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Foot-prints of a Letter Carrier

by James Rees

31 of 86 · Contents · Download EPUB

Important Postal Tables

The following tables, carefully prepared, fully prove that there is no surer test of the advance of business and commercial enterprise than that which is learned from the increase of postage. A glance at the table from 1790 shows a wonderful increase in the short space of eight or ten years, entirely unexampled in the history of the world; and taken in connection, as we think it may be, with a similar increase in other statistics, it sets all previous examples completely aside. The fact is, the country is ignorant of the history of our postal department, a knowledge of which would tend materially to strengthen that love of country which a state of ignorance naturally lessens. The post-office department should no longer be as a sealed book to the nation.

Statement of Receipts and Expenditures of the Post-Office Department under Various Heads, and by States, for the Year ending June 30, 1862.

States and Territories.Letter
postage.		Newspaper
postage.		Registered
letters.		Stamps
sold.		Total
receipts.		Compensation
allowed
postmasters.
Maine$16,151 48$15,143 32$364 75$174,250 15$205,909 70$87,437 05
New Hampshire5,270 4110,600 40245 15112,674 66128,790 6257,605 44
Vermont5,040 0213,210 71107 80111,001 79129,360 3262,723 43
Massachusetts53,960 8326,017 85938 25630,945 54711,862 47178,302 36
Rhode Island4,597 273,138 61124 0071,259 8279,119 7018,723 46
Connecticut10,360 6816,560 24200 55199,995 04227,116 5178,643 49
New York186,079 5982,877 232,462 601,543,349 081,814,768 50375,647 15
New Jersey17,902 5711,681 08254 10145,255 42175,093 1769,264 81
Pennsylvania70,982 2741,634 242,054 20770,025 27884,695 98248,695 26
Delaware1,782 202,265 9550 9526,431 5730,530 6710,867 93
Maryland19,330 339,053 54412 15178,566 52207,362 5448,059 82
District of Columbia8,113 233,295 38714 85220,399 83232,523 294,974 33
Virginia8,261 653,526 45301 50129,284 88141,374 4830,212 30
North Carolina861 00...1 173 031 37
South Carolina693 5416 6831 258,734 479,475 941,173 96
Georgia..................
Florida224 29238 4427 103,702 274,192 102,181 17
Alabama..................
Mississippi768 8245 392 102,598 463,414 77571 74
Texas410 41303 633 253,774 494,491 781,568 48
Kentucky10,853 7110,413 86225 36156,383 79177,876 7156,134 80
Michigan18,627 7720,035 00565 60198,002 35237,230 7296,342 58
Wisconsin20,500 7421,160 79706 15200,304 73242,672 4192,140 83
Louisiana413 8812 501 551,063 971,491 90164 83
Tennessee346 25294 679 6513,242 0513,892 621,722 39
Missouri17,158 4412,012 51419 45197,941 27227,531 6754,391 22
Illinois35,528 6640,921 731,516 90512,537 84590,505 13192,517 25
Ohio51,011 3646,777 681,608 15601,087 26700,484 45242,660 99
Indiana30,056 5428,366 16720 55258,659 00317,802 25133,765 80
Arkansas...46...12 2612 7245
Iowa12,736 4118,866 91444 60151,436 63183,484 5580,201 30
California24,430 649,869 93402 55218,540 19253,243 3148,672 41
Oregon2,211 071,467 347 2510,390 3514,076 015,975 93
Minnesota5,907 226,336 24159 0541,850 4154,253 2224,693 39
Kansas1,842 712,348 6044 2526,236 6130,472 1713,592 51
Utah1,436 81174 492 401,348 582,962 281,597 13
Nebraska843 611,023 349 357,876 649,752 944,846 26
Washington1,013 85258 662 452,017 393,292 351,852 25
New Mexico240 5495 00951,246 421,582 91815 24
Colorado1,639 00569 833 706,404 978,617 504,478 89
Dakota569 7672 2350817 401,459 89810 78
Nevada1,905 54862 016 253,200 685,974 483,500 44
649,205 26461,550 0815,151 206,942,851 228,068,757 762,337,531 21
Deduct miscellan’s items.1,297 20745 221 8532,719 3334,763 60...
Add miscellaneous3,236 07
647,908 06460,804 8615,149 356,910,131 898,033,994 162,340,767 28
On acc’t of route ag’ts, mail messengers, special transportation, for’n mails, &c.
Add receipts on account of emoluments, &c.
Deduct excess of receipts.
States and Territories.Incidental
expenses
of
post-offices.		Total
compensation
and incidental
expenses.		Amount of
transportation
certified to the
Postmaster General
for payment and
credited to
contractors.		Total
expenses.		Excess of
expenditures
over receipts.		Excess of
receipts over
