The post office and its story

by Edward Bennett

INDEX

• Abbot's Cliff, [191]
• Aberdeen, [72], [73], [80]
• Accountant-General, [45], [55]
• Addresses on letters, [108], [111], [115], [120], [252]
• Admiralty, [220]
• Advertising postal facilities, [85], [323]
• Aldersgate Street, [129]
• Allen, Ralph, [36]
• Alphabet keeper, [45]
• America, [64]
• Anglo-American Telegraph Company, [160]
• Animals by post, [323]
• Annals of the Road, [27]
• Annuities, Post Office, [143]
• Architecture of Post Offices, [233], [302]
• Army Post Office—
  • Crimea, [130]
  • Early history, [336]
  • Duties of, [337]
• Arran Islands, [217]
• Assistant Secretaries, [261]
• Associations, their recognition by Postmaster-General, [262]
• Atlantic Ferry, [209], [212]
• Athens, [81]
• Australia—
  • First mail service to, [215]
  • Postal service, [258]
  • Articles refused by post, [328]
• Austria, [160]
• Awards Committee, [206]
• Aylesbury Coach Road, [89]

• Bagnigge Wells, [85]
• Baines, F. E., C.B., [32], [265]
• Balloons, [235]
• Balmoral Castle, [216]
• Band conveyors, [60]
• Baptism, commercial idea of, [150]
• Barnet, [98]
• Bartholomew's Hospital, [58]
• Batavia, [213]
• Bath, [22], [36]
• Baudot system—
  • Introduction, [155]
  • Circuit, [160]
  • Working of, [167]
• Bawtry, [281]
• Bedminster Town Penny Bank, [325]
• Bees by post, [323]
• Belfast, [279]
• Belgium—
  • Parcel Post to, [84]
  • Money Orders to, [131]
  • Wires to, [160]
  • Telephone to, [191]
• Bell, A. M., [182]
• Bell, Graham, [182]
• Berlin, [327]
• Berne—
  • First Congress, [225]
  • Treaty of, [226]
  • Second Congress, [228]
  • Monument, [230]
• Bicycles, [99]
• Birmingham, [31], [35], [70], [72], [164], [279]
• Blackfriars Power Station, [162], [169]
• “Black Swan,” 44
• Blackwood, Sir Arthur, K.C.B., [264]
• Blind Section, [62], [89], [90]
• Bombay, [215], [216]
• Bousseul, Charles, [181]
• Boxmoor, [72]
• Boy messengers—
  • Qualifications, [339]
  • Explanations, [341]-346
• Bradshaw, [231]
• Bright's Bell, [155]
• Brighton, [75], [99], [100]
• Brindisi, [215]
• Brisbane, [216]
• Bristol, [21], [279], [280]
• Britannia, [213]
• British Central Africa—
  • Postal Service, [255]
  • Postmaster's duties, [257]
• British Islands packet services, [217]
• British Post Offices abroad, [205]
• Brontë, Charlotte, [67]
• Brussels, [191]
• “Bull and Mouth,” 27, [50]
• Bullion, carriage of, [209]
• Burdett, Sir Francis, [34]
• Burravoe, [81]
• Buxton, Right Hon. Sydney, M.P., [201], [262]

