Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
RESULT OF COMPLAINTS
Remedial Measures Are Now Under
Consideration.
DELAYS STILL
How a Letter From Richmond Loaf
ed,, Five Months-More' ''Isolated"
Cases Come to Light.

II NAV relieve the minds Of Washing
tonians to learn that the Post Office De-
partment has taken UP the matter of the
delay in the mails in the local, post Of
fee and is considering corrective methods.
The department has received number OF
complaints and the need for better serv-
ice Is recognized.
Meanwhile the delays continue to occur
with their customary frequency. but the
fact that something is going to be done
about them gives a ray of hope. and that
is more than was obtained at the post
office. where it was contended that the
service was all right. and had no need of
improvement.
This Holds the Record.
The Star is in possession of an envelope
which attained almost the dignity OF an
tiquity in the Washington post ofhce.
where it was reposing. in the hope tnat
il could pass a pleasant and peaceful old
age until It was disturbed by. clerk. who
stumbled across 1t and thought it might
be a good idea to send it to the person
10 whom it was addressed The letter
dwelt amid the secrets of the post ohce
for more than five months. 1t started
it's young life at Richmond. where it was
mailed September 2s, 1907. at am.
From Richmond it made quick trip TO
Washington, bearing the address of Miss
Ella Mccormick, 400 Maryland avenue
southwest.
The letter reached Washington at IL
m. the day it left Richmond. but 1t did
not reach Miss Mccormick that day, nor
the next, nor the next. Neither did 1t
reach Miss Mccormick that month. nor
that year. but 1t dreamed the idle hours
away undisturbed in the Washington
post ONCE. while Miss Mccormick won
dered where 1t was.
but finally, after the year of 1908 had
got well started on its way to the vernal
equinox. and when the dread ides of
March approached, some mysterious up
heaval In the post Office brought the let
tel to the surface. Then the letter was
delivered to Miss Mccormick March a.
Five months and six days it tarried,
but 1t arrived at last. and that is more
than can be said Of the go notices sent
out by the secretary of one of the COM
mercial organizations of the city.
Did You Miss the Meetinge
Saturday. February %. 40 notices of
a meeting to be held Tuesday night were
mailed, every envelope with a printed
address. Many OF these letters did not
reach their destination until Wednesday,
the day after the meeting. On one of
the envelopes. addressed to DR.. Clarence
Dufour, 1343 l. street, the Washington
postmark appears with the name of the
city and the number of the year, but
with no designation of month, day or
hour.
Examples of rapid transit are given by
a letter which left New York March 4
and reached Harris & Shafer, opposite
the Washington post office. the afternoon
OF March :. and by one mailed in Phila-
delphsa March 3. which reached A. A.
Connolly. 1893 street. at noon March 6.
A letter addressed TO B. Pickmsn Mann.
1918 Sunderland place. postmarked at the
Washington Office at pm. February -,
did not reach it's address until March L.
The letter contained notice of meeting
TO be held March 3. Mr. Mann has had
his present address more than twenty
years
Complaints continue regarding the
wholesale delay in the morning mails.
Mai. f. II. Neumeyer. commissary gen.
eral of the District of Columbia militia
says that the mail which used to reach
him in the early morning now is is not
delivered until noop