USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 55
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 55
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On April 15, 1863, Postmaster Gibson published the first postoffice statistics, showing the business of the office for the quarter ending March 31, and showing the increased business during the past two years in comparison with the quarter ending the same date in 1861 and 1862. The paper. in making comment on the statement. asks: "Where is there a town in a state off of the Mississippi river that can show as large receipts or as steady and rapid an increase of business?"
Quarter ending March 31, 1861-Amount received from let-
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ters sent, $217.95; amount received, unpaid, from letters from other offices, $12.70 ; amount received from circulars, newspapers, pamphlets, etc., $24.13 ; amount received from registered letters, 40 cents; amount received from transient papers sent, $15.70. Total, $270.88.
Quarter ending March 31, 1862-Amount received from let- ters sent, $258.43; amount received from unpaid letters from otlier offices, $17.65 ; amount received from circulars, newspapers, pamphlets, etc., $36.52; amount received from registered letters, $1.75 ; amount received from transient papers sent, $16.72. Total, $331.07.
Quarter ending March 31, 1863-Amount received from let- ters sent, $322.78; amount received from unpaid letters from other offices, $23.46 ; amount received front circulars, newspapers, pamphlets, etc., $46.43 ; amount received from registered letters, $1.85 ; amount received from transient papers sent, $17.83. Total, $412.35.
Quarter ending March 31, 1862-Number of pieces of mail handled: Number of paid letters sent, 7,290; number of free letters sent, 125; total sent, 7,415. Number of drop letters, 258; number of registered letters, 35; number of daily papers taken, 22; number of tri-weekly papers taken, 51; number of semi- weekly papers taken, 15; number of weekly papers taken, 287; total, 8,083.
Quarter ending March 31, 1863-Number of pieces of mail handled: Number of paid letters sent, 9,200; number of free letters sent, 88; total, 9,288. Number of drop letters sent, 347; number of daily papers taken. 75; number of tri-weekly papers taken, 47 ; number of semi-weekly papers taken, 12; number of weekly papers taken, 473; total, 10,242. The first list of adver- tised letters was published by Postmaster Gibson on July 1, 1863, and consisted of a list of forty-seven letters.
Northern, via Northfield & St. Paul, arrives Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays ; departs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sat- urdays. Wabasha arrives Tuesdays and Fridays at 3 o'clock p. m .; departs Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 o'clock a. m. St. Peter arrives Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 o'clock p. m .; departs Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 o'clock a. m11. Henderson arrives Tuesdays at 12 noon ; departs Tuesdays at 2 o'clock p. m. Wilton arrives Fridays at 4 o'clock p. m .; departs Saturdays at 8 o'clock a. m. Office hours from 7 o'clock a. m. to 8 o'clock p. m. Sundays from 12 m. to 1 o'clock p. m. G. E. Skinner, Postmaster.
In October, 1864, a new stage route was established by Bur- bank & Co., to run between Faribault and Rochester, connecting with the railroad via Rice Lake. Leaving Faribault at 6 o'clock
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p. m., and arriving in Rochester in time for the morning train to Winona. Returning, leaving Rochester on the arrival of the 5 o'clock p. m. train and getting to Faribault at 3 o'clock a. m. The local paper, commenting on this new route, says: "This will be a most expeditious route for passengers between Faribault and LaCrosse, and if our postmaster will only get our eastern mail put up at LaCrosse or Chicago in a through mail bag, Colonel Merriam assures us the company will bring it through by this route, which will give us our eastern mail at least one day sooner than we can get it by any other route. We hope that this matter will receive the prompt attention of Postmaster Gibson."