• Cable conveyors, [60]
• Cadiz, [81]
• Cairo, [215]
• Calais, [220]
• Caledonian Railway, [73]
• Camels as carriers of mails, [246], [254]
• Campania, [213]
• Campbell, Lord, [23]
• Campbeltown, [285]
• Canada—
  • Parcel Post, [84]
  • Money Orders, [131]
  • Imperial Penny Post, [258]
• Canary Islands, [237]
• Cape Colony—
  • Money Orders, [131]
  • Ocean mail service, [214], [216]
  • Post Office stones, [255]
• Cape Grisnez, [191]
• Card system for accounts, [244]
• Cardiff, [279]
• Carlisle, [75]
• Cash on Delivery System, [253]
• Cats in Post Office, [95]
• Central News Agency, [165]
• Central Telegraph Office—
  • Building, [67]
  • Transmitting centre, [159]
  • First office, [161]
  • Interior, [163]
  • Sunday arrangements, [169]
  • Staff, [173]
• Chamberlain, Right Hon. Joseph, M.P., [51], [247], [263]
• Channel Fleet, letters to, [116]
• Channel Islands—
  • Cable to, [156]
  • Mail service, [218]
• Chesham, [104]
• China—
  • Mails to, [220]
  • Post Office, [244]
  • Articles refused, [328]
• Christian World, [298]
• Christ's Hospital, [58]
• Civil Service, secret of success in, [272]
• Clerical Establishment, [268]
• Clerks of the Roads, [45], [125]
• Clifden, [178]
• Cloak Lane, [43]
• Coaches, [22]
• Coaching inns, [98]
• Coin by post, [125], [127]
• Coke, Lady Mary, [304]
• Coldbath Fields Prison, [85]
• Coleridge, S. T., [33]
• Colonial Office, [51]
• Compensation, [59]
• Comptroller and Accountant-General, [265]
• Concentrator switches, [168]
• Connaught, [218]
• Consols—
  • Popularisation of, [140]
  • Amount held in Post Office, [141]
  • Facilities for purchase, [141]
  • Reduction of interest on, [143]
• Constantinople, [84], [130], [328]
• Continental Mail, [75], [222]
• Cooke, [155]
• Cornwall, [75]
• Cowper, William, [21]
• “Creed” system, [155], [166]
• Crimean War, [130]
• Cuba, [328]
• Cunard Company, [212]

• Daily Mail, [108], [193]
• Daily Telegraph, [245]
• Date stamping, [61]
• David Copperfield, [281]
• Dead Letter Office, [109], [118]
• Deal, [33]
• Denmark, [328]
• De Quincey, Thomas, [28], [102]
• De Saint Marceaux, [230]
• Diamond Jubilee Reforms, [84], [246], [258]
• Dickens, Charles, [28]
• Dickson, Mrs. Elizabeth, [314]
• Dieppe, [220]
• Dockree support system, [88]
• Dockwra, [35], [290]
• Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella, [210]
• Dover, [220]
• Dover Road, [19], [208]
• Dryden, [45]
• Dublin, [218]
• Duncan, Rev. Henry, [138]
• Dunfermline, [287]

• Eastbourne, [284]
• East India Company, [247]
• Edinburgh, [23], [32], [36]
• Edinburgh Castle, [216]
• Edison Telephone Company, [183], [184]
• Egypt, [84], [215], [336]
• Electric stamping machines, [61]
• Electric Telegraph Company, [161]
• Elephant as carrier of mails, [246], [249]
• Engineer-in-Chief, [267]
• Engineers, [195], [196]
• Enniskillen, [284]
• Etruria, [213]
• Euston, [72], [74], [80], [89]
• Exchange Telegraph Company, [165]
• Exeter, [25]
• Express Delivery Service, [96], [323]

• Factories (see [Post Office Factories])
• Fair Isle, [220]
• Fair Wages Resolution, [206]
• Falkland Islands, [328]
• Falmouth—
  • As packet station, [209]
  • 100 years ago, [210]
  • P. and O. service, [214]
• Farmers' telephones, [193]
• Fawcett, Right Hon. H., [85], [262]
• Ferry mail services, [81]
• Fiji Islands, [216]
• Fishguard, [217]
• “Fleece Tavern,” [44]
• Flushing, [75], [220]
• Flying Coaches, [22]
• Folkestone, [75], [220]
• Foot posts, [21]
• Foreign Parcel Post, articles refused, [328]
• Foreign postal rates, [223]
• Foreign Post Office methods, [231]
• Forman, H. Buxton, C.B., [265]
• Forty Years at Post Office, [265]
• Foula, [220]
• Founder's Court, E.C., [161]
• France—
  • Money Orders to, [131]
  • Wires to, [160]
  • Postal methods, [234]
  • Savings Bank, [235]
  • Telegraphs, [236]
  • Parcel Post, [236]
• Franks, [34]
• Freeling, Sir Francis, [264], [268], [278]

