The evening times., 1899-04-06
WOMEN CLhN0R
FOR THEIR LETTERS.
Renters of Private Boxes De.
mand Their Mail.
An Indignant Multitude Invades the
New York P0st0lllce.
Protests Against n Recent Ruling Of
the Department Meet With
No Success.

! New York, April 6.-Women in ahi:udi-
| nous plumed millinery, men in yellow
leather shoes and polished hats, some an
cry, some defiant, others apo.oge ic,
ihronged little room on the second too.
of the general postoffice all day yesterday.
They were OF the multitude which has
been inconvenienced lately by the dsten-
tiOn of mall directed to private letter
| boxes. Under the rule which has been in
force since last Saturday Cornelius Van
| Colt, the postmaster, has declined to de-
| lever these letters. Harry C. Lockwood,
acting superintendent of city delivery. bore
| the brunt OF the battle, which ragged
| around room No. s.
Give me my letters" exclaimed a littl +,
French woman, as she rushed into the
| room yesterday afternoon. DO you hear
me? Listen! Immediately, Yes! Qui k.
or | shall send for the French Minister at
Washington"
Madame" said Mr.. Lockwood. 1T will
be necessary for you to fill up tbs bank
and have it signed by some reputable =
citizen as a means of identification. If the
postmaster decides fayo.ably your mail
will be sent to your home, but no longer
to a private letter box
Monsieur" sighed the woman. and in
her tone WAS ineffable reproach. "it il uu-
kind. unjust. I must have the lstters!"
You cannot have them until yol fl out
this blank" replied Mr.. Lockwood
There appeared a figure, tall and gaun.,
and IT shook long finger near the nose
OF the postmaster, who was sitting in a
chair, gravely contemplating the end OF
an unlighted cigar.
cornelius Van Cott," said sepulchral
voice, Il shall get my letters. You are
the Parkhurst Of the postoflce''
ITS very unfortunate. began Mr. Lock-
wood. and stopped short.
Most of the callers yesterday were wo-
men They came in spring gowns and vio
let hued hats. They pouted their lips, they
giared. and some of them were sarcastic.
Il come Of a nice family said one:
I've always been considered lady. but
II that man dares to come out into this
corridor III pull his hair for him"
Mr.. Lockwood turned his attention to
half dozen more women who had just
come. He made the speech about the new
registration and pressed blanks into the
questloners' hands. 1t was a bargain coun-
ter rush. Each woman had a new argu
ment for evading the registration and four
or five of them talked at once Then each
one made Mr.. Lockwood repeat his in
structions once again, while the others
turned over in their minds some new
mode Of attack.
Some said they were actresses and were
travelling constantly. Others feared that
their letters would be opened II delivered
in the ordinary way, and one woman in
sisted that she could not bear to he an
noyed by postmen ringing the bell Of her
fiat. All OF them looked Mr.. Lockwood
squarely in the eye. and one of them
blurted out: "Oh. / think you're horrid.
That was letter from mamma. She is
coming down Friday and SO you can keep
the old letter" .
Among those who arrived was a hand
some young woman in tailor made gown.
She finally got from the superintendent
the information that she might write to
the sender Of letter addressed 10 her
and get him TO ask to have IL returned 10
him. She then departed in high glee.
Another woman came all the way from
Harlem to tell Mr.. Lockwood that he might
keep her letter. and that she would in
spite of the pOstoffice get letters directed
TO other addresses than her home.
Four thousand letters are detained al
ready at the postoffice because they are
addressed TO private letter boxes. or those
eight hundred have been claimed. -
Mr.. Van Cott is not at all disturbed over
a threat of letter box proprietor TO or
ganize an association to test the legality
of the new regulation.