The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-06-10
POST OFFICE
CENSUS SHOWS
BIC FIGURES
Sixteen Million Handlings
Required Each Month in
Local Department
Millions of Letters Receiv-
ed and Sent Out-Amount
of Work Involved

On an average of sixteen million
separate operations are required every
month in the Bridgeport Postoffice to
handle the mail that passes through
it. The colossal amount of detail
appreciated. The figures are authen-
tic, being derived from the report Of
the office for the month of May, bas-
ed upon an accurate postal census
taken under the orders Of the ma
tional postoffice department.
Did you send dozen letters to your
friends and business associates last
month? If not, then you were slow;
for the figures show that every man,
woman and child in Bridgeport sent
an average Of 1921 letters out Of the
city. On the other hand you were en-
titled to receive 1895 letters, which
might be construed as Is letters and
a souvenir post card.
If you don't think the letter carriers
earn their salt, just paste this in your
hat:-they delivered 1,570,23S pieces Of
mail at Bridgeport houses and offices
in the month Of May, and collected
614,773 pieces They had to trudge a
total Of good many miles to do it,
too.
During the month of May, which is
partment received 2,356,0S7 pieces of
incoming mail and sent out 1,9O7,2 ,212
pieces of outgoing mail.
The department not only kept track
of 1.-THE number of pieces of mail, but
the number of landings each received
asserting. oancelling, delivering, etc. 1t
is figured (roughly) that the incoming
mail receives an average of 4.3 hand
lings per piece, and the outgoing an
average of about landings. which
would make a total of over 100000 600
landings for the incoming mail and
a little less than 100000 for the OUT
going.
the post office. First class mail re-
quires many landings. but it pays
a profit to Uncle Sam. The Depart
ment received 1927, ,079 pieces Of first
class mail for the month and sent out
1906 95S pieces. The first class mall
averaged five landings in coming in
to the department and four landings
In going out The, hard working let
ter carriers delivered no less than L.
OO9 700 pieces of it and collected $685.
9SS pieces.
Bridgeport newspapers sent out 114,-
SAT copies second class through the
post office Subscribers to out-of-
town papers received 251,S75 through
the same source. The carriers deliv-
cred 181,71S of these papers.
No less than 1854 magazines were
mailed out of Bridgeport second class
and 1O1,023 came in. OF these 1854
were delivered by carriers. The mag
azines averaged two landings in pas
sing through the office. Second class
outgoing transient. mail totalled q, 81 !:
incoming 13, 302; delivered by carriers
1929; collected by carriers 9,2S1.
Third class circulars outgoing num-
bered 1874; other third class matter
outgoing 72,S61; third class circulars,
incoming 1s5,7SS; other matter, s1,654
The third class outgoing matter aver
aged two landings; the incoming
four.
Fourth class matter, outgoing num-
bered 81, ,062; incoming %, 983. Average
landings, three.
Congressman Hill must have paid
us visit; at any rate, someone mail
ed $50 congressional franked pieces
received 1922 pieces with congress
sional franks. They averaged four
landings.
Post office department franks
numbered 1882 outgoing and 10,515
incoming and averaged four hand
lings.
bridgeport sent out 1856 letters
and 1887 other pieces of mail to
foreign points, and received 1864
letters and 8,37S other pieces from
points OuCSlOe OF %On1teQ states Ierr1-
tory.
We sent out 10,145 registered let
ters and received 9,641 registered
letters.
During the month of May, the
four Rural Free deliver carriers de-
livered 1881 pieces of first class
mail, domestic. and 1876 foreign let
ters, 2,O12 postal cards, 1923 pieces
of circulars, 1924 newspapers, 62t
magazines, 800 pieces of mercandise,
300 pieces of franked matter, and
33 books, and also delivered % reg
istered letters, and issued 63 money
orders. They collected 4,646 letters,
1,767 postal cards, 80 foreign letters,
2s4 newspapers and $50 parcels.
They collected II registered letters,
and paid 8 money orders. The grand
stotal of mail handled during the
month of May in the Bridgeport post
office, by the record is the consider
able number of 4,2S3,3o9 pieces
The tabulating of this immense
amount of figures detailed a tre-
mendous amount of extra work on
the officials and employees OF the To-
cal post office department for the
month of May and they get nothing
for it; not so much as thank you"
No extra help was allowed, and May
will long go down as the banner
month of the departments history,
for hard work.