• Garibaldi, [41]
• Gavey, Sir John, K.C.B., [267]
• Gell System, [166]
• General Election—
  • Effects on telegraph system, [171], [204]
• General Post Office North, [55], [67]
• General Post Office South, [55], [67]
• General Post Office West, [67], [161]
• Germany—
  • Parcel Post, [84]
  • Money Orders, [131]
  • Wires to, [160]
  • Postal methods, [232]
  • Post Offices, [232]
• Ghosts seen from motors, [107]
• Gibraltar, [81], [84], [214]
• Gladstone, Right Hon. W. E.—
  • Anglican Orders, [132]
  • Post Office Savings Bank, [138]
  • Home Role Bill telegrams, [171]
• Glasgow—
  • Early charges to, [32]
  • Telephone, [191]
  • Postmaster, [279]
  • Postmen, [313]
• Grand Magazine, [270]
• Great Eastern Railway, [75]
• Great North Road, [22], [32], [98], [282]
• Great Western, [212]
• Great Western Railway, [73], [75]
• Greenwich Observatory, [170]
• Grievances against the Post Office, [330]

• Halfpenny Post, [64], [320]
• Harkara, [249], [250]
• Haroldswick, [80], [81]
• Harwich, [209], [220]
• Hasker, Thomas, [24], [27], [30]
• Heaton, Henniker, [247], [320], [325]
• Hennibique reinforced concrete, [58]
• Hill, Sir Rowland, K.C.B.—
  • Penny Postage, [31]
  • As a reformer, [35]
  • Career, [38]
  • His reforms, [39]
  • As a lecturer, [54]
• Hindhead, [199]
• Hindustan, [214]
• Hobart, [216]
• Holborn Viaduct, [75]
• Holland, [160]
• Holyhead, [24], [29], [217]
• Home Safes—
  • England, [154]
  • New Zealand, [259]
• Hong Kong, [84], [244]
• Hood, Thomas, [40]
• Household Words, [136]
• Hughes recorder, [155], [160]
• Hull, [279]
• Hungary, [160]

• Imperial Penny Postage—
  • Beginnings of, [247]
  • Establishment of, [258]
• Incivility of officials—
  • Germany, [233]
  • America, [241]
  • England, [329]
• India—
  • Wires to, [160]
  • Mails, [214]
  • Early postal service, [247]
  • Honours, [251]
• Indo-European Telegraph Company, [160]
• Insurance, National, [279], [332]
• Insurance, Post Office, [143]
• Intercommunication switch, [163], [168]
• International Parcel Post, [83]
• Investments in Government Stock, [140]
• Ipswich, [25], [75]
• Ireland—
  • Mail coach service, [29]
  • Parcel Post, [94]
  • Packet service, [217]
  • Service incident, [295]
• Iris, [215]
• Isle of Man, [217], [218]
• Isle of Skye, [217]
• Isle of Wight, [217]

• Jacobs, W. W., [274]
• Japan—
  • Mails to, [220]
  • P. O. service, [243]
  • Savings Banks, [244]
• Jingle, Mr. Alfred, on postmen's uniform, [311]
• Johnston, Sir H. H., K. C. B., [255]
• Johnston, R. W., [50]
• Jolly, John, [107]
• Joyce, H., C. B., [265]

• Karstadt, Frederick, [70]
• Kekewich, Sir George, [270]
• Kipling, Rudyard, [250], [324]
• King Edward's Building—
  • Migration of staff to, [55]
  • Site, [57]
  • Construction, [58]
  • Ventilation, [66]
  • Staff, [67]
• King's Birthday—
  • Coach processions, [27]
  • Post Office feast, [46]
• King's posts, [20], [208], [277]
• Kingston-on-Thames, [100]
• Knoydart, [220]

• Lamb, Charles, [216]
• Leamington, [305]
• Leeds, [32], [279]
• Leinster, [218]
• Lerwick, [80], [220]
• Letter bringers, [45]
• Letters, number of, [64]
• Lichfield, Lord, [36]
• Lighthouse communication, [178]
• Limited mail, [73]
• Lincoln sorting carriage, [75]
• Lisbon—
  • Early mail service, [214]
  • Postal congress, [228]
• Lismore, [295]
• Listowel, [172]
• Liverpool, [35], [57], [70], [97], [213], [279]
• Liverpool Street, [75]
• Loading coils, [191]
• Local Taxation Licences, [335]
• Lombard Street, [45], [48], [55]
• London—
  • Early posts, [19]
  • Mail coaches, [27]
  • Twopenny posts, [35]
  • First Post Office, [43]
  • Postmaster of, [56]
  • Chief Post Office, [57]
• London and North-Western Railway, [31], [73], [74]
• London and South-Western Railway, [75]
• London Bridge, [75]
• London Postal Service, [56]
• Lucania, [213]
• Lusitania, [213]

