The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-02-21


ladics-of whom more anon. There Ii
also an assistant secretary, who hal
been there since last July and who's,
brain contains the finest amount of in,
formation on naval names. She is
only l9 but a regular veteran ut the
work This little Miss Knapp arrives
at 500 a. m, lets in Joe the cleaner
whose real name is Giovanni. and
starts stamping the mail. We receive
more than 1900 letters daily, about 900
coming on the first mail. stamp
while Miss Knapp sorts into alphabet
ically arranged boxes and while Joe"
tries patiently to mop the room, in
cluding the spot where | am, whatever
spot that happens to be- He also
tends the mouse traps! We have 80
packages daily, many we have to hold
two months, and the mice have dis
covered US. The restaurant has a cat
but 1t is not a very smart cat.
At $3.50 the ladies begin to come.
Eighty-two ladies give their services
in this department, some for but two
hours a week, few for five hours
daily. We all put the mail into 20
wire baskets in which are ten or more
large filing guides. So that a man
named Hall goes to the baskets labeled
H and the lady sitting there looks
him up under "Haa-Ham," precisely
as If it were card catalogue. After
the new mail is filed we do the re-
moving of letters to be forwarded.
In every subdivision of the baskets
there are large cards filed with the
forwarding addresses of people moved
10 the different submarine bases. or
Of people who wish their mail sent to
heir ships. We go through the whole
shing,-it takes six people about two
hours or eight people about one and
'ne half hours,-and place an elastic
'and around card and letters for each
nan. We forward about rs letters a
lay. While the forwarding is in
progress the postman comes with
bout four sacks of packages and
'apers. A lady is specially delegated
or work with the packages; she
phones to Mr.. Bonner, of the locker
Dom in the basement and he comes
p with an assistant. Mr.. Bonner is
bout the most useful secretary in the
lace for all the miscellaneous mat
ers with which existence abounds. {
he packages have dated and num-
cred tags attached I am now insist I
ig that the package department shall {
Earn the sailors square knott and 9
ated and numbered cards made out !
18th the addressee's name. There is C
lso space for entering the number t
the pigeon hole in which the pack
ge is placed The card goes with the t
lan's letters in the basket. l
Packages mean great deal of {
ork. AT first the ladies trustingly
ave George Jones boxes to John
rown to take to his shipmate. | am b
'rry to relate that few unpleasant n
iperiences convinced US that being in "
e navy does not insure a man d,
sainst the temptation to eat another
ans mothers cake and candy. So S
e now ask man, "Are you Mr..
seph Francis O'Shea yourself ?"
'es, ma'am." "Have you your name !,
your clothes 2" And then he shows ..
G name in his hat and pea-coat and %
his blouse.
During the morning the telephone g.
lgs frequently. ] have government
ders to give no information about
ips or men, but that does not deter
hundred people from trying it. One "
man asked me whether the --- ~
g in port. told her that | did not "
ow. "Well, don't you see the names 40 a.
H. ,.
the ships on their hats 2" NO" | - -
,lied on swift inspiration, 1--WE are ~
women-folk in the postal room, and :,
, sailors most politely remove their
IS as they enterW A secret service
IN paid me a visit only yesterday
cit as large as life when | demand De
his credentials before ! would per- fol
him TO see any mail, and the mag ia'
Icent creature took out from his in tie
: pocket a leather case containing
engraved and sealed and signed IN
d the Turing image Of "Aarmgard
RI Graces" card pictured in the
nt of the famous boob, only this be
S not DR.. Graves nor was the seal cor
t Of Germany gel
Veil, if l don't hurry up ] shall fro
er finish this, and shall bore you abl
death with mass Of details. We we
n the postal room at 1880 and for thi
an hour we rush 10 keep up with pee
mob who have been waiting. Then the
lgs 30 quietly until ] o'clock, when '
close until 2:30 ! go to luncheon tier
Mrs. Wisner, stenographer for w.
social welfare department. The