The New York Herald Newspaper, August 30, 1875, Page 3

THE POST OFFICE. | Business Begun in the New Building. THE INTERIOR OF THE EDIFICE How the Departments Are Arranged for Public Convenience. “UNITED STATES COURTS AND OFFICES, History of the Old Middle Dutch Church. THE FAST WESTERN MAIL. With the advent of daylight this morning began the regular transaction of business at our magnificent new Post Office, the completion of which has been looked forward to with impatient eagerness, New York went to sleep on Saturday night with its postal centre in the ‘ancient building in Nassau street, but awoke this morn- ing to find itself posseased of an edifice worthy of the commercial metropolis of the country and in keeping with the advanced state of progress the city has attained. In connection with this important incident in our local history the HeRauo to-day presents its readers with a plan of the new building, so complete in its details as almost to be called a picture, The sithation of the various departments is indicated with a minuteness that will render the plan a guide to the building. The loca- tion of the numbered lock boxes is pointed out in such & manner that a glance shows the exact position of any one of them, THE REMOVAL. Nassau street is at last shorn of one of its ‘‘lions,”’ and the Postal Department of New York housed in its tiew quarters, The Heratp adverted briefly yesterday to the removal as it was in progress on Saturday night, It was naturally to be expected that there would be some confusion and delay, and, possibly, an accident or two, just to give a sensational tinge to the proceedings. If there were any quidnuncs on the lookout for such contingencies they must have been disappointed, as everything was managed with the most admirable order and promptitude, The last load LEPT THE OLD BUILDING @ little before midnight on Saturday. In addition to the moving there were two foreign mails to distribute. There were about sixty truck loads of mail matter and other material from the old Post Office. Between ten P. M., the hour announced for the closing of the old office, before which the distributing office could not be disturbed, and five minutes before twelve, about twenty-five loads were brought in. This included most of the working furniture from the domestic distributing department, The entire force, both night and day, was ordered on duty, and at eleven o’clock the work had progressed so satisfactorily that the extra force was dis- missed, At 12:20 the first detachment of the might force was dismissed, only twenty minutes later thin usual, their work having been all done. There was no accumulation of matter at any time. The Postmaster and his assistants expressed themselves satisfled beyond their highest expectations as to the manner in which the work was done. The Assistant Postmaster, Mr. Henry G. Pearson, was greatly pleased with the manner in which the new letter drops work. Upto half-past two on Sunday morn- ing the letters had all come in properly; not one had failed to be correctly distributed by the new drops. The authorities also feel deeply indebted to the super- intending architect, Mr. William A. Potter, for accom- lishing the transfer at this early ‘day. He has been vil is unremitting personal attention to the work fier ly. Early yesterday morning the WORKMEN WERE STILL HUSY in the basement fixing the speaking tubes, which ran along the ceiling, and the long newspaper drops on the Park row side, ‘The ironwork for heating and ventilating the building has been entirely completed. The radiating pipes alone measure within 170 feet of forty miles! Two passenger elevators are in full operation, running continually up and down, At balf-past eleven yesterday morning Postmaster James took possession of his new ptlice, over the grand entrance, fronting the HeRaLp Suitding. After the usual congratulations had been extended him by his assistants the following telegram was sent to the Gen- eral Post Oflice, at Washington ;— Post Orrick, New York, August 29, 1875, ‘To the Hon. ManaitaLt Jewxit, ‘Postinasier General, Wash- Your instructions to occupy new premi 1, have been successfully carried ont, a business has been transferred there witho delay in delivery or despateh of mail m ‘otter, supervising architect, deserves high praise for the euergy tnd ‘prompeitude Ie ag ‘displayed tn hastentg ani cot je arations for our occupancy of the building. oe THOMAS L. JAMES, Postinaster, The following reply was received by Postmaster James :— T. L. Jamxs, Postmaster. New York :— Accept, my mous, liearty congratulations. | Your occu paney, of the new building has been more than prompt, and fain delighted to kuow that no delays occurred. The|pen- efit to the public will be great, but the benefit to . partmeut will be yreater Teh ment to me each time I hi you have uch business so well with your iniserable accommodations. Give my thanks to Mr. Potter for his assistance, and tell all the boys that the department {s placed under renewed obligations by their activity und de- votion to duty during the confusion of the removal. ARSHALL JEWELL, Postmaster General. By this the Postmaster General evidently assumed that