• Maberley, Colonel, [50]
• Macadam, [27]
• Macdonald, Flora, [285]
• Madeira, [81], [216]
• Magazine competitions and postal orders, [133]
• Magazine Post, [238]
• Magnetic clocks, [170], [200]
• Mail bags—
  • Makers of, [45]
  • Colour, [62]
  • Travelling Post Office, [77]
  • Repairs, [203]
  • Mail cart, [80]
• Mail coaches—
  • Early days, [23]
  • Speed, [24]
  • Robberies, [27]
  • Procession, [27]
  • End of, [29]
  • Coach v. motor, [104]
• Mail coachmen—
  • Uniform, [24]
  • Furious driving, [26]
  • Stories of, [104], [107]
• Mail guards—
  • Arming of, [24], [103]
  • Condition of service, [25]
  • Complaints against, [26]
• Mail trains—
  • First trains, [32]
  • Late-fee boxes, [73]
  • Night, [74], [75]
  • Catching up, [302]
• Majestic, [213]
• Mallaig, [220]
• Malta, [84]
• Manchester, [35], [279], [326]
• Manila, [216]
• Manning, Thomas, [216]
• Marconi Company, [178]
• Marriage, depositors' views on, [150]
• Masters of the Posts, [143]
• Mauretania, [81], [208], [213]
• Melbourne, Lord, [37]
• Middleton, [92]
• Midland Travelling Post Office, [75]
• Milford, [217]
• Milton, John, [45]
• Mirror, [308]
• Money Orders—
  • Reduction in price, [39]
  • Offices, [55], [68]
  • Early days, [125]
  • Old charges, [126]
  • Number issued, [127]
  • Soldiers and sailors, [130]
  • Foreign and Colonial, [131]
  • Telegraph, [132]
  • Complaints, [134]
  • Scenes at counter, [136]
• Monte Video Times, [243]
• Montreal, [123]
• Morris, O'Connor, [53]
• Morse characters, [165]
• Morse's Printer and Sounder, [155]
• Mossbank, [81]
• Motor mails—
  • Early beginnings, [100]
  • Distances, [102]
  • Night service, [102]
  • Guards, [103]
  • Drivers, [103], [105]
• Mount Pleasant, [61], [67], [85]
• Mowatt, Sir Francis, K.C.B., [271]
• Muckle Flugga, [79]
• Mulock, Hon. William, K.C., [258]
• Munster, [218]
• Murray Multiplex, [155]

• National Insurance, [279], [332]
• National Telephone Company, [177], [185], [187]
• National Telewriter Company, [177]
• Navy Post Office, [338]
• Newcastle-on-Tyne, [279], [326]
• Newhaven, [220]
• New Jersey, [285]
• Newmarket, [35]
• Newspaper post, [29], [64], [322]
• Newport, [92]
• Newton, [92]
• New South Wales, [260]
• New York—
  • Telephone service, [189]
  • Mail service to, [213]
• New Zealand—
  • Postal service, [258]
  • Pigeon post, [260]
  • Articles refused, [328]
• Nightingale, Florence, [130]
• Northcote, Sir Stafford, [130]
• Norway, A. H., [209], [210]
• Norwich, [35], [75]
• Nottingham, [279]

• Old Age Pensions—
  • In New Zealand, [259]
  • In England, [332]
  • Number, [333]
  • Stories of, [334]
• On the Track of the Mail Coach, [265]
• Oporto, [214]
• Orient Company, [216]
• Orkney, [80], [217]
• Osiris, [215]
• Overland Route, [214]
• Oversea Mails—
  • Times of voyages, [216]

