The following classes or groups are indirectly connected with the Postal Service in most instances through contractual relationship, and take the oath of office, but are not employees of the Post-office Department or the Postal Service: Clerks at third-class offices (estimated) 13,000 Clerks at fourth-class offices (estimated) 37,899 Mail messengers 13,128 Screen-wagon contractors 201 Carriers for offices having special supply 349 Clerks in charge of contract stations 4,869 Star-route contractors 10,766 Steamboat contractors 273 ------ Total 80,485 THE POST-OFFICE IN NEW YORK _List of New York City postmasters from 1687 to date_: WILLIAM BOGARDUS April 4, 1687 HENRY SHARPAS April 4, 1692 RICHARD NICHOL (Postmaster in 1732) ALEXANDER COLDEN (Postmaster in 1753-75) EBENEZER HAZARD October 5, 1775 WILLIAM BEDLOE (Postmaster in 1785, appointed after close of Revolutionary War) SEBASTIAN BAUMAN February 16, 1796 JOSIAS TEN EYCK January 1, 1804 THEODORUS BAILEY April 2, 1804 SAMUEL L. GOUVERNEUR November 19, 1828 JONATHAN I. CODDINGTON July 5, 1836 JOHN L. GRAHAM March 14, 1842 ROBERT H. MORRIS May 3, 1845 WILLIAM V. BRADY May 14, 1849 ISAAC V. FOWLER April 1, 1853 JOHN A. DIX May 17, 1860 WILLIAM B. TAYLOR January 16, 1861 ABRAM WAKEMAN March 21, 1862 JAMES KELLY September 19, 1864 PATRICK H. JONES April 27, 1869 THOMAS L. JAMES March 17, 1873 HENRY G. PEARSON April 1, 1881 THOMAS L. JAMES (acting) April 21, 1889 CORNELIUS VAN COTT May 1, 1889 CHARLES W. DAYTON July 1, 1893 CORNELIUS VAN COTT May 23, 1897 EDWARD M. MORGAN (acting) October 26, 1904 WILLIAM R. WILLCOX January 1, 1905 EDWARD M. MORGAN (acting) July 1, 1907 EDWARD M. MORGAN September 1, 1907 EDWARD M. MORGAN (reappointed) December 14, 1911 ROBERT F. WAGNER April 22, 1916. Declined THOMAS G. PATTEN March 16, 1917 EDWARD M. MORGAN (reappointed) July 1, 1921 [Illustration: _Some of the Early Postmasters of New York City._ ] _Early New York_ The first ships which arrived after the settlement of New York as New Amsterdam brought letters, and the first post-office, such as it was, began to function about the time the city was founded. When vessels arrived, those letters relating to the cargoes were delivered to merchants; persons who welcomed the ships received their letters by hand. If a letter was unclaimed, it was left with a responsible private citizen until called for.