confusion there must have been, He will be ad- ditionally gratified by the supplementary intelligence that there was no confusion whatever. It speaks well for the admirable administration of the Post Office and the discipline of the employés that such should be the tase, Yesterday afternoon ‘A STREAM OF SIGHTSEERS flowed in and out of the building, Here and there the sound of a hammer broke the silence of the Sabbath, or & polishing rag was being furtively plied over the vast expanse of mahogany counters in readiness for the real campaign which opens o-day. | Brooms were busily plied to remove the unwilling dirt from the floors, The Pigeon holes were tenanted with letters that looked Saucy and snug in their bran new receptacles, The clerks looked as though they had been installed some months, and everything bore the wir of thorough at- homeishness. The enormous superficial area of floor and the quantity of tenacious dirt which sticks to it must certainly render the Post Office a small pros postive doleonda to the poor serub-women of the d rict, It is to be hoped they have not a saponaceous s by September the Post Office interruption or ter. Mr. Pe THE NEW BUILDING. ‘The fine granite structure which has been in course of construction for five years past, and which is now secupied as the New York Post Office, and con- sequently 1s the greatest postal centre in the coun, iry, is well worthy of the prominent place {it holds, whether judged as an architectural achievement or as in instance of mechanical skill and ingenuity in tts in- ternal arrangements. Unquestionably the finest public building in the city, it is natural that the public should take an interest in it, and the very striking contrast it Presents to the cramped old structure in Nassau street tends to make the appreciation of the merits of the new one all the more hearty and intense. The outside Sppearance of the building is so familiar to citizens of New York that any description of it would be superflu- ous, but the inside structure and ‘THK INTERNAL ARRANGEMENTS for the transaction of post office business and for the accommodation of the public are admirable, and a brief description of them will be of some interest. ‘THY FLOOR ON THE STRERT LEVEL le the first part of the building that attracts atten- tion and will be best known to the public. There are the boxes and windows for the delivery of maii mat- ter and for the sale of stamps and envelopes, There are several entrances, the principal being that on the south- west front through the great portico, It opens on the great stairway which leads to the middie floor or gal- | lery that runs around the interior of the building, mid- ‘way between the ceiling and the floor of the first stoPy. A number of partitions, fifteen feet high, hide the greater part of the entrance floor from view. On three sides of tho building—that facing Broadway, the one fronting on Park row and the southwest end, on the outside of the screens—is a corridor floored with marble, ‘THE LOCK BOXES sed the lotior drawers, which are ronched by the cor: | about @ million NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1875—TRIPLE SHEET. ia. PALACE OF. LETTERS. Plan of the Postal Department of the New United States Building, Showing the Facilities for Receiving and Delivering the Mails. Door // &OCEANICA J, | soPeRw't) — ELEV FOREIGN DEPARTMENT Q LM ATORS._ ridor, are made of an alloy resembling brass. Six thou- sand of these boxes and several hundred letter drawers are to be found in the screens on the southwest, the Park row and the southern end of the Broadway fronts. The domestic letter drops are also on the Broadway front, there being one for every State in the Union and for all the principal cities, each labelled with the name of the State or city it represents, On the Park row side and on the Broadway front are placed WINDOWS FOR THE SALE OF STAMPS by retail. Three sections for general delivery, taking up the space of ten windows, a ladies’ window, the newspaper drops and those for foreign mails are also on the Park row side. ‘THR INTERIOR OF THE BOX DEPARTMENT is lighted by the windows on the middle floor and by a skylight 100 feet square in the main ceiling, which is thirty feet in height. Above this skylight is a ‘light court,” open to the sky, which affords light and ventila- tion to the inner rooms of the building above the first story. In this room is the office of the General Superintendont, the box, the city newspaper, the for- eign, the letter carriers’, the distributing, weighing and despatch departments, The furniture of the room in- cludes ten distributing tables, each containing 160 pigeon holes, and to each a large receiving table is attached. There are also ten large bulletin boards, and all along the screens are tables for stamping letters as oon as received. One of these tables is feot in length. The other fittings include desks, chests of drawers, chairs, &c. All the working furniture in the Post Office is made of cherry, from the West, and the workmanship is excellent. A’large annunciator, twelve feet square, is placed in the centre of the room for the purpose of announcing the time of arriving and depart- ing