The Postmaster-General, in one of his recent reports, says of this branch of the Postal Service:
“In the examination of domestic dead-letters, for disposition, 1,736,867 were found to be either not susceptible of being returned, or of no importance, circulars, etc., and were destroyed after an effort to return them—making about 51 per cent. destroyed. The remainder were classified and returned to the owners as far as practicable. The whole number sent from the office was 2,258,199, of which about 84 per cent. were delivered to owners, and 16 per cent. were returned to the Department; 18,340 letters, containing $95,169.52, in sums of $1 and upward, of which 16,061 letters, containing $86,638.66, were delivered to owners, and 2,124, containing $7,862.36, were filed or held for disposition; 14,082 contained $3,436.68, in sums of less than $1, of which 12,513, containing $3,120.70, were delivered to owners; 17,750 contained drafts, deeds, and other papers of value, representing the value of $3,609,271.80—of these 16,809 were restored to the owners, and 821 were returned and filed; 13,964 contained books, jewellery, and other articles of property, of the estimated value of $8,500—of these 11,489 were forwarded for delivery and 9,911 were delivered to their owners; 125,221 contained photographs, postage-stamps, and articles of small value, of which 114,666 were delivered to owners; 2,068,842 without inclosures. Thus of the ordinary dead-letters forwarded from this office, about 84 per cent. were delivered, and of the valuable dead-letters (classed as money and minor) about 89 per cent. were delivered. The decrease of money-letters received (about 3,000) is probably owing to the growing use of money-orders for the transmission of small sums.”
In August, 1864, Hon. Montgomery Blair appointed Dr. C. F. Macdonald, now the Superintendent of the Money-Order Department, and J. M. McGrew, now Chief Clerk of the Sixth Auditor’s office, commissioners to visit Quebec and examine the workings of the Money-Order System which has been in operation in Great Britain and Canada for several years.
The system, as used by the British Government, was modified and simplified by the commissioners, and on the 8th of November, 1864, the Money-Order System of the United States was inaugurated, with 138 offices authorized to issue and pay.
During the part of the fiscal year commencing November 8, 1864, and ending June 30, 1865, there were 74,277 money-orders issued, amounting to $1,360,122.52; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1866—138,297, amounting to $3,977,259.28; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1867—474,496, amounting to $9,229,327.72; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1868—831,937, amounting to $16,197,858.47; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1869—1,264,143, amounting to $24,848,058.93; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1870—1,675,228, amounting to $33,658,740.27[$33,658,740.27]; during the next fiscal year ending June 30, 1871—2,151,794, amounting to $42,164,118.03; during next fiscal year ending June 30, 1872—2,573,349, amounting to $48,515,532.72.
During the present fiscal year, which expired June 30, 1873, the number of orders issued will reach 3,000,000, and the amount will be over $50,000,000.
The above figures, in themselves, contain the history of the money-order system from its beginning to the present time. During the war one letter was received at the Dead-Letter Office which contained $12,000. Rarely now does any sum inside of an envelope amount to $50. As a rule, any sum over $5 is sent by money-order[money-order]—at least by all persons who have any reasonable idea of what is absolutely safe.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR—UNCLE SAM’S
DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS.
Inadequate Accommodation in Heaven—Defects of our Great Public Buildings—The Public Archives—Valuable Documents in Jeopardy—Talk of Moving the Capital—A Dissension of a Hundred Years—Concerning Certain Idiots—A Day in the Patent Office—The Inventive Genius of the Country—Aggressions of the Home Department—A Comprehensive Act of Congress—Seven Divisions of the Department of the Interior—The Disbursing Division—Division of Indian Affairs—Lands and Railroads—Pensions and Patents—Public Documents—Division of Appointments—The Superintendent of the Building—The Secretary of the Interior and his Subordinates—Pensions and their Recipients—Indian Affairs—How the Savages are Treated—Over Twenty-one Million of Dollars Credited to their Little Account—The Census Bureau—A Rather Big Work—The Bureau of Patents—What is a Patent?—A Self-supporting Institution—A Few Dollars Over—The Use Made of a Certain Brick Building—Secretary Delano—An Objection Against Him—How Wickedly he Acted to the Women Clerks—“The Accustomed Tyranny of Men”—Cutting Down the Ladies’ Salaries—Making Places for Useful Voters—A Sweet Prayer for Delano’s Welfare—Something about Delano’s Face.
It has always been a mystery to me how Heaven could continue large enough for all the people who are trying to get into it, that is, if the human race is to keep on being born.