The prosecution of the "post-office plan" of collection was continued, and by September, 1860, response had been had from 1,118 postmasters, contributions received aggregating $4,179.56. Of this amount, through the post-offices of California was received $1,120.63, of which $755.49 was from the City of San Francisco. Having been ordered by the War Department to other duty, September 22, 1860, Lieutenant Ives resigned as Architect and Engineer of the Monument, submitting with his resignation a report of the operations he had conducted, together with an account of his receipts and expenditures. He was thanked in a resolution "for the faithful, efficient, and patriotic manner in which he has discharged the duties as Engineer of the Monument and originator and superintendent of post-office contributions." In his report Lieutenant Ives stated: "I am still of opinion that if the plan could have had, as I at first supposed it would, the direct aid of the Postmaster-General, a great majority, if not all, of the postmasters would have united in it, and that it would have insured in a few years a sufficient sum to complete the work. Without that aid I have been unable to secure the co-operation of a sufficient number to accomplish the work." A general appeal was now issued, requesting contributions at the polls at the Presidential election to occur November 6th, following. The success of this effort was marked and peculiar. From the State of California was realized $10,962.01; Prince George County, Md., $3.63; St. Louis, Mo., $54.20. No other receipts are reported. Other contributions during this year were $290 from employees of the Panama Railroad; $25.80 from the Post-Office Department; $807.45 from the box at the Monument, and $413.55 from one maintained at the Patent Office. The total of all collections reported being for the year $6,026.22; expenditures, $3,514.32. The California collections were paid over in the following year. The expenditures were charged to the erection of new buildings on the Monument grounds and the necessary repair of others, reorganizing the plant, and the costs of collections, no salary being paid except to a watchman. Improvements made were thus noticed in a daily paper: "The place has been placed in such a condition that all the Board wants now in order to resume the work of erection is funds." To an appeal issued asking contributions to be made on February 23, 1861, but one response was reported. March 26, 1861, an appeal was addressed "To the people and postmasters," reciting: