Evening star., 1950-10-22


sites Of more than passing inter-
est is the northwest corner of
Ninth and E streets NV, where
the Post Office Department
took up its headquarters when
the Federal Government moved
here from Philadelphia in 1900. 1t
was not the Post Office Depart
ment of today, as one might well
imagine, and it's requirements
most naturally were not very
large.
The Postmaster General, Joseph
Habersham. was not then a cabi-
net officer, and did not become so
until 1929. The members of the
Presidents official family included
only John Marshall, Secretary of
State: Oliver Wolcott, jr., Secre-
tary Of the Treasury; Samuel Dex-
ter, Secretary of War; Benjamin
Stoddert, Secretary of the Navy
and Charles Lee, Attorney Gen
eral.
. Besides the Postmaster General
and his assistant, seven others
made up the entire administrative
force of the Post Office Depart
ment at that time.
There were then in Washington
3,210 persons and 372 buildings,
| 109 of brick and 263 of wood, or
about nine persons to each build
ing. So. it can be seen, the new
comers did not have an easy time
finding desirable and satisfactory
accommodations.
Had Housing Trouble
| Abraham Bradley, First AS
sistant Postmaster General, upon
his arrival in the city on May 80,
found the quarters previously
selected by him not ready for oc-
cupancy and. besides. incon-
veniently situated. He was forced
to secure quarters elsewhere.
Two letters written by Mr.
Bradley give some interesting in
formation as to the Post Office
Department. On June 2, 1900
he wrote:
1--WE arrived here on Friday last
having had a pleasant journey as
far as we Travelled by daylight
Capt. Stevenson, with whom
agreed for a house before my ar
rival. was not ready to give pos
session, and the house was not
convenient for us. I have there
fore taken a large three story
house within few rods of Blod-
getts Hotel, which will accom-
modate the Office and my family
and the postmaster's office. 1t il
about equidistant from the Presi-
dents House and the Capitol"
Nine days later in another letter
he said:
I'VE have not been able to open
the Office and commence business
until this day. I left Philadelphia
Wednesday. May 81. and arrived
on Friday evening, the 29th. The
President left Philadelphia the
26th and arrived at Georgetown
June l. The situation of the city
is extremely pleasant, and it will
probably become the greatest city
in America. We have taken
DR.. Crocker's house for this office
(close by the Great HoteD and for
my family at $500 year. The
apportionment of the rent I shall
leave to you.
ut appears that 5000 year is
as much as I ought to pay for a
house. Our Office is kept on the
second floor, which contains one
large room and two small ones
The largest room is 81 by II feet
and the smallest rooms are each
is by IA feet. The front room on
the first floor was prepared for Mr.
Munroe's Office, with an apart
ment for blanks. Only half the
floors were laid when we took the
house, and only four rooms were
plastered. The owner allowed us
to expend $500 of the rent to make
it tenantable. The carpenters are
now at work and we shall COM
plete. as far as our money shall
permit, by the last of next week. at
which time Mr.. Munroe will move
his Office here"
Fire in War Office
The Mr.. Munroe here referred
to was Thomas Munroe, then the
city postmaster. Soon after he
moved his Office into the building
with the Post Office Department
he found there was not sufficient
room for both, and he accordingly
removed elsewhere.
Here the Post Office Department
seems to have remained but a
short time. Christian Hines, in his
Early Recollections of Washing