expenditures.
Maine$17,489 69$104,926 74$103,483 36$208,410 00$2,500 40...
New Hampshire5,118 3862,723 8253,929 30116,653 12...$12,137 50
Vermont1,344 4464,067 8773,958 60138,027 478,666 15...
Massachusetts112,309 47290,611 83177,787 29468,399 12...213,463 35
Rhode Island9,676 4428,399 9011,369 8739,769 77...39,349 93
Connecticut17,295 7895,939 2782,471 38178,410 65...48,705 86
New York323,254 45698,901 60479,342 891,178,244 49...636,524 01
New Jersey8,691 9677,956 7798,778 11176,734 881,641 71...
Pennsylvania103,911 87352,607 19365,907 08718,514 21...166,181 77
Delaware2,335 1713,203 0918,730 2931,933 381,402 71...
Maryland34,410 1082,469 92232,202 13314,672 05107,309 51...
District of Columbia62,304 1567,278 48...67,278 48...165,244 81
Virginia19,062 4249,274 7253,319 09102,593 81...38,780 67
North Carolina...1 37...1 37...1 66
South Carolina...1,173 96...1,173 96...8,301 98
Georgia..................
Florida91 492,272 66...2,272 66...1,919 44
Alabama..................
Mississippi395 08966 82...966 82...2,447 95
Texas501,568 98...1,568 98...2,922 80
Kentucky19,066 2775,201 07216,073 18291,274 25113,397 54...
Michigan23,322 77119,665 35187,149 80306,815 1569,584 43...
Wisconsin14,584 80106,725 63151,010 16257,735 7915,063 38...
Louisiana465 51630 34...630 34...861 56
Tennessee2,639 964,362 35...4,362 35...9,530 27
Missouri42,601 0996,992 311,340,613 471,437,605 781,210,074 11...
Illinois90,703 04283,220 29386,610669,830 5079,325 37...
Ohio35,636 32328,297 31558,771 56887,068 87186,584 42...
Indiana18,836 84152,602 64283,193 46435,796 10117,993 85...
Arkansas...451,089 291,089 741,077 02...
Iowa13,272 8193,474 11204,283 26297,757 37114,272 82...
California35,259 2683,931 67297,072 52381,004 19127,760 88...
Oregon67 376,043 3023,474 0029,517 3015,441 29...
Minnesota2,860 0327,553 42123,278 10150,831 5296,578 30...
Kansas790 0614,382 5773,703 6088,086 1757,614 00...
Utah39 871,637 0017,226 0018,863 0015,900 72...
Nebraska88 714,934 9751,904 3756,839 3447,086 40...
Washington6 841,859 0932,685 4534,544 5431,252 19...
New Mexico...815 2419,825 1420,640 3819,057 47...
Colorado124 764,603 651,327 605,931 25...2,686 25
Dakota8 75819 53...819 53...640 36
Nevada59 933,560 37...3,560 37...2,414 11
1,068,126 383,405,656 595,720,570 569,126,228 152,439,584 671,382,114 28
Deduct miscellan’s items.
Add miscellaneous items3,236 0765,143 61103,143 28103,143 28
1,068,126 383,408,893 665,785,714 179,229,371 432,542,727 951,382,114 28
On acc’t of route ag’ts, mail messengers, special transportation, for’n mails, &c.1,207,899 58
6,993,613 75
Add receipts on account of emoluments, &c.265,826 74
Deduct excess of receipts.1,647,941 021,647,941 02
894,786 93
Note.—The following items of revenue are not embraced in the above statement, viz.:
Receipts on account of emoluments$93,842 25
Receipts on account of letter-carriers167,662 16
Receipts on account of fines1,455 00
Receipts on account of dead letters1,052 51
Miscellaneous receipts1,814 82
Total265,826 74
Excess of expenditures over receipts$894,786 93
Add amount paid for foreign mails and expenses of government mail agents$405,249 22
Route agents274,081 30
Supply of special offices and mail messengers238,916 10
Ship, steamboat, and way-letters6,860 11
Letter-carriers’ fees167,662 16
Dead-letter money refunded...
Amounts allowed and paid to Department, viz.:
Interest to contractors, under Act of February 15, 1860400 36
Amount carried forward$1,093,169 25$894,786 93
Amount brought forward$1,093,169 25$894,786 93
Wrapping paper18,179 70
Office furniture213 31
Advertising24,120 73
Mail bags47,902 35
Blanks89,557 44
Mail locks, keys, and stamps16,690 00
Mail depredations and special agents48,320 06
Clerks for offices14,697 63
Postage stamps and stamped envelopes93,291 04
Miscellaneous payments27,723 43
Foreign postage collected and returned to foreign governments167,238 40
1,641,103 34
Total excess of expenditures over receipts$2,535,890 27
Add difference between accrued and paid transportation289,652 96
Add amount charged to “bad debts” and “suspense” accounts601 12
Total amount$2,826,144 35
The aggregatereceipts for 1863 were$11,163,789 59
″ ″expenditures for 1863 were11,314,206 84
Deficiency$150,417 25

