man from the Scar
dinavian peninsula. with his burden OF az
:. coutrements. He wears heavy belt. while