That people in these days were as anxious to receive their mail as soon as possible as well as the people of today, and that the papers were a factor in stirring them up is shown by this article and another article which appeared in the paper the fol- lowing spring of 1865, headed "Our Mail." "We wish that the people of the city of Owatonna would get some man in their postoffice that could send our eastern mail through with some tolerable degree of regularity. We don't know why it is, but it happens quite often that the through eastern mail bag is left behind. If it is not the fault of the postmaster, whose is it?" Terrible storms in March of 1865 delayed the mail from the 20th until the 31st, being eleven days that no mail from the east was received. On the 1st of January in 1866 a new time table of the arrival and departure of mails was published as follows:
Arrival and departure of mails: Southern & Eastern, via Owatonna-Arrives daily (Sundays and Tuesdays excepted) at 3:30 o'clock p. m .; departs at 12:30 o'clock a. m. Mail closes at 11 a. m. Northern, via Northfield, Hastings and St. Paul-Ar- rives daily at 11:30 a. m .; departs at 4 p. m. Mail closes at 3 p. m. Red Wing-Arrives Tuesdays and Fridays at 4 o'clock p. m .; departs Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6 o'clock a. m. St. Peter-Arrives Tuesdays and Fridays at 4 o'clock p. m .; departs Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6 o'clock a. m. Shakopee, via Shieldsville and Wheatland-Arrives on Mondays at 4 p. m .; departs Tuesdays at 8 o'clock a. m. Office hours from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. Sundays from 12 m. to 12:30 p. m. James Gibson, Postmaster.
On May 1, 1866, a flood in Wisconsin delayed the trains from the east, so that no eastern mail was received for a week. On July 18, 1866. a notice for the information of the public was published in the "Central Republican," as follows: "No postage is to be charged on letters forwarded from one office to another. or on dead letters returned to writer, and consequently no ac- count of them will be kept. Request letters are also to be
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returned to writer free of charge. Money orders may be issued for any sum not exceeding $50. The fee for an order not ex- ceeding $20 is 10 cents ; over $20, 25 cents." Another ruling was published about two weeks later which was as follows : "Dead Letters. By a recent regulation of the Postoffice De- partment, none but first class offices-those having an income of $4,000 or over -- will be allowed to publish in the newspapers a list of letters remaining uncalled for. The lists are to be writ- ten off and posted in the respective offices." The cause of this is that a portion of the expense comes on the department, which feels too poor to pay the pittance it has hitherto allowed for this purpose. But for a time after this the postmaster published a list of the uncalled for letters, and as at the present time it was done without charge to the department. At that time a charge of 2 cents was made for each advertised letter that was delivered.
In November of 1866, H. Riedell, of this place, was appointed a route agent on the Minnesota Central Railway, between St. Paul and Owatonna. On November 13, 1867, a mail route was established between Faribault and Cannon City, mail arriving Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays, and leaving on the same day. The following notice appeared in the weekly paper on December 4, 1867 :
"Mail car on the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. We learn that the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway have determined to put on a mail car from McGregor, lowa, to St. Paul, Minn. The mail for Minnesota will be distributed while the car is in motion, thus facilitating the delivery and transmission of mail matter."
In January, 1868, the postmaster reported that the daily average number of letters sent from the office amounted to 320, and that nearly the same amount were received. On May 19, 1869, Mr. J. S. Fuller succeeded Mr. James Gibson as postmaster and no change was made in the location of the postoffice. In September of that year Postmaster Fuller had the office enlarged by an addition of twelve feet in the rear, and 200 new boxes were added, making a total of 540 boxes and drawers in the office at that time. In December of 1869 the money order busi- ness of the office amounted to about $500 a week. In November of 1870 a new time table was published of the arrival and de- parture of the mails. In May, 1871, a daily mail was estab- lished between Waterville and Faribault, arriving at 11 o'clock a. m. and departing at 1 o'clock p. m.
The following was taken from the "Central Republican," dated April, 1872: "Postoffice Embroglio. Considerable excite- ment has recently existed in our place over certain develop- ments concerning the Faribault postoffice. It is understood that charges have been preferred against the present postmaster, Mr.
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J. S. Fuller, of having opened letters passing through the office, and that the late clerk in the postoffice, F. A. Robertson, has made an affidavit to that effect. Our paper stated last week that Mr. Fuller had forwarded his resignation to the department at Washington. We understand that Mr. Fuller has since re- called this and has determined to abide by the result of the investigation which is now in progress before the special agent of the postoffice department, Capt. E. H. Kennedy, of Owatonna. The charges have taken our citizens by surprise, and much divi- sion of opinion has been created in consequence. Pending the results of the examination it is proper that the public suspend judgment, and we confine ourselves simply to the facts that have already become a matter of public notoriety in this vicinity."
