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Subject: [IASCOTT] 1910 To Third and Perry
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 09:44:49 EST

TO THIRD AND PERRY

"In the spring of 1861, President Lincoln having been inaugurated, Charles H.
Eldridge, having distanced all competitors, who were neither few nor far
between, was commissioned to take the office.  The city had grown during Mr.
Mast's term to a place of 15,000 when Mr. Eldridge went into the office.  The
war broke out about that time and postal matters became very important.  The
business of the office swelled rapidly again.  Mr. Eldridge remained in
charge until April 1, 1864, when his recignation was accepted and Edward
Russell, head clerk in the office, was appointed in his stead.  Again the
office was found to be too small and was removed to its present location
(Third and Perry streets), in the fall of 1864.

"President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 and Andrew Johnson reigned in his
stead, and may were the offical heads that tumbled into the gutter in those
days.  On the 1st of December in that year General Add. H. Sanders, the
eighth postmaster of Davenport, took Mr. Russell's place.  Mr. Russell had
really been removed on the 5th of October preceding, but by reason of a
sturdy fight carried on by Mr. Price, then in congress, the 'taking off' was
delayed until December.  Mr. Russell retired in good order to the editorial
room of the Gazette, of which paper he had been for some time
editor-in-chief, and among quills, ink, paste-pot and scissors, bided his
time until he should be able to wring the official neck of his official
enemy.  General Grant was elected president in 1868, and in May, 1869, the
coveted hour came and Mr. Russell assumed control."

Great changes have taken place since Antoine LeClaire and his successor, D.
C. Eldridge, brought the Davenport mails over from Stephenson in their hats
or coat-tail pockets.  Then the first quarter's salary amounted to less than
a dollar; probably less than fifty letters were handled.  Now they come in
daily by the thousand.  The position is a lucrative one.  Then for several
years the postmaster was wont to deliver letters to his patrons as he met
them on the street; now he sends forth squads of men in uniform to scatter
the heavy mails throughout the city, and the rural delivery wagons go out
each morning loaded with letters, the daily papers, magazines, and other
mailable matter and deposit them at the farmers' doors.  But recently the
crowd assembled at mail openings, and the people who called at the postoffice
during each day numbered in the thousands.  Now under the free delivery
system it has dwindled down to a mere shadow of its former self.  Time was
when the pricipal number of letters were mailed at twenty-five cents,
prepayment optional.  Now you may write four pages and send it for two cents,
or order $10,000 worth of goods on a postal card.  But a few years ago
sending money by mail was extra hazardous; now by systems of registration and
postal orders you may transmit all you are worth in a short time and with
perfect safety.  Mail coming is no longer anxiously looked for; it is coming
all the time, morning, noon and night.  We are told  that time was when it
was a great financial question how to take out a twenty-five cent letter.
 Money was painfully scarce, and often the postmaster delivered them on
credit, taking pay in farm and garden produce, day's work and barter
generally.


Debbie Clough G-erischer


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