The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-23
Chicago Queer Postal District.
lF'rom the Chicago Tribune-l

The smallest postal district in the
world is under the roof of the Monad
mock building at Jackson. Dearborn
and Van Buren, streets, in Chicago.
The building alone comprises separate
and distinct district in itself At the
same time the volume of business done
there is the largest of any of the sub
stations or even districts in the city,
save that of board of trade station. In
this immense seventeen-storied struc-
ture, which covers the small ground
area of 400 feet long by 20 feet wide,
nearly 5000 people occupy the 1900
rooms When it is considered that the
population of many towns covering
many miles OF area do not reach that
figure, some conception of the popula-
ton of the MOnadnOck building may be
had. The comparison is a striking one,
and serves to show what a large num-
Der of people can be crowded into
small space. It is also an example Of
the economy in ground space that has
come to be necessary in this CONNER
ciaI age. And out Of this economy has
come the system of skyscrapers that
the larger cities, and especially Chi
cago, have been forced to build
The Monadnock postal district was
established on May 1, though a money
order, stamp and registered letter sta
ton was established there more than
two years ago to meet the demands
made by that section Of the downtown
district Prior to May 1 the deliveries
of mail in the building were made by
carriers working out of the central sta
ton at the foot of Washington street,
on the lake front. They would have to
route their mail at the main office and
then carry IL to the Monadnock build
ing. The rapid increase in the volume
Of mail overburdened the carriers to
such an extent as to cause the frequent
use of auxiliary service, and the ex-
penditure of money in car far allow
heavy
from the central station to the building.
In order to relieve the situation an in
vestigation was made, resulting in the
recommendation by superintendent
Clarity to Postmaster Charles L. Cor
don that the four carriers serving in
the building from the main Office be
transferred to the Monadnock station,
and that the mails be despatched to
them by wagon messenger. This rec
concentration was approved ~ Post
master Gordon. The building thereupon
was made a separate district and the
carriers were transferred on May L
The schedule OF the wagon service was
arranged as to make close connec-
ton with the carriers deliveries It
provided for sixteen dispatches daily
from the central Office to the Monad-
mock building and twenty from the
building to the central office, except on
Sundays, when the number is only
three TO and two from the sub-station
and district
The carriers schedule in the building
provides SIX deliveries every day except
Sunday, and is so arranged as to en-
able the men to begin their deliveries
practically the same time as they did
when serving from the central station.
In these six deliveries the carriers dis
tribute on an average $4,000 pieces Of
mail daily in the great Office structure
At least 10 per cent of the mail received
there for delivery is addressed without
room number The difficulties and de-
lays that would naturally grow out of
this condition can readily be seen. The
| carriers who serve the district are old
| ones, however, and have reduced the
apparent drawback to a minimum
Seldom is a mistake made in the distri-
button.
Long training and service in the pos
tai department have made these car
riers adopts, establishing a system that
Insures accurate delivery of mail to the
persons to whom 1t is addressed Every
old or new occupant of the building is
known to them And when new per-
son comes into the building. no matter
how humble or high In position, he gets
his mail promptly Such names are
secured by the carriers on their re-
spectfve floors and added to the list.
Those who leave the building are also
kept up with and their mail is forward
ed to their new addresses In fact. the
district though small in area, is
separate and distinct postoffice in itself.
and the same routine is found there as
in the central Office. It only differs in
degree