The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-04-03
tMaii special % The Advertiser)

. N~NENFN8A
H1Lo, March 31--kf three clock
last Friday afternoon the Hilo post
Office moved from its dilapidated, moss
covered shack al the foot of waianue.
nue. Street 20 its beautiful concrete and
marble building on the federal site
The transfer from a hovel 10 a palace
was the work Of few minutes. The
postmaster had notified the patrons of
his Office several. weeks before that on
three O'Clock of this day the official life
at the old building would cease and the
occupation Of the new one would com
meuce. a.s..
Postmaster Corbett and his staff had
been working under high pressure from
early Thursday morning till the depart
ure Of the railway mail at two CLOCK
Friday afternoon. Mails, close to the
holiday season 5 size, had arrived by
the Great Northern, the Mauna Kea
and the Matsonia. Friday saw the
clerks wading through piles of packages
in the crowded quarters Of the little old
Office, but by noon they had sorted and
delivered most of the mass. What was
left over was pouched, and together
with the account books, boxes of
stamps and other things necessary to a
postofiee, were piled high onto a truck
and sent to the spacious rear platform
which will hereafter receive all incom.
ing mails. WheA the truck left the
Office Postmaster Corbett and the as.
sistant postmaster, Herman Ludlof,
| officially closed and locked the Office
and walked briskly up the street to de.
clare the new Office open. Government
Inspector Herbert Cohen has been long
enough in Office to know that these
things must be done properly. He had
invited Contractor Campbell, Circuit
Judges Quinn and Thompson, Sheriff
Pua, Collector of the Port Baird and
other federal and local officials, as well
as prominent citizens, to gather on the
marble steps leading to the building.
While it was not expected by Mr.. Cor
bett, he is too familiar with public af-
fairs to be taken back by finding him
self in the center of an unexpected
official ceremony. He walked directly
towards Inspector Cohen, who stood
waiting for him at the top of the steps,
and there received the keys which made
him official custodian of the building
and grounds. Some months ago he had
notice from the treasury department
Statihk thdt no EWOutu DC selecbeu us
custodian. The official transfer was
made by the delivery of the keys. ~
Mr.. Cohen and other officials in turn
congratulated Mr.. Corbett and through
him the people Of Hilo upon the Occa-
sion, and the postmaster went immedi-
ately to his beautiful and capacious
| office at the mauka end of the building.
Here he invited his friends and Off
Gals to display TO them the beauty of
the furniture and setting provided by
the post office department.. II was nee
essary for him TO excuse himself very
shortly to open the heavy iron shutters
and admit the mail waiting at the rear
entrance. AS he passed the mail shute
there was dropped the first letter to en-
ter the new building. 1t was addressed
to the Hon. Bernard Kelekolio, house
of representatives, Honolulu. Immedi-
ately after bundle of newspapers, ad,
! dressed to the representative was also
| deposited through the opening. II
Although every preeaution had been
taken to advertise in four languages
! that the old Office was closed, con-
siderable amount of mail matter found
its way into the deposit Sits of the
former building. Habit is too strong
for some people, and during most of
Saturday morning box holders were
seen opening the old boxes at the foot
of Waianuenue Street. Within few
days, however, the building will be
wrecked and the land turned over to
the Hawaii Consolidated Railway, in
accordance with the conveyance made
during the administration of Governor
Frear.
/ With the passing of the old building