mails; it is said to be the largest ever made, The mails are received at the northern side of the en- trance floor, facing the City Hall Park. At this side there is a private driveway for the secommodation of mail wagons. Descending to THE BASKMENT, the large working room of the Post Office is reached. It is here the mails are opened and packed, news- papers assorted and all other work of that nature is performed. A number of semi-circular frames, called “ovens,” filled with pigeon holes, from 20) to 260 being in each “oven,” are ainong the principal fea- tures of this portion of the building. Tho igeon holes are made unusually large, so that jetters and packages can be thrown in with the groatest em rapidity. Twenty large tables are also placed here for the purpose of emptying the mails upon them. Each clerk will carry the key of his own wardrobe, of which there are 600 in the basement, each having « dif- ferent key, On the southwest side of the basement a large storeroom has been constructed of heavy iron screws, extending from floor to ceiling, and strengthened by trou pillars, for the purpose of holding all the mail bags in the United States not in use, The object of this precaution is to provide against theft, THE SUB-CRLLAR, which extends under the entire building, ts one of the most useful and important portions of ‘he structure, as it 4s there the comfort of those employed and those who have business to transact in the Post Otlee is provided for by heating and ventilation, It contains eight boilers for heating purposes and two power boilers, each fifteen feet in length and six feet in diameter, It also contains the main pipes for steam heating, the coil chambers for the hot air to be distributed through the building, the ventilating shaits forthe basement and entrance floor, the sewer, the engines for the hoisting elevators and the purops for the hydraulic elevators, It has sufficiently storage room tur 1,500 tons of coal. THE MIDDLE PLOOR, The entrance floor and the basement are connected by five stairways and ten hydraulic elevators. This floor fs evenly feet wide, The Park row front is oceu- pied by the cashier and auditor, and the storerooms tor their accommodation are formed by iron screens, ne stamps, stamped envelopes, stationery, &c., are kept in these rooms, it being usual to keep dollars’ worth always on hand, The pooR_ SuPeRin’T \, \ CARRIER’S side fronting the City Hall and the Broadway side are occupied by the Registered Letter Department. Postmaster James has his private office in the southwest front on ‘THR SBCOND STORY, He occupies a large room on the southwest front and a small one on the same side, near the Park row front. The office of the Assistant Postmaster is also on this floor, ‘These offices are finely decorated. ‘The walls and ceilings are frescoed in colors, the designs being selected Ye r. Potter, the supervising architect, The rooms facing Broadway on this floor are oc- cupied by the Post Ottice Money Order Department, One of these rooms, 100 feet in length by 22 in width, contains an elegant mahogany screen counter, similar to those construced in banks, with windows for four- teen clerks. Besides this there are fourteen desks for receiving clerks and thirty desks for the other clerks of the departmeuts. The rooms are otherwise handsomely furnished. The rooms in tne Broadway wing facing the light court are used by searchers and money order clerks, In the opposite wing the rooms facing Park row are occupied by the Post Office Oashier’s Department, the offices being of the same size and fur- nished in the same manner as those of the Mone: Order Department. The apartment on this side, which is nearest the southwest front, is occupied ‘by the auditor, and is subdivided into two rooms by an orna- mental counter and screen, The rooms in this wing looking upon the light court are used by the general mail agent. couRT Rooms. In the side of this story, facing City Hall Park, the room nearest Broadway is the United States District Court room, measuring 38 by 60 feet. Ita height is 40 feet, extending through the third story, The centre room on this side is for the United States Circuit Court, being 45 by 60 feet, and of the same height as the Dis- trict Court room, The room nearest Park row is for the Equity Term room, 26 feet square and 20 fvet in height. Between the courts are the private rooms of the judges, toilet rooms, &c. The walls and ceilings of the core rooms are in ornamented white “hard finish." Opening open, the light court on this side are two rooms for le and female witnesses. + THE THIRD STORY. On the City Hall frofit, the room above the Equity Term room, extending also over the judges’ private rooms on the floor below, is used for the United States Criminal Term room. Itis of about the same size as the District Court and extends tn height through the fourth story. In the Park row wing, the room hearest City Hall Park is occupied as the oilice of Judge Woodrull. The rooms adjoining this are used for the Clerk of the Cir- cuit Court. The rooms on the southwest front and two rooms on Park row are occupied for the District Attorney's oifice, Acircular room at the corner of