Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
1
318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
4
These
various
subjects,
especially
when
they
have
become
settled
into
the
routine
state,
might
be
considered
as
affording
a
poor
soil
for
the
growth
of
anything
of
interest--that
is,
of
curious
interest--apart
from
that
which
duty
calls
upon
a
man
to
find
in
his
proper
work.
Yet
the
Post-office
is
not
without
its
veins
of
humour,
though
the
metal
to
be
extracted
may
perhaps
be
scanty
as
compared
with
the
vast
extent
of
the
mine
from
which
it
has
to
be
taken.
The
compiler
of
the
following
pages
has
held
an
appointment
in
the
Post-office
for
a
period
of
twenty-five
years--the
best,
perhaps,
of
his
life;
and
during
that
term
it
has
been
his
practice
to
note
and
collect
facts
connected
with
the
Department
whenever
they
appeared
of
a
curious,
interesting,
or
amusing
character.
While
making
use
of
such
notes
in
connection
with
this
work,
he
has
had
recourse
to
the
Post-office
Annual
Reports,
to
old
official
documents,
to
books
on
various
subjects,
and
to
newspapers,
all
of
which
have
been
laid
under
contribution
to
furnish
material
for
these
pages.
The
work
is
in
no
sense
a
historical
work:
it
deals
with
the
lighter
features
of
a
plain,
matter-of-fact
department;
and
though
some
of
the
incidents
mentioned
may
be
deemed
of
trivial
account,
they
will
be
found,
it
is
thought,
to
have
at
least
a
curious
or
amusing
side.
The
author
desires
to
mention
that
he
has
received
valuable
help
from
several
of
his
brother
officers,
who
have
supplied
him
with
facts
or
anecdotes;
and
to
these,
as
well
as
to
gentlemen
who
have
lent
him
books
or
given
him
access
to
files
of
old
newspapers,
he
expresses
his
grateful
acknowledgments.
He
also
tenders
his
sincere
and
respectful
thanks
to
the
Postmaster-General
for
permission
granted
to
make
extracts
from
official
papers.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