Number of Post-Offices, Extent of Post-Routes, and Revenue and Expenditures of the Post-Office Department; with the Amount paid to Postmasters and for Transportation of the Mail, since 1790.

Year.No. of
Post-
Offices.		Extent of
Post-Routes
in Miles.		Revenue
of the
Department.		Expenditures
of the
Department.		Amount paid for
Compen. of
Postmasters.		Transport’n
of the Mail.
1790751,875$37,935$32,140$8,198$22,081
179545313,207160,620117,89330,27275,359
180090320,817280,804213,99469,243128,644
18051,55831,076421,373377,367111,552239,635
18102,30036,406551,684495,969149,438327,966
18153,00043,7481,043,065748,121241,901487,779
18163,26048,673961,782804,422265,944521,970
18173,45952,0891,002,973916,515303,916589,189
18183,61859,4731,130,2351,035,832346,429664,611
18194,00067,5861,204,7371,117,861375,828717,881
18204,50072,4921,111,9271,160,926352,295782,425
18214,65078,8081,059,0871,184,283337,599815,681
18224,70982,7631,117,4901,167,572355,299788,618
18235,04384,8601,130,1151,156,995360,462767,464
18245,18284,8601,197,7581,188,019383,804768,939
18255,67794,0521,306,5251,229,043411,183785,646
18266,15094,0521,447,7031,366,712447,727885,100
18277,003105,3361,524,6331,468,959486,411942,335
18287,530105,3361,659,9151,689,945548,0491,086,313
18298,004115,0001,707,4181,782,132559,2371,153,646
18308,450115,1761,850,5831,932,708595,2341,274,009
18318,686115,4861,997,8111,936,122635,0281,252,226
18329,205104,4662,258,5702,266,171715,4811,482,507
183310,127119,9162,617,0112,930,414826,2831,894,638
183410,693119,9162,823,7492,910,605897,3171,925,544
183510,770112,7742,993,3562,757,350945,4181,719,007
183611,091118,2643,408,3233,841,766812,8041,638,052
183711,767141,2424,236,7793,544,630891,3531,996,727
183812,519134,8184,238,7334,430,662933,9483,131,308
183912,780133,9994,484,6574,636,536980,0003,285,622
184013,468155,7394,543,5224,718,2361,028,9253,296,876
184113,778155,0264,407,7264,499,5281,018,6453,159,375
184213,733149,7324,546,8495,674,7521,147,2563,087,796
184313,814142,2954,296,2254,374,7541,426,3942,947,319
184414,103144,6874,237,2884,296,5131,358,3162,938,551
184514,183143,9404,289,8414,320,7321,409,8752,905,504
*184614,601152,8653,487,1994,084,2971,042,0792,716,673
*184715,146153,8183,955,8933,979,5701,060,2282,476,455
*184816,159163,2084,371,0774,346,8502,394,703
*184916,749163,7034,905,1764,479,0491,320,9212,577,407
*185018,417178,6725,552,9715,212,9531,549,3762,965,786
*185119,796196,2906,727,8676,278,4021,781,6863,538,064
*185220,901214,2846,925,9717,108,4591,296,7654,225,311
*185322,320217,7435,940,7257,982,9571,406,4774,906,308
*185423,548219,9356,955,5868,577,4241,707,7085,401,382
*185524,410227,9087,342,1369,968,3422,135,3356,076,335
*185625,565239,6427,620,82210,405,2862,102,8916,765,639
*185726,586242,6018,053,95211,508,0582,285,6107,239,333
*185827,977260,6038,186,79312,722,4702,355,0168,246,054
*185928,539260,0528,668,48415,754,0932,453,9017,157,629
*186028,498240,5948,518,06719,170,6002,552,86814,281,655
*186128,586140,3998,349,29613,606,7592,514,1579,173,274
*186228,875134,0138,299,82011,125,3642,340,7676,993,613
47*186329,047139,59811,163,78911,314,2062,876,9836,541,580