the southwest and Broadway fronts is used by the Unived States Marshal, together with two rooms ig Broadway. The other rooms on Broadway are occupied by the Clerk of the District Court, with the exception ot one, which is used as the office of Judge Blatchford. The rooms facing the light court include waiting rooms for wit- nesses and the office of Judge Benedict. FOURTH STORY. In the fourth story a jarge room in the southwest front is for the Supervisors of Elections, The rooms above the offices of the United States Marshal and the clerks of the Circuit and District courts on the floor be- low are also occupied by the same officers in this story, In the same way the rooms over the District Attorney's office are used for his department, with the exception of the Supervisors’ room, ‘The rooms over the courts, on the City Hail front, are occupied for the Law Library, while those facing the light court are used for the Grand Jury. THe Attio contains record rooms, storerooms and the rooms of the janitor. There are also four great tanks in the attic for supplying water to the boilers in the sub-cellur These Pave ‘a total capacity of 60,000 gallons, ‘THE WINDOWS. There are 860 windows in_the building of 6 feet in width and 13 in height, Each is provided with a heavy fireproof shutter, ' ‘THE PURNISHING, All the rooms in the second, third and fourth stories aro carpeted and completely furnished, The fur- niture in all is of mahogany, and all the doors ia the interior of the building are of the same wood. The out- side doors are of iron, and all the corridors are floored with marble, THE OLD MIDDLE DUTCH CHURCH. ‘The Middle Dutch church, which has been occupied by the government for mail purposes over thirty years, is the oldest church structure now standing in the city. Its walls are the same as when first put up, nearly a century anda half ago. It has been by turns a church, a prison, a cavalry riding school, an observatory for scientific purposes, and, last of all, a Post Office. Early tn the eighteenth century the increasing popula- tion of New York made it necessary for the Dutch church to erect another house of worship in addition to the one in Garden street, now Exchange place, which had become full to overflowing. In 1726 the Consistory resolved to take measures for its accomplishment, and appointed committees for devising the best means for meeting the expenses and procuring a suitable site, In July of that year the committee reported that they bad agreed with David Jamison for the plot of ground di- rectly north of the French Huguenot church, then located on Nassau street, between Pine and Cedar, The price paid for the ground was £575—say $2,900—but as the point was quite on the verge of the more compact part of the city many of the congregation ob- jected because they considered ft too far up town, It was, however, resolved that the church shoulda be built in the middie of the lot; that the length should be 100 feet and the breadth 70 feet within the walls, and that a foundation should be laid and a tower erected at the north end of the edifice. But ere long the undertaking came to a full stop for want of funds, and in 1729 the congregation applied to the Gov- ernor for a license to make .a collection in ald of its completion, This was granted and the money was goon raised. ‘THE CHURCH WAS OPENED in the course of the same year, but was not entirely finished in the interior until 1731. It was at first with- out galleries, and the ceiling was one entire arch, with- out pillars, The pulpit was in the middle of the east wall, and the entrance was by two doors fronting on Nassau street, The belfry was open and the finial of the steeple a large metal rooster in full plumage, There were, in accordance with old custom, private seats for the State and city authorities. The ground that lay be- tween the railing and the church was devoted to burial purposes, After the erection of the house in Nassau street the church in Garden street took the name of the “Old” and the former that of the “New,” and when the church at the corner of Fulton and William streots (just demolished) was erected it took the name of the “North,” when the Garden street was designated ag the “South’’ and the Nassau street as the “Middle,” ENGLISH PREACHING INTRODUGED. For the first thirty yeafs after the completion of the Middle church the services were exclusively in the Dutch language. The English inhabitants had consider- ably Increased in number, intermartiages between Eng- lish and Dutch families were constantly occurring, all public business was transacted in the English language and the young people of the congregation betame more and more dissatisfied, This led to the gradual with. drawal of individuals and families to other denomina- tions, especially the Episcopal. The opposition of the older members to any innovation, however, remained unmoved, At length, in 1761, @ petition from majority Of the congregation was presented to the Com sistory, urging the introduction of English preaching. At once a strong and violent opposition arose from a considerable number of the older members, and all efforts of the Consistory, who were in favor of the