• Packet Services (see Post Office Packet Service)
• Paddington, [75]
• Pages from a Private Diary, [299]
• Palmer, John, [22], [99], [102]
• Parcel Post—
  • Offices, [55], [67]
  • Beginnings, [83]
  • Rates, [84]
  • Foreign, [84], [328]
  • Sorting, [86], [88]
  • Receptacles, [89]
  • Packing, [93]
  • Switzerland, [232]
  • France, [236]
• Parcel Post coaches, [99], [101]
• Paris—
  • Telephone, [191]
  • Postal Congress, [228]
  • Postal service, [235]
• Paris Messenger, [240]
• Parsons, Alfred, R.A., [274]
• Payment on demand, [142]
• Pearson's Weekly, [133]
• Peel, Sir Robert, [291]
• Peninsular and Oriental Company, [214]
• Penny Post—
  • Demand for, [32]
  • Introduction, [37]
  • Results, [40]
  • Dockwra's, [290]
• Penzance, [73]
• Permanent officials, [270], [349]
• Persia, [85], [328]
• Philadelphia Exhibition, [182]
• Phonogram, [163]
• Pigeon Post—
  • French, [235]
  • New Zealand, [260]
• Pillar boxes, [112], [113]
• Pitt, William, [23]
• Plague, Great, [44]
• Pneumatic tubes, [161], [163], [203]
• Port Said, [215]
• Postal charges—
  • Old style, [32]
  • Evasion of, [33]
  • Prepayment of, [37]
• Postal Orders—
  • Offices, [68]
  • Origin, [132]
  • Numbers, [132]
  • Effect of newspaper competitions on, [133]
  • Lost, [135]
  • Regulations, [322]
  • Foreign, [328]
• Postal Union—
  • First Conference, [224]
  • Opposition to, [225]
  • Business, [227]
  • Conferences, [228]
  • Monument, [230]
  • Uniformity of services, [327]
• Postboys, [20], [46], [346]
• Postcards—
  • Number, [64]
  • Addresses, [114]
  • Prices, [320]
• Post horses, [20], [104], [277]
• Postman's bell, [304]
• Postman's Federation, [309]
• Postman's Gazette, [313]
• Postman's knock, [315]
• Postmaster—
  • Early history, [20], [277]
  • News agents, [277]
  • Duties, [278]
  • Salaries, [279]
  • Powers, [282]
  • Letters to, [283-287]
  • Inquiry agents, [288]
• Postmaster-General—
  • Early conditions, [45]
  • Duties of office, [261]
  • Discretionary powers, [348]
• Postmaster-General's monopoly, [19], [184]
• Postmen—
  • Before Penny Postage, [34]
  • Empire, [246]
  • Early condition, [302]
  • Grades, [305]
  • Duties, [306]
  • Uniform, [311]
  • Lame, [315]
• Post Office clerks—
  • Promotion, [269]
  • Advantages, [273]
  • Esprit de corps, [275]
  • Counter, [329]
• Post Office factories, [202]
• Post Office figures—
  • Their size, [63]
  • Balance-sheet, [266]
• Post Office Guide—
  • Its scope, [318]
  • Usefulness, [320], [325]
  • Time-tables, [325]
  • Defects, [331]
• Post Office Library, [54]
• Post Office Packet Service—
  • Early history, [209]
  • Sailors' pensions, [211]
  • Home Service, [217]
• Post Office Savings Bank—
  • Sir Rowland Hill on, [39]
  • Offices, [55], [68]
  • Origin, [138]
  • Number of depositors, [139]
  • Stock investments, [140]
  • Withdrawals, [142]
  • Cost of transactions, [143]
  • Government security, [144]
  • Cheque deposits, [144]
  • Staff, [145]
  • Colonial transfers, [154]
  • Home safes, [154]
  • Withdrawal telegrams, [163]
  • Stories of depositors, [146-153]
• Post Office song, [46]
• Post Office stone, [255]
• Post Office uniform, [201], [250], [254]
• Posts—
  • Origin of word, [19]
  • Masters of, [20], [143]
• Postwomen, [313]
• Preece, Sir William, K.C.B., F.R.S., [179], [183], [267]
• Press telegrams, [158], [189]
• Preston, [72]
• Primrose, Sir Henry, [271]
• Punch, [193], [319]
• Punctuality, [51]
• Puzzle addresses, [63]

• Quarterly Review, [26]
• Queen Victoria Street, [67], [327]