The following were the charges made by F. A. Robertson, who had been a clerk in the office over five years, with occa- sional intervals, and who served two years under Postmaster Fuller :
First: That he had at various times opened letters that came to the office for delivery as well as letters deposited for mailing. Second: That Fuller had been unwarrantably negli- gent in the delivery of mail, and that patrons of the office have in many instances had their letters detained in the office for sev- eral days after they had called for them, and have been fre- quently subjected to harsh treatment. Third: That Fuller had frequently used the money orders in the office in his private business. Fourth : That Fuller had frequently sold money orders on credit. 5th : That he had frequently withheld the money order deposits for a week or more after it should have been made. 6th: That he disclosed to competing bidders the pro- posals of parties for carrying the mail from Faribault to Water- ville and Red Wing.
Postmaster Fuller answered the charges by a general denial. except as respects two letters and the official letter of Mr. Jepson. which he admitted he opened. His statement with regard to the first two letters was that he received a letter from a United States detective requesting of him certain information, and under the impression that he would be justified in making the examination to further the ends of justice, he opened the letters in question. In regard to the letter of Mr. Jepson, he states that the letter was partially open and the papers protruding in siich a manner that it was impossible to return them, and that he simply opened the envelope, replacing the papers properly and remailed it without any examination. The other charges he flatly denied.
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The charges against Postmaster Fuller were not proven, as he was not removed from the position of postmaster.
On July 1, 1872, a change was made in postage rates : Third class matter to 1 cent for each two ounces or fraction. On all books, other than those published by congress, 2 cents for each two ounces or fraction thereof, limited to four pounds; the same rate on samples of merchandise, limited to twelve ounces in weight. There was also a change in the money order rate: For any sum not exceeding $10, 5 cents, and 5 cents for each additional $10.
In order to secure the full payment of postage, the depart- ment instructed postmasters to enforce the following rule : First class mail matter on which one rate has been paid will be for- warded to its destination and double the amount due charged on delivery. Second, on all second class matter, such as news- papers, etc., 1 cent for each two ounces; insufficiently paid to be thrown out of the mail.
On June 11, 1873, Eden N. Leavens succeeded J. S. Fuller as postmaster, Mr. Fuller's term having expired, and W. H. How- ard was made clerk and assistant. The following notice ap- peared in the "Republican," in speaking of Mr. Leavens' appoint- ment :
"Mr. E. N. Leavens, our new postmaster, has entered upon the discharge of his duties and nods to his acquaintances through the official window with an easy dignity and complacency that indicates satisfaction and his belief that he has been put where he will do the most good. May he live long and prosper."
The following item appeared in the weekly paper of Novem- ber 19, 1873, commenting on the business of the postoffice :
"The business of the postoffice appears to be good. and Post- master Leavens and his assistant don't have much leisure to go skating or play 'old sledge' in office hours. As a sample of their work we will state that on the 10th inst. they sent out and re- ceived 2,130 letters and circulars, which would be equivalent to the cancellation of 1,950 3-cent stamps. Of the above number, 1,230 letters were sent out, which seems to demonstrate that we are a writing community, at least on Sunday." The postal receipts for 1873 were $5,171.28, and for 1874 were $5,893.54. In 1873, 2,581 money orders were issued, amounting to $34,688.81 ; fees on same were $226.10; and 1,498 money orders were paid, amounting to $31,125.02. In the year 1874, 3,372 orders were issued, amounting to $44.262.55; fees on same were $301.05 ; and 1,652 orders were paid, amounting to $39,817.16. In 1873, $512.64 was collected on newspapers, and in 1874. $698.02 was col- lected. In December of 1874, 432 money orders were issued, amounting to $5,343.87. For the size of the city at this time
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this was a large business. The postal receipts for 1875 were $6.248.60; 8,578 money orders were issued, amounting to $48,996.76, and 2,054 orders were paid. amounting to $44,024.08. During this year the number of pieces of mail received and de- livered has also greatly increased ; the number of weekly papers taken out of the office were 3.488: semi-weekly, 51 ; tri-weekly, 9: dailies, 144; magazines, 637 ; quarterlies, 46. The following is a report of the number of letters and postal cards for the month of December: Letters sent out, 10,282; received, 17.162; postal cards sent out, 2,227 ; received, 2,507. Drop letters and postals received for in town. 1,990; transient letters passing through, 7.220.
