The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-12
POSTMASTER is PLEASED
REPRESENTATIVE OvERSTREET sE-
CURES AN APPROPRIATION.
Are of Interest to All the
Patrons.

Postmaster McGinnis and Assistant Post
master Shideler were perhaps the happiest
men in indianapolis yesterday. The cause
of their joy was a publication in the
Journal yesterday morning, conveying the
information that Representative Overstreet
had secured an additional appropriation
for rent for the Indianapolis postoffice.
at begins to look very much as if some of
the a~nticipations concerning increased pos
tai facilities that lave been cherished so
long by General McGinnis and myself were
soon TO be realized" said Mr.. Shideler.
The plain truth of the matter is that
the postal business Of his city has grown
way beyond the capacity of this building
to accommodate it properly. You know
there is a considerable space between the
main building and the one in which the
mailing clerks are housed. This amounts.
I believe, to about nineteen feet in width.
Our idea has been that this space could be
utilized for the erection of a one-story
building which would serve admirably to
relieve the present congestion in the post
office. AS a matter of fact, Mr.. Sayles.
who represents the syndicate which pur-
chased this entire square from the gov
eminent, has been approached several
~ NNlRO AOho AC0ot9
on such a building as 1 have indicated.
Under the agreement or contract of sale
between the government and this syndi-
cate, the consent of the government must
first be had to the erection of such build
ing, and the government can also exer-
else some discretion as to the use to
which the edlice shall be put.
A GREAT NEED.
sO,nn nf fhA -~oo@~ -
building" continued Mr.. Shideler, tiles in
the fact that as we are at present situated
the superintendent of mails is obliged to
transact all of his business at a desk in
the large mailing room. His assistant.
Mr.. Dynes, who is also secretary of the
local board OF civil service examiners, has
to put up with the same kind of accommo-
dations. When the canceling machine is
in operation its loud, constant clatter is
scarcely conducive to the transaction of
important business in the best possible
manner. If we can carry through the
Project of having that new building erect
ed Superintendent Patterson and Mr..
Dynes will be equipped with private Of
nceS and Will be able TO perform their
duties with something more like system
than az present. Another advantage OF
the plan would be in enabling US TO give
the carriers more space in which to work.
~"
partment can hardly have failed to OBJ
serve that the men are terribly cramped
I'VE are also contemplating an enlarge
ment OF the room devoted to the money
order department. This could be accom-
plished by taking away the partition which
separates this department from the main
corridor OF the postofice n extending the
long room clear out to the stairway. We
would thus gain the space of a new room
twelve by fifteen. feet in dimensions.
do you know" said Mr.. Shideler, turn
ing TO a hook at his left on the desk at
which he was sitting, that there are
cities in Indiana and all over the country
in which the amount of postal business
done is little more than one-fifth of that
transacted in indianapolis that have much
better facilities than we have? 1t is an
actual fact I could cite to you a great
many such places in this big book which
gives a list Of all the postoffices I'm the
country with the amount of business trans
acted in each. We are certain to be kept
in this building for the lex four years.
lily see that it is worth while to erect
the new building for that length of time.
be somebody ready to rent it on account
of the advantageous location"
A STANDING JOKE.
One OF the standing jokes In Indianapolis
is that one has to 'buy postage stamps in
one county and mail his letters in another"
This refers, of course. to the fact that the
window at which stamps are sold is in the
main postof1ce building, while the chutes
in which letters are deposited for mailing
are In the next building, nec~essitating a
trip through the street to go from one
place to the other. This would be obviated
IL the new building is secured, as the
postofice n mailing departments would
then, of course, be directly connected and
il would be possible to buy a stamp and
mail a letter all under the same roof.
For many years there has been a COM
plant that too many outsiders are allowed
access to parts OF the local postoffice from
which the public ought properly to be ex-
cluded. On account of lack of suitable
facilities 1t is inevitable that a certain part
of the public be given access to the inner
portions of the postofice. For example.
news dealers who receive packages of
periodicals by mail must be allowed inside
Of the receiving room in order to obtain
their goods for the reason that there is no
facility for doing it any other way. This
unavoidable laxity put an Idea into a
young mans head several years ago which
ultimately landed him in the p~enitentiary
at Columbus, O.
CASE OF HARRY JONES.
The case of Harry Jones will readily be
recalled. Jones conceived the brilliant idea
of walking bodily into the postofice by
the Market street entrance and claiming
bundles Of papers and periodicals consigned
to various dealers in the city. Obtaining
these valuable goods without cost he vas
enabled to open a rival newsstand on In
diana avenue and do a 'landofice bust
ness selling such articles at cost or be-
low, until he was finally caught up with
by Uncle Sans alert postofice inspectors
and a summary stop to his enterprise put
by Judge Baker. Since the Jones affair
there has been a greater degree OF care ex-
ercised in the matter Of admitting persons
to this part of the office. but ii is felt that
the best wa out of the difficulty would
be the addition of sufficient space in which
to provide facilities for conveying such
packages to their owners without the ne
cessity of admitting them into the inner
precincts of the Office.
IF the Journal prints anything about
our plans i'm regard TO extension of the
postal facilities, said Mr.. Shideler, ST wish
it would not forget to say that we are
grateful TO Mr.. Overstreet for his efforts
in our behalf. Jesse Overstreet is certain
49,