The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-15
New News
of Yesterday.
\ POSTOFFICE REFORM DUE
To GEN. THOMAS l.. JANE,
lBy L.. J.

Many things that prove Ia ue az
great value and im~portanc. To the
world Of business affairs and also IN
h direction OF the great cotton de
velopment are the outcome of what
at the time seem TO be = mos; trivial
incident" said Gen. Henry Shipper
Huidekoper To me at a time when he
was n~arrating some OF his experience
while serving as postmaster OF Phila-
delphia. Gen. Huidekoper was ap~
pointed postmaster Of Philadelphia IN
18s0 and served IN that Office until
1885.
He was widely known at the time
of his appointment partly because ~
the gallant part ne took IN the battle
| Of Gettysburg. where he lost an arm
and partly because he Vas one OF
those who received a Congressional
medal OF honor for galiantry IN battle.
soon after my appointment a.
postmaster of Philadelphia by Presi-
dent Hayes said Gen. Huidekoper.
Il called upon the President. He WAS
very cordial. He had no advice L.
give me, excepting TO try to advance
the eficiensy Of the Philadelphia post
Office. He suggested to me that | call
upon the postmaster Of New York.
Thomas I. James, SO that I could get
from him some ideas which the highly
satisfactory administration Of the New
York City postOffice might furnish me.
Il did call upon Mr.. James. and l
never shall forget the kindness with
which / was received. l was told that
every facility would be given me ia
study the methods in vogue In tho
New York City postoffice.
Il During our conversation observed
hat a cOlored man, who acted AS "A
sort of messenger, brought in a basket
filled with letters, and placed the has
ket upon the postmaster's desk. While
Mr. Jo~nc continued tn chat with MO
: he revealed his ability to do two thinss
! at once, for he ooh the addresses On
each one OF the envelopes. ! probably
e displayd some curiosity at what was
e going on, for Mr.. James began TO ex-
plain to me he was doing and
q why.
He said the basket contained al
the letters that had been deposited al
y the s~ostofhce that day unstamped. Hs
was, therefore,, taking down the ad
, dresses on the envelopes SO that rs
y COLD send an official card to ever,
one to whom the letters were address
fe ed, saying that unsta mped letters I,
the address had been deposited in tn
New York postoffice and woul b.
E forwarded upon receipt Of sta m ps.
q He told me that there was nothin,
in the law that compelled him to d.
- this, but that he felt it might be o
" great advantage to the persons Z
WnOm the letters were dOOieSSCu L
know. SO that they could have then
forwarded. Otherwise, the letter
would go to the dead-letter office
where they might remain a goo
while.
. Il determined to adopt this plan j
n the Philadelphia postofice. / KEEP
account Of the number Of unstampe
!, letters which l received each day. am
). also the number Of replies l receive
: from those to whom I had sent a car
=. notifying them that a letter was hel
:, at the Philadelphia p~ostofice an
would be forwarded on receipt {
stamps.
Il found that So per cent Of thos
to whom / sent the card replied /
"a return mail inclOsing stamps. Only ]
' per cent of the letters went to tn
dead-letter Office at Washington.
THAT was the way in which a Gu.
NJ tom. which was generally adopte
throughout the United States, begaI
It was begun by Mr.. James for TT
.er good OF the service, and the gener;
ed adoption Of it by ~postmesters through
out the United States, together wit
the very large umb OF answers IL
lg. closing stamps SO that these unstaml
ed letters could be forwarded, shove
* how great a need there was for q ser
ne ice Of this kind"
ith Copyright 1919. by f.. ]. Edward
All rights reserved