The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-20
The Nem Poafofnce.

Mo Auture nome or the postomce, the Federal Court. and office of the Ref cree in Bankruptcy, and United States Commissioner, is steadily rising from pile of raw material to be one of the handsomest buildings in the city. The sandstone lower story is surmount- ed by cream colored brick, the piIas- ters between the windows of the sec- ond story being a continuation of the sandstone of the lower story.
 The general effect the building will present will be most pleasing, but the architect who designed it seems to have made one awful slip. the main entrance. This door is scarcely more than six feet wide, and compared to ths generous proportions of the rest of the structure is absurdly ipcon- 9rous. The explanation of the size of the door is given by the workmen in the fact that more lobby room is need ed for desks. etc. But for all that one has to walk up to the front of Is seen.
 But the inside of the building is far the most interesting part of 1t. The postmaster's office will be on Alaharna street to the left of the secondary en- trance. and here Is where the interest begins. By the postmaster's private safe--which is built in the wallis another door, small and insignificant. It could pass for a closet to keen old papers, or hats in and scarce calis for attention; but that door is one of the biggest things in the building Through It the inspectors (who almost invariably reach the office about s o'clock in the morning), enter. con- ing Into the main building with a mas ter key.
 Entering the little door they ana themselves in a musty little eIoset whose only furniture Is an iron ,In. risht ladder leading up through passage no bigger than a large ohim. new rue. Eight feet up this Iadder ana tne inspector is in a narrow gal. !ery Wlth little windows along tha wall etwo of them), these window pass for ventilators to the ofiea rao- ple working in the main part of tha building belowi but from them a com. piete View Is obtained of every lnove- nent or every person handling the rer- erai mall. A step back from the gal. lery and the inspector fs above the ceiling of the postmaster'e private of- flee, tiny hole beside the ehan6aIiar giving a general view of the interior of the room.
 Leaving this eoign of vantage. the in- Hoector returns to the ladder. goes down passes the postmaster's door and stilI de. seendinR, finds himself at little door that leads into the lowest floor in a secluded part of the basement. Opening the door he Is at liberty to come out through the store room entrance, go up on the elevator or stairway. or. which he Is more ant to do. eross to another similar little door on tho other side of building Tn this second little apartment things are fixed similar to the other. but the gallery leads to . pas sage above the money order and registered letter departments which occupy the right side of the building as one enters the main door on the public floor.
 Holes are arranged in the floor of the two EalleFys that one gets 6 view of all that is going on through. and other Yentilator-peep windows are arranged along the side so the main distributing room can be seen from another angle.
 undAr the money order department on the basement floor is the lounging room of the clerks. in the ceiling of this room there are many little holes and also in the ceiling of the staircase leading down to it. Complete inspection of the lavatory for men Is also arranged for through apertuFes in the ceiling; but the ladies' dressing room Is cut off entirely from any other part or