The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-05-12
poSToFFIcE MOVED.
Postmaster Collins and Force Do
Good Work.

Sfc pitCt Vi uldll HhdJttf. LUG WOiH vi
moving was started last Saturday even
ing, no mail matter being distributed
until $50 Monday morning. Every en-
ploye OF the office was kept at work
nearly night and day with only a few
hours sleepon Sunday night. First As
sistant Postmaster f.. X. Collins
rested or slept for sixty hours.
The office is Is feet by so feet and gives
ample room for the clerical help and the
mail can now be handled with much
greater speed and accuracy in distribu-
ton. The outer office for use Of the gen.
eral public is large enough to accommo-
date any number that is liable to gather
in front of the general delivery windows.
Three clerks for this purpose are now
employed and as a result the long delay
in getting mail will be greatly short
ened. The stamp, money order and reg
istered letter departments are easily ac-
cessible. Five hundred new postofice
boxes were ordered by wire two weeks
ago from Minneapolis and are now on
the way to Goldfeld and will be in place
and ready for rent by the 10th OF this
month. When all of these additional
boxes are in use those who depend on
the general delivery for their mail can
secure it almost as quickly as the box
renter.
Very few patrons OF the ~postoffice real
ize the immense amount of mail han
died. Although the receipts of the office
are 5000 a month in excess of the
amount required OF a postoffice of the
second class, still the office is rated by
the government as a fourth-class one,
and of course the pay is only that OF an
office of that grade 81 900 a year-and
it will remain at that figure for the post
master until the first day of October
next, when Goldfeld will have an Office
of the third grade and the pay OF the
principal official will be raised to $1,000.
There are seven clerks employed, and
each one OF them receives nearly as much
IL NV SiN"hti N'ii A't'i IN
postmistress. All Improvements made
in the office. all furniture, safes, etc,
have to be paid for by the postmistress,
and she will be out the money until such
time as a successor is appointed, when
it is turned over at cost. Goldfield is
entitled to an office OF the second class.
but according to the red-tape methods
of the postoffice department it cannot be
raised to that dignity before October /,
1906. The clerks are the hardest-worked
men in the entire camp and pay is less
than the average wage of a laborer. The
government allows $40 a quarter for the
entire clerical help and any additional
force employed is paid for by the post
mistress. Five of the clerks work days
and two at night. The office is a dis
~tributing point for Diamondfield and the
entire Bullfrog district. None OF this
mail is sorted or pouched when it
reaches the office and all of it has to be
sorted. Pouches are made up for Beat
ty, Rhyolite, Bullfrog, Gold Center, and
also, beginning this week, for Diamond
field, where a new office has been estab-
lished, the supplies for which were re-
ceived at the local office the first of the
week. Ten thousand people are sup
piled with mail who are residents of the
district and a fair estimate os those who
receive mail indirectly would increase
the number 1000 more.
The establishment of an office at Dia-
mondfield Will reduce the work some
what.
The removal Of the office from the old
site to the new has created a great deal
OF discussion, criticism and some hard
feelings. About two weeks ago II. 3.
Hall, superintendent of salary and allow
ance Of the eighth division, arrived here
from Los Angeles, and after looking over
the situation decided that the room oc-
cupied by the office in the Fesler build
ing was entirely too small to accommo-
date the rapidly-growing business. He
started out to find & suitable location.
A number OF places were inspected and
finally a choice was made. Property
owners in the neighborhood agreed to
pay the monthly rental OF $50, which
gives Uncle Sam free rent. This free
rent is the custom in nearly all new
towns.
First Assistant Postmaster Z. X. Col
Inns said in regard tothe matter: Il had
no voice in the selection of the new office
and do not know who had any influence
with Mr.. Hall in making his selection.
l will do everything in my power to give
the best service possible to the public.
The Office has been criticized a great
deal-some of it may have been de-
.served-but ninety-nine men out OF a
hundred would, l believe, agree with me
that the service rendered under the con
dition prevailing was and is all that
should be expected. Mail for the Bull
frog district towns must be in the office