States is, doubtless, the greatest business machine in the world. Considering the extent of territory served, the number of employees, the generally ample and satisfactory facilities afforded, the cheapness of its rates, and the safety and certainty with which it transmits the hundreds of millions of dollars intrusted to its money order or registered mail division, the people of the United States may felicitate themselves upon the success of this great enterprise. As no other part of the government so nearly concerns every individual citizen, it is incumbent that each should be jealously interested in its services and in its growth. The growth of the postal service is much more than an index of the national advance in population and wealth; it is also the measure of a marvellous intellectual development. The service is a colossal educational agency, quickening the mind and energizing the spirit of our entire people. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICE The following is a summary of the development of the post office in the United States: 1639. Post office established in Boston. 1672. A monthly mail to Boston established by the 1692. Postal system for the American colonies projected. lished. 1717. A mail route put in operation between Boston, Mass., and Williamsburg, Va., transmitting letters in four weeks. 1737. Benjamin Franklin made deputy postmaster general for the colonies. 1753. Franklin becomes deputy postmaster general in America. 1756. Stages carry the mails between Philadelphia and New York. 1760. Franklin establishes mail coaches from Philadelphia to Boston. 1775. The Continental Congress elects Franklin postmaster general. 1777. The Continental Congress passes a resolution appointing an inspector of dead letters. 1782. Rate of postage fixed by Continental Congress for single letters, ranging from 4.7 cents under 60 miles to 14.8 cents for 200 miles and 3.4 cents for each additional hundred miles. 1794. Letter carriers are employed at the discretion of the postmaster general to deliver letters on the payment of 2 cents for each letter. 1810. A general post office is established at Washington. 1829. The Postmaster General becomes a member of the President's Cabinet. 1832. System of house to house delivery of mail introduced in Washington, called penny-post sys tem; charge for delivery of letter 2 cents. One postman for entire city. 1834. Railroads first carried the mail. 1839. Modern envelopes for letters first used. 1847. The use of postage stamps authorized. 1851. Three cents per half ounce for distance under 3000 miles, postage prepaid, becomes the rate of letter postage. 1852. Congress passes an act providing for stamped envelopes. 1855. Registration of letters introduced. 1856. Prepayment of postage made compulsory. 1858. Street-letter boxes are set up in Boston. In the 1861. lished from St. Louis to San Francisco. Merchandise admitted to the mail. 1863. Uniform rate of 3 cents established irrespective 1863. Free delivery of letters inaugurated in forty-nine 1864. Money-order system established. 1868. Uniforms authorized for letter carriers. 1872. Free delivery by letter carriers in cities of 50,000 population. 1872. Order of postmaster general requiring carriers 1873. One-cent postal cards made their appearance. 1883. Postage of first-class mail reduced to 2 cents per 1885. Special delivery system authorized. In the same 1893. Fee for registration reduced to 8 cents. 1896. Rural free delivery of mail established. 1902. Indemnity for registered first-class mail not to The phenomenal growth of the post office is shown by statistics; in 1790 the population of the United States was 4,000,000; while in 1900 it was over 76,000,000. In 1790 the wealth of the people in real and personal property, probably aggregated $2,000,000,000, while in 1900 it was conservatively estimated at $80,000,000,000. In 1790 there were 75 post offices, while in 1900 there were 76,691. In 1790 the postal revenues were $37,975, and in 1900, $102,354,579.29. Therefore, while the population of the country had increased nineteen times, the number of post offices had increased a thousand times, and the revenues of the service twenty-seven hundred times. Organization of the Post Office. The original idea of the post office was simply the transporting of letters and periodicals. From time to time, however, there have been added what may properly be termed legitimate extensions of this function, and the post office now in its organization consists of several divisions, the principal of which are: Money-order Division, Registry Division, Dead-letter Office, Special Delivery, and Free Rural Delivery. THE MONEY-ORDER DIVISION The Money-order Division was established by Act of Congress, May 17, 1864; its object is to secure safety in the transfer of small sums of money through the mails. So great is the convenience of this service to the public that over $300,000,000 are sent annually through this department. Domestic Money Orders. There are two kinds of money orders, domestic and international. The domestic orders are those issued and paid in any part of the United States, Canada, Cuba, Hawaii, Philippine Islands, Shanghai, and Newfoundland. tional orders are those issued in one country and paid in another. Domestic money orders are issued in the following manner; upon application for a money Interna |