change, to bring about an accommodation proved un- availing, Still, in 1763, a large majority of the Consis- tory called Rev. Archibald Laidley, minister of the Scotch Reformed church, in Flushing, Holland. He reached New York in 1764, when some of the opponents of English preaching commenced ‘ suit in the civil courts, which was decided against them. Dr. Laidley was a native of Scotland, and thor- oughly educated there. He officiated some time in the Netherlands, and thus became acquainted with the Dutch language. The Middle church was designated to be occupied on a part of each Sunday for English ser- vices by the newly arrived minister, Material chan; were now made in the interior of the building. The pulpit was removed to the north end, galleries were erected on the other three sides, and the entrances were formed on the north and south sides, A PRISON AND A RIDING SCHOOL, When the city was evacuated by the American troops in 1776, and occupied by the British army, under Howe, with almost solitary exceptions the Dutch congrega- tions were strongly united in the cause of independence, and were scattered around. Dr, Laidley retired to Red Hook, where he died in 1778. The Middle church and others were seized upon and turned ito prisons for the American patriots, The pews were torn down and used as fuel, which was scarce at the time. The glass was taken from the windows and the sbutters left un- hung. Those acquainted with the annals of our Revo- lutionary history vividly recall to mind the atrocities and cruelties committed by the British forces while in the possession of the city of New York. — It is now said that many prisoners were poisoned by the inhuman at- tendants for the sake of their watches and silver buckles, When the building was no longer required as &@ prison it was converted into a riding school for British cavalry, The floor was taken up and the ground covered with tan bark, and a pole was placed across in- side for horses vo leap over. The whole of the interior, galleries and all, was destroyed, leaving the bare walls and roof, It may here be mentioned that prior to this period Benjamin Franklin used the st Ne of the church on Nassau street, being then considered the highest in the eity, in his philosophical researches, He was en- gaged then in making experiments in electricity. AYTRR THR REVOLUTION. Seven ‘Ce passed after the final evacuation of the city by the British troops betore the Middle church was opened again for divine service, In 1788 the Consistory adopted measures to repair and place it in complete order. This was accomplished at considerable ex- pense, On the 4th of July, 1790, when the editice was fully restored vo its primitive condition, a sermon was preached by Rey, Dr, Livingston, The following is extracted from the discourse:—‘To these great pur- poses this building was formerly devoted, and for theso important ends it is now raised from its ruins, But the mention of ruins calls back our thoughts to past scenes and presents disagreeable ideas wo our minds, When destruction is caused by the immediate hand of heaven, by earthquakes, storms or fire, we are silent before and dare not reply. But when men have been the instruments it is difficult, although proper, to look up to the overruling Power and forget the interpo- sition of the means, I dare not speak of the wanton craelty of those who destroyed this temple nor repeat the various indignities which have been perpetrated. It would be easy to mention facts which would chill your Blood. A recollection of the groans of dying prisoners, which pierced this ceiling, or the sacrilegious sports and rough feats of horsemanship exhibited within these walls, might raise sentiments in your minds that would, perhaps, not harmonize with those religious aftections, which I wish at present to promote ‘and always to eberish, The Lord has sufficiently vindicat our cause and avenged those who rose up against us, Heaven directed our counsels and: wrought deliverance, Our enemies themselves acknowledged an interposing Providence. * * * Who could have predicted that from such indigested materials, with such short ex. eigenen and within so a ortho) tea liberal and pervading government wo! in formed? 4 bation where all the rights of man are perfect secured. Without a mona without heredit | nobility and without a hierarchy. Hail, happy pet 4 rehy A land of liberty, science and religion, Here an in- disputed freedom in worship forms the first principle of an equal government and is claimed as a birthright, which none of our rulers dare call in question or con- trol. Here no seat is egally preferred with exclusive prerogatives; the Chief Magistrate worships as a private citizen, and legislators by their influential example, not by penal laws, proving nursing fathers to the Church of Christ. In'this happy and elevated situation the ritins of our temples and all we have sustained appeas & price too small to mention, Weare more than com pensated. We have forgiven and forgotten past injuries, God has abundantly made up for all our former griefs.”” THY CHURCH SOLD TO THK UNITRD STATRS, There was nothing at all remarkable in the history of the building during the