• Race Meetings—
  • Telegraph arrangements, [166], [176]
• Radio telegrams, [178]
• Raikes, Right Hon. Cecil, [262]
• Railways—
  • Introduction, [29]
  • Travelling by night, [32]
  • Modern conditions, [71]
  • Parcel carriers, [96], [99]
• Rat-catcher, [46]
• Rats in Parcels Office, [95]
• Reading, [75]
• Red Hill, [101]
• Red tape—
  • Supplies, [202]
  • Methods, [347]
• Registered packets, [112]
• Reply coupon, [228]
• Returned Letter Office, [108]
• Returned Parcels Office, [94]
• Roads—
  • Early conditions, [19]
  • Improvements in, [27]
  • Neglect of, [98]
  • Motor service, [103]
• Rome, [228]
• Rosebery, Lord, [275]
• Roman remains, [48], [57]
• Roumania, [328]
• Royal William, [212]
• Runners—
  • Early use of word, [19]
  • Indian, [249]
  • South African, [254]
  • Central African, [256]
• Rural Posts—
  • France, [234]
  • America, [241]
  • Early history, [290]
  • Later history, [291]
• Russell's Wagons, [209]
• Russia, [160], [204], [328]
• Ruthwell, [137]

• Sailing Vessels—
  • As mail packets, [208]
  • Construction, [211]
  • Contracts with, [220]
• Sanctuary, privilege of, [48]
• St. Kilda, [218]
• St. Martin's le Grand—
  • College of, [48]
  • Design of building, [49]
  • Interior, [50]
  • Chief office, [56]
  • Officials, [54]
  • Closing of, [55]
• St. Petersburg, [328]
• Samuel, Right Hon. Herbert, [266]
• Savannah, [212]
• Savings Banks, [137], [150] (see [Post Office Savings Banks])
• Scalloway, [80]
• Scavenger, Post Office, [46]
• Schooling, J. H., [64]
• Scilly, [156], [217]
• Scotland—
  • Early postal service, [19]
  • Footposts, [21]
  • Postal charges to, [32]
  • Mails to, [73]
• Scott, Sir Walter, [29]
• “Scottish Coast Village,” 298
• Scudamore, Frank Ives, C.B., [54], [265]
• Selby, [32]
• Serna, [213]
• Shanghai, [215]
• Sheffield, [279]
• Shelley, H. C., [338]
• Shetland Isles, [39], [79], [116], [156], [217], [219]
• Shrewsbury, [79]
• Sikes, Sir C. W., [138]
• Skye, [217]
• Smirke, Mr., [49], [55]
• “Snooper in,” 190
• Solicitor to Post Office, [267]
• Sorting carriages, [73], [74]
• Sorting of letters and parcels, [60], [61], [88]
• South Africa, [253]
• South America, [243]
• Southampton, [218]
• South-Eastern and Chatham Railway, [75], [302]
• Southsea, [286]
• Spain—
  • Leisured methods, [211]
  • Postal service, [236]
• Spanish swindle, [114]
• Special Events Section, [166]
• Steam motors, [101]
• Stephen, Justice, [185]
• Stephenson, George, [31]
• Stock certificates, [140]
• Stock Exchange, [173]
• Stores Department—
  • Early beginnings, [45]
  • Offices, [68]
  • Business, [200]
  • Sale of stores, [205]
• Stow's Survey, [43]
• Straits Settlements, [84], [245], [328]
• Studd Street, [68]
• Submarine cables, [156], [160], [191]
• Sub-Postmaster—
  • Qualifications, [289]
  • Increase of duties, [292]
  • Troubles, [294]
  • Hereditary, [295]
  • Applications for, [300]
• Sub-Postmistress—
  • Qualifications, [296]
  • Methods, [297]
  • Difficulties with, [302]
• Suez—
  • Mail route, [214]
  • Canal, [215]
• Sunday deliveries, [326]
• Surveyors, [267]
• “Swan with Two Necks,” 27
• Switzerland—
  • Money Orders, [131]
  • Postal facilities, [232]

