Year: 1869

When the time comes for General Jones, our Post
master, to order the vacation OF the present Post
ONCE premises for others just trihe larger
cleaner safer and more stylish, let that venerable
ex-eccesascal nondescript OF stone and mortar.
with Its wooden penny pie stall and peep show sur
roundings on Nassau street, wherein world wide
postal business has for years been mraculousy
carried on be retained for exhibition and encircled
by high iron fence, that all the generations OF en-
who may hereafter live on Manhattan Island may
see. free OF charge the most unique and wonderful
c0ntr1vance OF former age. Let guides be pro-
vided with ropes and lanterns to pilot visitors
through the dark and dangerous recesses OF the
mall room and the curious intricacles Of the news
paper department. There is money in the enter
PRISE If a fee were charged for admission, and the
man who enters on It after General Jones betakes
himself to City Hall Park will make more profit in
the speculation than ne sold that venerable corner
Of Nassau and Liberty for the site OF q national
bank. Even now country folks from over the hills
and far away make it an especial point, even before
visiting the Park to the source OF our letter de-
livery. No bazaar In StambOul ever wore charac-
ter OF such delightful confusion aud endless variety
as the New York Post ONCE at noon OF every
day. II stranger has newspaper to post what
bewilderng gyratiOns he is forced to perform be-
fore discovering the place in which 10 put It, All
the holes he are tor letters and signbOard,
no friendly director meets his eye to guide him iu
his weary pursuit for the newspaper depository.
He may happen. however, to turn In despair down
Liberty street. and, catching glimpse OF an open
and elevated entrance, strewed all round with mail
bags, like sacks OF corn on barn floor he will pos
sibly conclude reliable information may there
be had.


'Where is your newspaper hoep' he very likely
inquireth OF the stalworth individual engaged In
stufng the mail bags.


"l1ere var; fling your bundle right up this way"
would be the ordinary response, and thereupon our
agated friend from the country with no pretenslons
to the skill OF base pail pitcher, stands out in the
centre Of Liberty street. and, taking aim at
twenty PAGES, let's fly his bundle at the mail bag man.
and if he hit MIN in the eye, which, however, sell
dom happens, the cOuntryman is allowed to laugh
and look upon 1t as a good Joke.


Seriously, however, the Post Ofice Is every day
becoming less safe and satisfactory place of busi-
ness for people with human lungs-fOr people
Of flesh and blood-who would hardly fnd
tumbling in OF the old bell tower, which
every heavy rain storm for some time past has
gradually weakened until now 1t is almost loose
and as liable to go to pieces as Rhode Island stone
fence. The ceiling IN the mail room has been tempo
make the building proof against the enects Of the
weather It'll rheumatic all over with strong symp-
toms Of physical debility brought on by extreme old
age and poor treatment generally.


Up stairs, where the money order and other ofnces
endeavOr TO ecOnOmZe space with all the skill and
cunning device with which the little busy bee hives
the honey, the July days make the clerks feel
what power there is III the rays OF Old Sol. The
upper portion Of the Post once concern is divided
INTO light, twilight and darkness-suniight at one
sde, gaslght at the other and twilight III the mid
dle-iitle ventilation, but q good deal OF oppressive
heat all OF which Is bad enough for visitors, but
much for the clerks. or course this condition
OF things must one day have an end, but why that
end should be SO long coming with such an outrage
as the present Post ONCE staring US every day IN the
face, Is truly unaccountable.


light and Ventilation. insufficient space. rickefy
rafters, falling mortar and other such unpleasant
reminders, the business OF the Post Ofce under the
administration OF General Jones and his assistants
1s carried on with q completeness really wonderful
under the circumstances. The latest Improvement
started by the Postmaster Is TO unite by telegraph
ali the subordinate stations throughout the city
thirteen IN number, from to N-with the Post
Onice IN Nassau street. The want of this system
Offices has been inconveniently felt for some


e and or sepaa HSnd tne 20
the statons when 1t becomes necessary to make i'm
mediate inquiries about a letter. package or news
the Post once without being able to tell at which
station II may be lying. The Post ONCE contracts
with the western Union Company that as an equiva-
lent for the space Of rent granted the company
in each station, the latter shall put up telegraph
machine and do the business indicated gratis with
the understanding Of carrying on their usual trans
actions with the public at the same time


The number Of boxes at me Post once is now only
five thousand, ana Is every day decreasing. II the
establishment was further up town the box system
would he much less patronIzed. and with the in
crease in the number OF letter carriers this rather
primitive mode OF delivering correspondence would
inally tall into disuse.


There have been no changes OF any importance
this month among the employees, but IN the neigh
borOod oI the ls OF July IL is the intention OF the
Postmaster TO direct limited number of alterations
In the force.


once seekers stl continue 10 drop in upon the
Postmaster with letters and credentials. but they
far less numerous and clamorous than they we've
a few months ago. There Is a limit to vacancies In
the Post Uce but no limit. apparently. to the ap-
plicatOns, II five or six hundred candidates i0r one
place be any evidence.