succeeding fifty years. The cemetory received the rs ins of old and honored citi- zens, and the congregations continued to be and devout. But the business of the city had increased so much about the edifice that almost every family for @ considerable distance had moved away. In consequence, the Consistory came to the conclusion that it Was n¢ longer expedient to occupy the church, The United States at this juncture required a building for a Post Office and negotiations having been entered into they ended in the purchase of the ‘Suilaing for $200,000 um der an unexpired lease, On the Sunday evening (August 11, 1844) before its final surrender by the congregation the old edifice, after an occupancy of 115 years, was thronged to its utmost capacity by those anxious to take leave of the relic of olden times.” The farewell exer- cises were conducted in the Dutch and English languages by Rev. Doctors De Witt and Knox. A discourse was delivered by the latter clergyman. “During his remarks he said:—“Phere is not a spot in this great city, per- haps not in our land, around which so many fond and hallowed associations cluster as the spot on which we are now assembled, The building has stood through successive and is at present the oldest church edifice in the city. Here, from generation to genera- tion, our fathers worshipped in the great congregation, ‘Among them were the founders of the city’s greatness— men high in intellect, high in civil and social station, devoted in heart venerable in all that adorns the character of man, * * * At length this large and commodious edifice, formerly constantly crowded with worshippers, became almost deserted, and the con- viction was forced upon all, with scarcely an exception, that duty no longer required the endeavor to maintaip the public ordinances within its walls.” Between 1867 and 1860 the remains of those interrea in the cemetery surrounding the edifice were removed by surviving friends to Greenwood, Trinity and other cemeteries. The building up to this period retained its old exterior appearance, but the increase of business im the Post Otfice required additional accommodation. Ac- cordingly the ground up to the sidewalk was built upon, and even extensions had to be made on Liberty street. ‘The upper part of the tower, which had become uusafe, ‘was removed about two years ago, ‘THR MIDDLE CHURCH BELL, The bell that was used in the Middle church for over one hundred years has # curious history, and its sounds can be heard in the city at the present time, It was presented to the church by Colonel Abraham De yster, who died in 1728, while the edifice was in course of erection. He directed in his will that a bell should be procured at his expense from Holland, It was cast in Amsterdam in 1731, and it is said that a number of citizens of that place threw in quantities of silver coin in the preparation of the metal. The father of the late John Oothout, of this city, when the building was seized by the royal troops, early in the Revolution War, obtained permission trom Lord Howe to take down the bell, which be hid away in a secure and secret place, where it remained for years after the British army evacuated the city. When the church was repaired and reopened he brought forth the bell and restored it to its rightful position, Upon the transformation of the edifice into the general Post Office, in 1844, it was removed to the Dutch reformed church, Ninth street and Broadway, where it remained until 1855, when the building changed hands, when the bell was removed to the church on Lafayette place. is at present in the tower of the church at Fi and Forty-eighth street. For its size and clear sou ing tones it was for poner AF pn ad called the ‘Fireman’s bell.” It became a general favorite with them, as the: sprang to their important work and duty at’ its wel known signal of alarm, It is fancifully gilt and bears the inscription :— Zito fecerant De Travw et N. Muller, Amsterdam, anno 1731. 3 srocereoreororereres: ‘Abraham De Peyster, geboren den 8 July, 1657, ges- torven den 8 Augustus, 1728 legaat aan de Nederduytsche Kerke, soil York. OLD CITY POST OFFICES. In 1775 the Post Office was kept in the house of the Postmaster, Theodorus Bailey, corner William and Gar- den ee place) streets, in a room about thirty- five feet deep, with two windows fronting on the latter, narrow thoroughfare, and a little vestibule on William street containing about 100 boxes. An extension wag afterward added on Garden street. It remained on this spot until 1827, when it was removed to the basement of the new Exchange (the present Custom House) on ‘Wall street. Seventeen years later it was transferred to the location on Nassad street, now abandoned. In 1775, in consequence of the high-handed measures of the royal authorities, a threatening notice was sent by a citizen through the Post Office to the Governor. This caused considerable excitement, and led to the estab- lishment of a post office under colonial supervision, with Holt, publisher of the New York Gazette, as Col- onial Lmrperest 4 at Bind axle a ey but an ardent and uncompromising w! ting press at Norfolk, Va., had been some time y bobo. up and destroyed