Buchanan County, Missouri - Chapter 17: St. Joseph Branches of Federal Service. - the, 1900

The Federal Court

ST. JOSEPH BRANCHES OF FEDERAL SERVICE. - THE FEDERAL BUILDING. - HISTORY OF THE ST. JOSEPH POSTOFFICE. - RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE. - THE INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICE. - ST. JOSEPH AS A PORT OF ENTRY. - SURVEYORS OF THE PORT. - THE FEDERAL COURT.

Three branches of the United States government are represented in St. Joseph - the postoffice department, the department of justice and the treasury department. All of these are quartered in the Federal building at Eighth and Edmond streets. This is the most imposing public edifice in the city and it represents an expenditure of $350,000.

The first appropriation for the building was made by congress August 5, 1882, while the late Nicholas Ford was our representative. Of the original appropriation $50,000 was set aside to purchase a site and inaugurate the work of construction. After a long delay the lots at Eighth and Edmond streets were purchased for $11,750. There was more or less objection by down-town merchants, who argued that the proposed location was too far removed from the business district of the city. The growth of business since that time, however, has been in the direction of the Federal building until now it is conceded that excellent judgment was displayed in selecting the site.

When the late James N. Burnes entered Congress he took up the work of pushing the completion of the custom house where his predecessor in office had left off. Congressman Burnes secured a second appropriation of $40,000 July 7, 1884, and, on March 3. 1885, another appropriation of $50,000. August 4, 1886, Congressman Burnes succeeded in getting $50,000 additional, and March 3, 1887, the last appropriation of $127,000 for the building proper was made. August 29, 1890, Congressman R. P. C. Wilson obtained an appropriation of $3,600 for the purchase of a clock for the tower of the building, making the total appropriations $345,000.

Seven years were ocupied in building1 the custom house, there being much vexatious delay, as is usual in cases of this kind. The principal loss of time was caused, however, by the sinking of the building at the northwest corner. Much of the masonry had to be taken down and rebuilt after the foundation had been properly strengthened. The latter part of 1890 saw the building completed, and it was occupied in January of 1891.

THE POSTOFFICE. - In 1840 a postoffice was established at Blacksnake Hills, with Jules C. Robidoux in charge. The office continued under this name until 1843, when it was changed to St. Joseph, the town having meanwhile been platted and christened. Robidoux, George Brubaker and Captain Frederick W. Smith were the postmasters under the old name, and Captain Smith was the first positmaster under the new name. The mails were not very heavy in those days, coming mostly by boat from the outer world and by pony and stage from neighboring points. Captain Smith wore an old-style, bell-crowned beaver hat, which he used as the repository of postal matter. He was personally acquainted with every inhabitant of the village and it was his custom to deliver mail to parties as he met them. Thus it will be seen that St. Joseph had free postal delivery long before many of the now populous cities of the West were even thought of.

William B. Almond succeeded Captain Smith in November of 1844, and served until September of 1845, when he was succeeded by William Irvin, who served until September, 1848. Joseph Wyatt then filled the office for one year, and was succeeded by Jesse Holladay, who served until September, 1849, when he was succeeded by Henry S. Creal in January of 1852. Charles Dutszchky was appointed April, 1853. Henry Clark was appointed April, 1854, but did not take the office. Henry Slack was appointed in the same month and held the office until October, 1855, when William A. Davis was appointed. Mr. Davis invented the railway postal car. The office was made presidential in March of 1858 and Mr. Davis continued as postmaster until April of 1861. He was succeeded bv John L. Bittinger, who served until March, 1865, and was succeeded by William Fowler.

In March of 1866 George H. Hall was appointed. This appointment was rescinded and James M. Graham was appointed October 31, 1866. However, the friends of Colonel Hall prevailed at Washington and he was given the office in the following month, holding it until April of 1867, when he was succeeded by Joseph J. Wyatt, who served until April of 1869. James M. Hunter served from that time until March of 1871 and was succeeded by Phillip Arnholdt, who served until February of 1875. John Severance held the office until May of 1876, and was succeeded by Dr. Robert P. Richardson, who served only a few months, however. He was succeeded in the following August by James T. Beach, who served until December of 1877, and was succeeded by Francis M. Posegate, who served until June of 1881. Frank M. Tracv succeeded Captain Posegate and served until April of 1885, when he was succeeded bv John S. Evans, who served four years and was succeeded by Charles F. Ernst. Captain Ernst died August 2, 1892. From that time until September 30. the office was in charge of Deputy Postmaster Joseph S. Browne, when Frank M. Atkinson took charge, served four years, and was reappointed for another four-year term in April of 1897.