On May 3, 1876, Special Agent W. W. Huntington arrived in the city and conferred with the business men at the office of John Mullen, in regard to a new postoffice building. He stated the terms he was authorized to offer, which provided for a fire- proof building either of brick or stone, 35 feet by 90 feet on the ground floor, and 15 feet in height, furnished with a vault and $2,500 worth of fixtures, including 1.000 No. 1 call boxes, 200 No. 1 Yale lock boxes, and 30 No. O lock drawers, and 6 large lock drawers, with gas fixtures and appointments complete ac- cording to the approved plans for postoffice buildings which are to be furnished. A building on the corner would be preferred. but was not indispensable. Reference to be had to the con- venience of the public so far as to secure a location not too far from the business center. For these accommodations the gov- ernment proposed to pay an annual rental not to exceed $600. Warren Allen offered to erect a building on the corner of Elm and Third streets, 48 feet by 65 feet, within a postoffice room 24 feet by 63 feet, fitted with gas, and in all other respects to comply with the demands of the department. II. M. Matteson also offered to erect a building on the northeast corner of Third and Willow streets, with postoffice room for the rental of $550. J. HI. Staley offered to erect a building on the corner of Fourth and Main streets for a rental of $550, and H. E. Barron offered the north room of the Barron House block for $100 a year. This offer later on was accepted by the department, although a peti- tion had been signed by the most of the business men, asking the department to locate the postoffice on Third street east of Fleckenstein's building, which is now the site for the new pos- office building.
On New Year's day. 1877, Postmaster Leavens received callers at the postoffice from 2 to 5 o'clock p. m.
The postal receipts for the year 1876 were $6,956.96: 3.597 money orders were issued, amounting to $44,590.24. and 1.955 paid, amounting to $33,848.72. On March 21. 1877. E. N. Leavens
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was re-appointed as postmaster, and on April 16 the office was moved to its new location in the north room of the Barron House. In the new office, 1,000 call boxes, 400 No. 1 Yale lock boxes, 30 No. 3 lock drawers, were installed. A general delivery case for letters, with 300 divisions, and one for papers with 156 divisions. It also contained a fireproof vault, and the office was lighted with gas. The room was 20 feet wide and 75 feet long. The cost of the postoffice fixtures which were installed was $2,500. Quite a little dissatisfaction was felt because the office was located to the extreme south end of the business section of the city. In these days every one had to call at the office for their mail, as this was before city delivery was established. This dissatisfaction was so pronounced that Postmaster Leavens asked the department's permission to erect two letter boxes at the north end, so that the public could mail their letters without having to come to the postoffice to do so. These letters to be gathered by the postmaster or his clerks three times a day, in time for the trains.
The business for the year 1877 was as follows: Postal re- ceipts, $7.342.93; 3,841 money orders issued, amounting to $45,921.06, and 1,913 money orders paid, amounting to $34,623.64. During the year it was estimated that 250,440 letters and 48,660 postals were received, and that 234,750 letters and 41,148 postals were mailed. There were 1,170 pieces of mail sent to the dead letter office during this year. The business for the office for 1878 was as follows: Postal receipts, $8,154.78: 3.841 money orders issued. amounting to $45,595.50, and 1,871 paid, amounting to $31.259.81. During this year, 3,626 registered pieces of mail were handled at the office, and it was estimated that 1.055,633 pieces of mail were taken care of.
On July 1, 1879, the Cannon City mail route was changed so as to take in Cannon City, Wheeling, Nerstrand and Holden, which was sent out three times a week-Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays-at 6 o'clock a. m. On November 1, 1879, a call was issued from the department, requesting all officers to count the mail the first week in November, which resulted as follows, in this office: Letters, 5,586; newspapers, etc., 5,809; books, circulars, etc., 357 ; merchandise, 86; making a total for the week of 11,840 pieces of mail of all kinds.
The postal receipts for the year 1879 were $8,507.29. There were 3,913 money orders issued, valued at $44,692.12, and 1,971 paid, amounting to $37,143.82. The total number of registers handled for the year was 3,945. The number of pieces of matter mailed out of this office for the year was 462,640.
In 1881 Mr. Leavens was again re-appointed as postmaster. No record can be found of the business for 1880 and 1881. but
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the business for 1882 was as follows: Postal receipts, $9,968.77 ; 3,798 money orders were issued, amounting to $39,043.94, and 2,013 were paid, amounting to $34,722.92.
