The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government departmentBennett, Edward
History
The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government department
Bennett, Edward
Postal service -- Great Britain -- History
A gentleman entered a seaside post office and demanded to see the
postmaster. He then asked this unoffending individual if he could cash a
cheque for £10, tell him the best hotel in the place, and direct him to
the nearest hairdresser.
Another postmaster, who by the way was a church-warden and a reader of
the _Daily News_, received this letter from a total stranger:—
“The Postmaster,—Sir, will you kindly send one of your selections for
the Grand National as a trial, and if satisfactory I will pay you.”
It is difficult to understand what was in the writer's mind when he
sought this information at the Post Office.
Other inquiries stick closely to Post Office business, but are perhaps
even more unreasonable.
“TO THE POSTMASTER OF HERTFORD
“DEAR SIR,—I am a boy fourteen years old, and I live in a small town
in New Jersey on the Delawar river. My father is a horse doctor, and
has practised medicine for several years. Several boys of the place
have been saving old cancelled stamps to see how many they could get
of different kinds, and I thought I could save them too. But as I have
just commenced I have not many different kinds, when it came into my
head to send to England, as I knew they spoke the same language, so I
got my geography and selected your place on the map. Now I would like
you to get me all the different kinds of stamps you can. I would have
put in postage for you to return your letter, but your stamps are
different, and I know it will be useless, but I will send you American
stamps or any favour you may ask. Hoping you will regard my letter as
a true one.
“I remain to be your friend as soon as possible. Please let me know to
the best of your knowledge whether Wales, Scotland, and Ireland use
the same kind of stamp. Hope we may meet some time before we die.”
Our cousins in America are constantly appealing to postmasters for
information.
The postmaster of Campbeltown received this letter:—
“DEAR SIR,—In the month of August 1774 the heroine Flora Macdonald
sailed from your village in the ship _Balliol_ for America. Can you
and will you be kind enough to answer the following questions? What
day in August did she sail? How many emigrants with her? How did she
come from Skye to Campbeltown? What day did she land in America? Was
it on Cape Fear? What was the name of the war-vessel in which she
returned to Scotland? What year? Where did she land? What was the date
of Kingsborough's return?
“I beg to say I am writing a history of the Highlanders in America, in
which I shall attempt an extended sketch of Flora in this country.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account