The post office and its story an interesting account of the activities of a great government department

“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?