by Lord Dunmore. Set Bau- man was the first Postmaster of this city subsequent to the Revolution, and ‘was appointed to the office by en le resided with Bailey aboye men- tion TUR FUTURE OF THR SITE, As stated above, the Middle Dutch church was trans- ferred to the United States in 1844, under an unexpired Jease, for $200,000, In 1860 it became necessary to obtain a clear title to the property, and the sum of $50,000 was required for this purpose, Congress was not in session at the time, and the Chamber of Com- meree, being interested in the ground (which the mem- bers of thas body were satisfied would sooner or later be relinquished by the Post Office authorities for more suitable quarters) as a site for anew building gave a bond to the trustees for $60,000. The trustees had to sue to recover this sum, and finally compromised by accepting Coe ged in full for the indebtedness, It is un- derstood that the Chamber of Commerce is willing to pay $600,000 for the lot and expect that Congress at its next session will authorize its sale to them at that or a lower figure. In the event of a parchase being effected itis contemplated to erect an tmposing and elegant building to be used ass Merchants’ Riobange, with every convenience for members. There are also to be a library and commodious apartments for the new Court of Arbitration. The necessary funds for the en- terprise will be forthcoming at the proper time, THE FAST MAIL TRAIN, Steps are being taken at the headquarters of the postal service, both in Washington and New York, for the early introduction of such changes in the transpor- tation of the mails as will revolutionize the system. ‘These changes include& fast mail along the shores of the lakes to the West. It will run from New York to CHIVAGO IN TWENTY-SIX HOURS— a gain of twelve hours on the present rate of speed, Distribution will be done chiefly on the cars. News- papers will be taken by the bundle and folded and dis- tributed en route, Relays of clerks will be stationed along the line, ‘The new arrangements with the companies entail no ex« tra expense, They will come into operation on the lst of October, The following is a description of . THR TRAIN:— It will be composed of four cars, which are now being rapidly constructed, The first car will be fifty feet in length. _It will contain 1,000 pigeon-holes for the distri- bation of the letter mail, and boxes sufficient for 100 separations of newspaper mail. In this car will be a safe compartinent for registered valuable matter, and an office for the chief clerk in charge of the train, The entire letter distribution for the line will be in this ear, ‘The second car will be sixty feet long. It willbe man- aged for the distribution of through newspaper mail and for storage, It is estimated that between New York and Chicago ‘TWENTY TONS OF MAIL will be assorted and distributed in this car. The third car will be fifty feet long, and will be devoted to undis- tributed mails. The fourth car will be forty-eight feet long, and will be used when necessary for beayy mails, The train will be white, and will be called “fhe Net York Central and Lake Shore Railroad Post Office.’ ‘The train will arrive in BUFPALO IN ELEVEN HOU! at Cleveland in fifteen, at Toledo in eighteen and at Chicago in twenty-six, as stated above. It will leave and take mail at gvery station. It will stop only for wood and water and at the junction of railroads. It will neither carry passengers nor ex} nor will it do any business’ but carry the m: i tt will carry letters, newspapers, packages and newsdealers’ packs, It will connect with every post office line between New York and Buffalo, At Albany it will pick all the mail from New England. The time-table wits Oo $0 he ranged that the fast inail will connect with the latest New England trains. It will leave the mail of the moftning at nearly BVERY TOWN AND HAMLET in New York before sundown, At Buffalo it will over. take the train leaving New York on the Erie road the previous evening, and Will receive from it for the West the mails of Northern Pennsylvania, Southwest New York and the tributary country, At Cleveland it will connect with trains which will deliver the mails to the country fed from Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis early in the morning. The mail will arrive in Louisville in time to cennect with ted of the South, givin the South the advantage of all the time gained North the Ohio River. It will arrive in Indianapolis at sia A. M., at Lafayette and Logansport at half-past ton connecting there with trains for all parts of Indiana the adjoining portions of [inols. At Toledo it will v DROP THE MAILS for the Wabash country, for Southern Indiana, Mtinoir and Missouri, and also for Michigan and the North, ‘The train will artive at Chicago in time for early out. going, Will reach Milwaukee at noon, and Dubuque, Clinton, Rock Island, Davenport, Keokuk, Burlingtou Quiney'and Hannibal before sundown. The mail will be at Omaha the morning of the second a New York, and in the afternoon at Kansas St Paul and Minneapolis, and will make direct Pi connections, Returning, this train will leave sate in tho eveniag, after all trauma are Lay