The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-10-14
0IYS HABITS CHANGED
THE NEW PCSToFFICE LOCATION
MAKES DIFFERENT ROUTES.
GETTING THINGS CLEANED UP

Some of the People Declare They are
Actually Getting More Mail Than
They Used to at the Old Stand.
First SUNDAY in the New Building.
Several changes in the daily rou-
tine of Norfolk people have already
been effected by the moving of the
postotfice from its old quarters in the
Pacific block to the new in the fed.
eral building at the Madison avenue
and Fourth street corner. One of the
chief of these, perhaps, is the change
in the routes taken each day by peo.
pie going between the city and their
homes.
People who live on The Heights, for
instance, who used to walk down the
Union Pacific railroad track to Nor
folk avenue, now only come across
lots on the ties as far as Madison av-
enue, and walk down to the postOffice
by that way. Those who live direct.
ly south of the postoffice, on Fourth
as it were, to and from business.
scarcely having to go out of their
way a step to get to the poStoffice
boxes. And those who live on Nor.
folk avenue, or to the north of that
thOrOughfare, are compelled to go two
blocks out of their way when they are
clear down town, and about four or
five on Sundays when they walk down
for the mail alone. 1t is evident from
the amount of travel along South
Fourth street already that that portion
of the city will soon come to be OF
much greater importance than ever
before.
Getting Cleaned up.
People inside the pOstofice are get
ting cleaned up after the moving,
which is always a dirty enough job.
Old books and records, covered with
the dust of a dozen years, were dug
out from their tombs and the labor
connected Herewith was, of course,
enormous. 1t looked the first day as
though the layout never would be
cleared up, but the coast is clearing
today and Postmaster Hays feels more
cheerful.
People have been standing in the
long, marble trimmed corridor ever
since the doors were thrown open, just
gazing at the handsome structure, ad-
miring it and feeling glad that it is.
when are you going back to Nor
folk?" asked one man, who imagined
he was in a far eastern and a far
larger city than this.
1t was a large crowd that assem-
bled in the pOstofTice yesterday be-
tween the hours of 2 and 8, waiting for
their Sunday letters and papers. 1t
was the first Sunday in the new Of
fee, and for that reason many people
who had not had an opportunity to
advantage of the holiday. After
o'clock the big doors were locked up
again and the public was kept out I'M
til this morning at 7. Travelling men
who depend upon the Sunday night
mails for their checks and for the
new price lists which they are to take
out upon their routes, find the night
closing to be a great inconvenience,
but that was the order of the federal
authorities and that is what must con.
tinue.
Custodian Applications.
The new buildings custodian, for
which a salary of $50 per month is
allowed, has not yet been appointed.
Fully eighteen men applied for the
position and their examination papers
have been forwarded to Washington.
The various windows, of which there
is long list, are doing good business
for the first week. Some of the people
say they are actually getting more
mail than they used to. At the stamp
window there have been numerous
complaints because of the exposition
series of stamps, just recently issued
The adhesive plasters are so large
that it becomes an expense, consider
ing time and labor, to moisten the
mucilage upon them, and the result is
that Postmaster HayS will order ne