On March 17, 1882, the postoffice was destroyed by fire. As stated before, the office was located in the north storeroom of the Barron House, and on the above date at about noon the kitchen on the rear of the frame portion of the building caught fire. The fire engine broke down just at a critical moment and the flames got beyond control. When it was seen that the entire building was doomed a systematic effort was made to remove the mail matter and fixtures from the office. This was done with little or no loss. In reporting the fire the paper stated: "The postoffice, which had such sudden removal on Friday last on account of the Barron House fire, was transferred to the vacant store room belonging to S. P. Wall, on the south side of Third street, between Main and Elm streets, without loss and with but little damage to the fixtures. The removal was accomplished with such celerity that in less than eight hours the boxes were all in position in the new quarters and the mail matter ready for delivery, including the afternoon and the evening mail, which arrived during the time. The postoffice vault in the burned building was opened the next Tuesday and everything therein was found in good condition.
On July 1, 1882, the office was raised from a third class office to a second class office, with a salary of $2,000 per year. At this time an order was received by Postmaster Leavens which com- pelled all box rents to be collected three months in advance, and that the department insisted on the compliance with this order. On September 1 of that year an order was issued changing the following mail route to commence September 14: Curtail service to begin at Shieldsville, omitting Prague and Wheatland, dis- tance twenty-two and a half miles (once a week service) ; Lester to Montgomery, from September 15, 1882, to June 30, 1883. Service from Lester by Angheim and Wheatland to Montgom- ery, fifteen miles and back, one time per week.
On July 1. 1883, the postal note was introduced, which was issued in denominations of $5 or under, and on October of the same year the letter postage was reduced from 3 cents to 2 cents.
On Saturday evening, August 25, 1883, the postoffice was again removed from the Wall building to the stone building belonging to F. A. Theopold, on the corner of Main and Third streets. This was the most central location of the office, as it was situated in the very center of the business section of the city.
No records were to be had of the business of the office for the years 1883 and 1884. On June 1, 1885, John R. Parshall was appointed as postmaster to succeed Mr. Leavens. The pos-
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tal receipts for the year 1885 were $9.543.65 ; 3,813 money orders were issued, amounting to $38.497.67, and 2,049 postal notes, amounting to $3,872.14: 1,869 money orders were paid. amount- ing to $29,004.34, and 854 postal notes, amounting to $1,981.90. On October 1 of this year an order was issued delivering letters on arrival by placing on the letter a 10-cent special delivery stamp. This was called a special delivery letter. In the first three months, 74 such letters were received at the office and 157 were sent out. The postal receipts at the office for the year of 1886 amounted to $10,059.78 ; 5,806 money order and postal notes were issued, amounting to $37,009.33. and 2.805 were paid. amounting to $41.934.09.
No record of the business could be found for the years of 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897. E. N. Leavens was again appointed as postmaster on October 1, 1889, to succeed Mr. Parshall.
On October 26. 1891, Ardin Carrie, a clerk in the Faribault postoffice, was appointed as a railway mail clerk at a salary of $800. On October 16, 1891, Inspector S. P. Childs was in the city looking up the matter of installing city free delivery, and a favorable report was made. All citizens were requested to see that numbers were placed upon their houses for the convenience of the carriers. The service was not established until January 1, 1892. Three carriers were appointed, as follows: Charles D. Pike, carrier No. 1; John J. Van Sann, carrier No. 2, and Peter M. Stone, carrier No. 3. Three deliveries of mail were given in the business section and one delivery in the residence section each day. Of the three original carriers appointed. John J. Van Sann and Peter M. Stone are still serving mail to the public, having been in the service eighteen years. Later on, E. J. Healy, Jr., succeeded Charles D. Pike as carrier No. 1.
On January 15, 1894. Alfred E. Haven was appointed to suc- ceed E. N. Leavens as postmaster. An unfortunate occurrence happened while Mr. Haven was postmaster, in 1896. E. E. Hoyt, who was assistant postmaster, was accused of having appropriated 1,500 2-cent stamps. Mr. Hoyt claimed that he loaned these stamps to the postmaster at Owatonna and had taken no receipt for them. Hoyt was arrested on the charge of appropriating the stamps and his trial was held in the city of St. Paul in January. 1897. He was found guilty, but on ac- count of his previous good record he was let off with a six months' sentence to be served in the Rice county jail.
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