Chapter II: Introduction

Of all institutions of modern times, there is, perhaps, none so pre-eminently a people's institution as is the Post-office. Not only does it carry letters and newspapers everywhere, both within and without the kingdom, but it is the transmitter of messages by telegraph, a vast banker for the savings of the working classes, an insurer of lives, a carrier of parcels, and a distributor of various kinds of Government licences. Its services are claimed exclusively or mainly by no one class; the rich, the poor, the educated, and the illiterate, and indeed, the young as well as the old,--all have dealings with the Post-office. Yet it may seem strange that an institution which is familiar by its operations to all classes alike, should be so little known by its internal management and organisation. A few persons, no doubt, have been privileged to see the interior working of some important Post-office, but it is the bare truth to say that _the people_ know nothing of what goes on within the doors of that ubiquitous establishment. When it is remembered that the metropolitan offices of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin have to maintain touch with every petty office and every one of their servants scattered throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland; that discipline has to be exercised everywhere; that a system of accounting must necessarily be maintained, reaching to the remotest corners; and that the whole threads have to be gathered up and made answerable to the great head, which is London,--some vague idea may be formed of what must come within the view of whoever pretends to a knowledge of Post-office work. But intimately connected with that which was the original work of the Post-office, and is still the main work--the conveyance of letters--there is the subject of circulation, the simple yet complex scheme under which letters flow from each individual centre to every other part of the country. Circulation as a system is the outcome of planning, devising, and scheming by many heads during a long series of years--its object, of course, being to bring letters to their destinations in the shortest possible time. So intricate and delicate is the fabric, that by interference an unskilled hand could not fail to produce an effect upon the structure analogous to that which would certainly follow any rude treatment applied to a house built of cards.

These various subjects, especially when they have become settled into the routine state, might be considered as affording a poor soil for the growth of anything of interest--that is, of curious interest--apart from that which duty calls upon a man to find in his proper work. Yet the Post-office is not without its veins of humour, though the metal to be extracted may perhaps be scanty as compared with the vast extent of the mine from which it has to be taken.

The compiler of the following pages has held an appointment in the Post-office for a period of twenty-five years--the best, perhaps, of his life; and during that term it has been his practice to note and collect facts connected with the Department whenever they appeared of a curious, interesting, or amusing character. While making use of such notes in connection with this work, he has had recourse to the Post-office Annual Reports, to old official documents, to books on various subjects, and to newspapers, all of which have been laid under contribution to furnish material for these pages.

The work is in no sense a historical work: it deals with the lighter features of a plain, matter-of-fact department; and though some of the incidents mentioned may be deemed of trivial account, they will be found, it is thought, to have at least a curious or amusing side.

The author desires to mention that he has received valuable help from several of his brother officers, who have supplied him with facts or anecdotes; and to these, as well as to gentlemen who have lent him books or given him access to files of old newspapers, he expresses his grateful acknowledgments. He also tenders his sincere and respectful thanks to the Postmaster-General for permission granted to make extracts from official papers.

The Post-office renders an unpretending yet most important service to commerce and to society; and it will be a source of deep gratification to the author if what he has written should inspire in the reader a new and unexpected interest in "the hundred-handed giant who keeps up the intercourse between the different parts of the country, and wafts a sigh from Indus to the Pole."

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. OLD ROADS, 1

II. POSTBOYS, 11

III. STAGE AND MAIL COACHES, 24

IV. FOOT-POSTS, 61

V. MAIL-PACKETS, 68

VI. SHIPWRECKED MAILS, 82

VII. AMOUNT OF WORK, 84

VIII. GROWTH OF CERTAIN POST-OFFICES, 95

IX. CLAIMS FOR POST-OFFICE SERVICE, 104

X. THE TRAVELLING POST-OFFICE, 116

XI. SORTERS AND CIRCULATION, 124

XII. PIGEON-POST, 135

XIII. ABUSE OF THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE,
AND OTHER PETTY FRAUDS, 140

XIV. STRANGE ADDRESSES, 153

XV. POST-OFFICE ROBBERIES, 170

XVI. TELEGRAPHIC BLUNDERS, 200

XVII. HOW LETTERS ARE LOST, 204

XVIII. ODD COMPLAINTS, 239

XIX. CURIOUS LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE
POST-OFFICE, 245

XX. SINGULAR COINCIDENCES, 262

XXI. SAVINGS-BANK CURIOSITIES, 269

XXII. REPLIES TO MEDICAL INQUIRIES, 275

XXIII. VARIOUS, 277

XXIV. ABOUT POSTMASTERS, 292

XXV. RED TAPE, 303

ILLUSTRATIONS.

MAIL-COACH ACCIDENT AT ELVANFOOT, _Frontispiece_

CAUTION TO POSTBOYS, _Page_ 19

ROTHBURY AND MORPETH MAIL-DRIVER, " 23

EWENNY BRIDGE OUTRAGE--NOTICE OF, " 37

HOLYHEAD AND CHESTER MAILS SNOWED UP
NEAR DUNSTABLE--26TH DEC. 1836. (_From
an old Print_) " 39

DEVONPORT MAIL-COACH FORCING ITS WAY
THROUGH A SNOWDRIFT NEAR AMESBURY--27TH
DEC. 1836. (_From an old Print_), " 43

NOCTURNAL REFRESHMENT, " 55

ST MARTIN'S-LE-GRAND IN THE COACHING DAYS, " 59

'LADY HOBART' MAIL PACKET, " 76

POSTBOY JACK, " 78

STEAMSHIP 'AMERICA,' " 80

TRAVELLING POST-OFFICE, " 117

DELIVERING ARM, SHOWING HOW THE POUCH IS
SUSPENDED, " 121

CAUTION AGAINST LETTER CARRYING, " 147

STRANGE ADDRESSES, " 158-169

FALSTAFF AS A HIGHWAYMAN, " 172

GRIZEL COCHRANE AND POSTBOY, " 174

SELBY MAIL-BAG, " 182

LETTER-BOX TAKEN POSSESSION OF BY TOMTITS, " 211

THE MULREADY ENVELOPE, " 285

INTERIOR OF AN OLD POST-OFFICE, " 295

THE POSTMISTRESS OF WATFORD, " 299

FORM OF POSTMASTER'S APPOINTMENT, " 301

THE ROYAL MAIL.