Comparative Statement of the Value of Stamps and Stamped Envelopes issued during the Three Years 1860-61-62.

Years.Stamps.Envelopes.Total.
1860$5,920,939 00$949,377 19$6,870,316 19
18615,908,522 60781,711 136,690,233 73
18627,078,188 00756,904 007,835,092 00
Increase over the issue of 1860$964,775 81
Increase over the issue of 18611,144,858 27

Statement showing Postal Revenue and Expenditures of the United States, in toto and per capita, according to Population, at Eight Successive Decades, from 1790 to 1863, inclusive.

Years.Revenue.Expenditures.Population.Revenue per capitaExpenditures
per capita
1790$37,935$32,1403,929,8279/10 of a cent.8/10 of a cent.
1800280,804213,9945,305,9255-3/10 cents.4 cents.
1810551,684495,9697,239,8147-6/10 ″6-8/10 ″
18201,111,9271,160,9269,638,13111-1/2 ″12 ″
18301,919,3001,959,10912,866,02014-9/10 ″15-2/10 ″
18404,543,5224,718,23617,069,45326-6/10 ″27-6/10 ″
18505,499,9855,212,95323,191,87623-7/10 ″22-1/2 ″
18516,410,6046,278,40223,873,71726-9/10 ″26-3/10 ″
18525,184,5277,108,45924,575,60421-1/10 ″28-9/10 ″
18535,240,7257,982,75625,298,12620-7/10 ″31-1/10 ″
18546,255,5868,577,42426,041,89024 ″32-9/10 ″
18556,642,1369,968,34226,807,52124-8/10 ″37-2/10 ″
18566,920,82210,405,28627,595,66225 ″37-7/10 ″
18577,353,95211,508,05828,406,97425-9/10 ″40-1/2 ″
18587,486,79315,754,09330,101,85726-1/2 ″52-3/10 ″
18608,518,06714,874,60131,445,08927-1/10 ″47-3/10 ″
18618,349,29613,606,75932,577,11225-6/10 ″41-8/10 ″
18628,299,82111,125,36433,749,88824-6/10 ″33 ″
186311,163,79011,314,20734,762,38432-4/10 ″32-9/10 ″

Note.—The population from 1851 to 1863, excepting the year 1860, is estimated by the standard ratio of increase.

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