Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29
UNCLE SANS POST OFFICE
AN INTERESTING FEATURE OF THE
PARIS EXPOSITION.
Office Worked on American Plan, to
the Wonder and Delight of
the Patrons.

An interesting exhibit which was installed
at the Paris exposition of 1900, and which
was truly American in character, consisted
of an American post office, situated in the
United States national pavilion. 1t was the
first American post office ever located on
foreign soil The idea originated with Mr..
Charles Emory Smith. Postmaster General
of the United States, and to Mr.. George w.
Beavers of this city, chief of the salary
and allowance division, Post Office Depart
ment, is due the credit of working out the
plans of installation. Under his personal
direction all arrangements were consum-
mated with the French government.
The working of the office on purely
American lines and all who patronized the
establishment were much pleased to find
place where they could transact business
with American clerks. Not alone this
office patronzed by Americans in Paris,
but by the powers represented along the
Rue des Nauions and result it be-
came necessary to speak most of the con-
t.nentai languages, which by the judicous
secretion of CLERKS for this detail, was no
hard problem to solve.
1t was a revelation to the French and
other European nations to the meth
obs of handling the American mail, and as
an illustration it may be remarked that the
"rubber-neck element always prorni-
nent at the windows with the stereotyped
which always elected the reply, Bureau
DIES Pastes Americain-Merci Monsieur.
"Mystery of the Sphinx
The combination lock-box feature was
one of great merit and admired by
all who had not seen this system in opera
ton before. The foreigner was of the
opinion that the solution of the combina-
ton was rewarded by some sort of prize
given By those inside and would resort to
all means in the hope of striking the COM
bnation.' | recall one ms ance where the
combination left unset. A lady opened
one of the boxes and actually demanded
the prize for having solved the mystery
OF the sphinx"
The postal station was a source of great
comfort to those who We're not able to
''parlor francaiS.' Many times was heard
the exclamation: "Oh! how good it seems
to be able to fine some one who can speak
English. | just had a dreadful! time finding
this place. | believe the 'cabbie'
charged me from the Place de TOpera To
this office. What should l have paid him.
We'll, did you stop anywhere along the
route or did you come direct?"
Yes, / came direct" We'll. two francs
s the regular fare, par course forty
cents. What did you pay him. Let me
see, oh, yes! two of these Uwo two franc
pieces, eighty cents and lot of the cop
per centimes.'
The experience was rather costly.
Stamp Collectors.
The stamp collecting fend was in evil
dence and many 100 letters and cards
were cancelled for one address on sing.e
day. These letters and cards bore besides
the necessary French postage, stamps from
all the countries of the universal postal
union, and In some instances it was diff
cult to locate the French stamp, there be-
ing many others present.
The machines for oblteration We're of the
latest type and were remarkable for their
speed and elaborate decoration, one ma
chine having maximum capacity of Co.,
600 pieces per hour, while there were others
less speedy ranging from 1900 TO 10000
pieces per hour All came in for praise, not
alone from the casual observer, but from
postal officials well.
bureau Necessity.
A bureau of information was a necessity
and 1t was not long before the postal Off
Gals were equipped to answer all queries
from our wandering fellow countrymen.
Hotels. boarding houses and cafes were
sought out where American "as she is
spoken could be found and the clerks were
also able to decipher the mysteries of the
French time table. as we'll as les francois
themselves, and this means lot to the
American in France who is not familiar
with the French idiom.
Frequently the postal officials were asked
to locate people who We're visiting the
eXposition-Sam Jones of Wahoo. Nebras-
ka, for instance-but this was an easy one,
since Americans as a rule are given to
registering their names on every register
they come in contact WITH and in the In
stance above mentioned, the New York
Herald's Paris office could nine times out
of ten put one on the track of Sam.
To the city of Philadelphia was reserved
the honor of sending two men to the Paris
American post office and the success Of the
venture is largely due to the policy carried
out by Mr. Thomas l.. Hicks, postmaster
whose business methods carried out
on the same lines at Philadelphia
A distinctive feature of the United States
postal union is that 1t was the only cX-
hibit located In the national pavilion and
opened in complete running order the off,
cial opening day Of the exposition uni
versatile de 1900.
A1.A c,1os.O.. L. Ol,;..Ol 70 a;uaa..i,,..a