Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-10-11
POSTAL BUSINESS
NOW IS GIGANTIC
Report Shows II Has Reached an
Average Of a Million DOL
lars a Day.
NUMBER or OFFICES LOWER
More Than 10000 Discontinued With
Extension of Rural Delivery
Postage Stamps First
Used In fS47.

Cncle Sans postal service, with the
growth of the country. has become a
gigantic organization. The post office
department now transaets an average
Of S1,000.000 worth of business every
day. through something like 100000
human agents, at $4,000 post Offices
and $500 other stations of all kinds.
about 1.000,O00.000 parcels, 10000
100000 pieces of first-elass mail and
more than 100000, 900 pounds of sec
ond-class matter. conveying mail not
only TO every nook and corner of the
country, but TO all parts Of the
world
This tremendous business of Uncle
Sans has been built up since 1889. In
that year there were 10 post offices in
the United States. BY 1901 this num-
Der had increased to 76,945. Since
1901 the number has steadily de-
clined, owing to the Introduction of
rural delivery. Between July /, 1901,
and July l, 1915. 20.565 post offices
we're discontinued and the number
was reduced to 56,3S0.
Reforms Made Under Tyler.
Uncle Sam has recently prepared
some interesting historical data,
showing the progress of the postal
service since its early days.
During the administration of Presi-
dent Tyler, while Charles A. Wick
life of Kentucky was postmaster gen
eral, many reforms were instituted.
such as cheapening the postage, i'm
proving the manner of letting routes
by contract. prohibiting private eX-
presses, and restricting the ranking
privilege. The foreign desk" from
which ultimately grew the admirable
arrangeD' ent of the postal union, was
Instituted by HOratio King of Maine.
Through the efforts of Judge Hall Of
New York. postmaster general under
President Fillmore, the postage on
letters was reduced to 8 cents. The
registration system came in under
Postmaster General Campbell of Penn
sylvapia during the administration of
President Pierce. The free delivery
service was inaugurated in 1868 by
Montgomery Blair of Maryland, also
the money order system In 1864, in
Lincoln's administration. The rail-
way mail service dates from July,
1862, when Judge Holt Of Kentucky
ordered its establishment, the first
railway post office being from Quincy.
H., to st. Joseph, Mo-, ON the Hanni-
bal & st. Joseph railway
Other progressive steps, with the
dates upon which they were taken,
are summarized as follows:
Postage stamps first issued at New
York July, 1S47.
Stamped envelopes first issued June.
1853.
Newspaper wrappers, act of con-
gress, February, 1861.
International money orders, Octo-
Der. 1867.
Postal cards, May, 1878.
Postage reduced to 2 cents. October,
1883.
Special delivery, October, 1885.
Rural delivery, October, 1896.
Postal savings. January, 1911.
Parcel post, January. 1913.
Forty-Eight Men in Office.
Forty-eight men have held the posi-
ton of postmaster general and direct
ed the affairs of the post Office depart
ment since 1875. The term of SER
vice apparently was longer in the
olden days than at present, for from
1775 TO 1S50-T5 years-1lere were
only II men in the position, Gideon
Granger Of Connecticut having served
thirteen years and eight months, and
Return ]. Meigs of Ohio nine years
and three months. From 1850 to 1916
&c years-there have been 81 men
In the office. President Roosevelt had
four postmasters general; Grant, Ar
thur and Cleveland, the latter during
his two terms, had four each: Wash
ington and Buchanan had three each;
Jackson, Fillmore. Lincoln, Hayes
and Mckinley. two each, and the re-
naming presidents retained the same
man in the Office throughout their
terms.
In 1929 the postmaster general be-
came a member of the cabinet by the
action Of President Jackson, William
T. Barry of Kentucky being the first
man to hold that honor.
Pennsylvania and New York have
furnished the largest number of post
masters general, each having six to its
credit. Connecticut. Kentucky. Ten
nessee and Wisconsin have furnished
four each; Massachusetts, Maryland
and Ohio three each. while no other
state has supplied more than one man
for the place.