• Tamworth, [75]
• Tangiers, [81]
• Taplow, [104]
• Telegraph Act (1869), [184]
• Telegraphs—
  • Offices, [56], [67]
  • Early history, [155]
  • Transfer to State, [156]
  • Charges, [158]
  • Breakdown, [159]
  • News Section, [165]
  • Special Section, [166]
  • Long distance, [167]
  • Timing of, [170]
  • Loss on, [189]
• Telegraph Construction Act (1908), [199]
• Telegraph instruments, [160], [204]
• Telegraph poles, [198], [203], [204]
• Telegraph Street, E.C., [161]
• Telegraphists—
  • Scales of pay, [173]
  • In war, [336]
• Telephone Company, [183]
• Telephones—
  • Effect on telegraph, [176]
  • Early beginnings, [181]
  • Parliament's action, [185]
  • London service, [186]
  • Decision to purchase, [187]
  • Subscribers, [188]
  • United States, [189]
  • Long distance calls, [190], [193]
  • Exchange, [191]
  • Farmers, [193]
• Telephone-telegram business, [163]
• Telewriter, [177]
• Telford, [27]
• Teutonic, [213]
• Thomson, Sir William, [183]
• Threadneedle Street, E.C., [173]
• Tie-on labels, [94]
• Tilley, Sir John, K.C.B., [264]
• Tintagel, [301]
• Tranavoe, [81], [255]
• Travelling Post Office—
  • Romance, [69]
  • First service, [71]
  • Apparatus, [75]
  • Disasters, [79]
  • Mail bags, [203]
  • Oversea mails, [213]
• Treasury, [264]
• Trinidad, [328]
• Trollope, Anthony, [41], [52], [53], [267]
• Trouble-man, [190]
• Truth, [329]
• Tuke, Brian, [19]
• Tunbridge Wells, [22]

• Ulster, [218]
• Umbria, [213]
• Undelivered packets—
  • Numbers, [110]
  • Stories of, [113-123]
  • South African War, [337]
• Underground wires, [178], [187], [190], [196], [199], [233]
• Uniform (see [Post Office Uniform])
• Union Castle Line, [216]
• Union Postale, [227]
• United States—
  • Letters to, [64]
  • Money Orders, [131]
  • Telephone service, [189]
  • Weather, [190]
  • Postal Union, [224]
  • Postal service, [238]
  • Postmaster-General's reports, [241]

• “Valeurs à recouvrer,” [236]
• Value-Payable Post, [253]
• Vienna, [228]
• Vigo, [214]
• Village Post Office—
  • Described, [298]
  • Architecture, [300]
• Villette, [67]
• Viner, Sir Robert, [45]
• Voe, [81]
• Von Stephan, Herr, [224], [226], [232]

• Waghorn, Lieutenant, [214]
• Walpole, Sir Spencer, K.C.B., [229], [265], [271]
• Washington, [228]
• Washington Evening Star, [228]
• Wayleave-getting, [197]
• Welby, Lord, [270]
• West, Sir Algernon, K.C.B., [270]
• West Indies, [84], [131]
• West Kensington, [68], [144]
• Weston-super-Mare, [287]
• Weymouth, [218]
• Wheatstone, Sir Charles, [182]
• Wheatstone apparatus—
  • A B C, [155]
  • Automatic, [155], [165]
  • Transmitter, [165]
  • Telephone, [181]
• White Star Line, [213]
• Wick, [326]
• Window man, [45]
• Wireless telegraphy, [178]
• Witherings, [35]
• Wolverton, Lord, [147]
• Women clerks—
  • Savings Bank, [145]
  • Conditions of service, [274]
• Wort, Mrs. Jane, [314]
• Written explanation, [310]

• Yarmouth, [209]
• Yates, Edmund, [53]
• Yell Sound, [81]
• York, [24], [27]
• YQ wire, [166]

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.

Edinburgh & London

---

Transcriber’s Note

At the top of p. [28], the conclusion of the paragraph is punctuated inconsistently. Either the quotation begun on the preceding page should end after the words 'key bugle', or at the end of the paragraph. In the latter case, the quotation marks are incorrect. The passage is left as printed.

On p. [51], the paragraph beginning 'The old riddle' is likewise compromised by faulty punctuation. In this case, the nested quotations on p. [52] are corrected for consistency. However, it is not clear where the quotation ends.

An index entry for “Mails to Scotland” is incorrectly referenced to p. 407, which does not exist. It is most likely meant to refer to the discussion of the mail train to Scotland on p. 73, and the entry is accordingly revised.

In most instances, apparent errors appear in quoted material, and have not been corrected. Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.

[v.7]	but it count[ sits/s its] friends in millions	Space misplaced.
[52.1]	[“/‘]Oh,[”/’] said she, [“/‘]I don’t>	Replaced.
[52.2]	We don't begin till eleven.[”/’]	Replaced.
[52.5]	replied, [“/‘]I daresay	Replaced.
[52.8]	of the hour.[”/’]	Replaced.
[61.32]	On the no[r]thern side correspondence	Inserted.
[182.28]	the Centennial Exposition in Philade[l]phia	Inserted.