Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-22
ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF PRESIDENT

The President, Il. w. keyeS Of
Madison, then delivered his annual
address which contained many valu-
able suggestions and also gave a
review of the upbuiding of the postal
service in the state. His address is
given herewith in full.
The Wisconsin Postmasters' associa-
tion is now in session, in its third
annual meeting.
We are convened under very auspi-
clOuS circumstances, on the banks of
the great Mississippi, the Father of
Waters, and in the midst of one of the
most thriving and prosperous cities
in our state. We meet in this build
ing, the property, and within the
jurisdiction of the government of the
United States. So we met in Milwau-
kee, and SO we shall probably meet at
our next annual session, and still
there is no question of a conflict
between state and federal authorities
All our surroundings can not help but
be conducive to very satisfactory
session.
Imbued by the true principles of
progress, inspired by a strong desire
to utilize to the fullest extent, for the
benefit of our patrons, the facilities
afforded by the postal service, we are
here for consultation, for comparison
of views, for suggestions based upon
experience, the tendency of all which
is for the public good.
Began Service in 1874.
1t is an old saying that confession
is good for the soul" Perhaps it
would be inapt for me to admit that
have seen long service in the post
office business. Commencing under
Abraham Lincoln, as postmaster at
Madison, in April, 1861, and serving
through his administration, and also
through the administrations Of John
son, Grant and Hayes: coming back
again to the service in 1898 through
the appointment Of President Nc
Kinley, and reappointed by President
Roosevelt. But can 60 back to the
early territorial days for the date of
my first connection with the postal
service. 1t was in 1874 when the
postoffice at Lake NJ ills was established
and my father appointed its post
master. He conferred upon me the
position of bis assistant.
My next experience was in 1852.
when a law student in Madison, and
during the last days of President
Fillmore'S administration. 1 was
appointed by his postmaster general
as a special agent of the poStoffice
department, with duties confined to
the states of Wisconsin and Illinois.
My duties were to collect balances
due from pOStmaSterS, and deposit the
same in the subtreaSury at ST. Louis.
Entrusted with so much government
cash, and travelling through the
country in stage coaches, before the
days of railroads, and in steamboats,
upon the rivers, it was exceedingly
fortunate for me that the reign of the
hold-up man had not then begun.
Improvement Has Been Marked.
1t is almost impossible to realize
the mighty strides of improvement
in this department of the government
since those early days when the stage
wagon and the man on horseback
transported the mails. When my
father removed with his family from
Milwaukee, in 1887, to the township
which was afterward organized and
| named Lake Mills, there was but one
posJoffice in Jefferson county, named
Jefferson, and il supplied the greater
part of the county. The little mail sent
in and out by the early settlers swas
frequently carried on foot, later on
horseback, and finally in wagon,
when the roads became improved.
At that period there were very few
offices in the whole territory, but the
tide of settlement set in so strongly
that this number rapidly increased,
and the facilities for the tranSporta-
tion of mail were greatly improved SO
that there was some regularity to the
service. Notwithstanding a large
! number of postoffices in the state have
been discontinued through the
requirements of the rural free
delivery, and the incumbent post
masters put out of job, there are at
least 1.50O left, including 200 preSi-
| Dental appointments.
The first postotfice established in
that portion of the northwestern
territory now included in the present
confines of our state was GratiOt's
Grove, in Lafayette county, July 8,
1884. Its postmaster was Furtunatus
Berry.
The second postoffice was that OF
Menomonie, established July 13, 1884,
with Alexander j. Irwin as pOStmaS-
Continued on page A..