As long as the business of the city centered in the neighborhood of Market scjuare the postoffice was located in close proximity to that point. For many years it was in the Beatty bank building, on the east side of Second street, north of Francis. Under Hunter and Arnholdt it was located in the Constable building, on Fourth street, south of Edmond, now occupied by Studebakcr's. Under Severance, Ri diardson. Beach, Posegate and Tracv it was located at the southeast corner of Second and Francis streets. Under Tracy, in 1881, the office was moved to a room under Tootle's opera house, the theater at that time occupying the upper floors only. The business of the office soon outgrew the accommodations here, and under Tracy, also, the first floor of the new Tootle building, east of the Opera house, was taken. File office remained there until January 26, 1891, when, under Postmaster Ernst, it was removed to its present permanent quarters in the Federal building.

An idea of the importance of the St. Joseph postoffice may be gathered from the volume of business. The estimate of stamp sales for this year (1898) will be $150,000, and the average money order business is nearly $1,500,000.

There are fifty-three employes of the St. Joseph postoffice, including twenty-four regular and four substitute carriers. The office force consists of assistant postmaster, superintendent of carriers, twenty-nine mail carriers, money order clerk and assistant, stamo clerk and assistant, registry clerk and assistant, general delivery clerk and assistant, three messengers, eleven mailing and distributing clerks. The annual pay roll is about $40,000.

THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE. - The St Joseph division of therailway mail service, which is embraced in the Seventh division of the service, has headquarters in the Federal building-. There are sixtv-five clerks employed under the direction of the chief clerk of the St. Joseph office, twenty-seven of whom live in this city. The lines under the jurisdiction of the St. Joseph off;ce extend into Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, and many of the clerks employed under the office here live in Quincy, Council Bluffs, Grand Island, Atchison, Leavenworth and other towns.

THE INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICE. - A branch of the Sixth Internal Revenue district of Missouri has been located in the Federal building since its completion. A deputy, appointed bv the collector at Kansas City, is in charge, and his jurisdiction extends over seventeen counties: Buchanan, Atchison, Holt, Nodaway, Andrew, Clinton, DeKalb, Gentry, Worth, Harrison, Daviess, Caldwell, Linvingston, Grundy, Mercer, Putnam and Sullivan. There are in this division 700 retail liquor dealers, including druggists who have permits to sell whisky and alcohol. In addition there are thirty-two Avholesale liquor dealers, three breweries, seven fruit distilleries, five grain distilleries and fifty-two cigar manufactories. The business of all these concerns with the internal revenue department is transacted through the St. Joseph office and consequently it makes a vast amount of work. The deputy has stamp clerk, guager and storekeeper to assist him.

In 1862 St. Joseph was headquarters of the Third Revenue district of Missouri, embracing all of the state lying north of the Missouri River, and including forty-four counties. The taxes collected amounted to about one million dollars per annum. Charles B. Wilkinson was the first collector. In 1865 W. A. Price of Savannah was collector and A. N. Schuster was his deputy. In 1869 Mr. Schuster was appointed collector, the district then embracing twenty-five counties. Schuster served until 1871. The boundaries of the district were subsequently changed and it was called the Sixth. Schuster was succeeded by General James Craig, and he by W. Z. Ransom. In 1875, when Charles B. Wilkinson was collector a second time, irregularities and complications were discovered in the office. Wilkinson went to Australia and was brought back, tried and convicted of embezzlement on a technicality, the irregularities having been traced to some of his employes. Such was the nature of the case, however, that, after a careful examination of the same by the United

R. T. Van Horn of Kansas City having meanwhile been appointed collector, the principal office was moved to Kansas City, and Christ. Mast, deceased, was made deputy at St. Joseph. John G. Walker of Savannah followed Mast, and then came Charles Groscup, H. G. Getchell, John Harnois and John B. Rodgers. The latter was succeeded in November, 1898, by William M. Shepherd.

THE PORT OF ENTRY. - St. Joseph was made a port of entry January of 1883, through the efforts of Congressman James N. Burnes. Major James Hunter was the first surveyor and he had for his deputy James T. Beach. John Vanderlinde was appointed surveyor January 30, 1887, and was succeeded by James M. Limbird, who was appointed March 21, 1890. It was during his term, in January, 1891, that the customs office, which has previously been quartered in store buildings, moved to the Federal building. President Cleveland appointed Clay C. MacDonald surveyor of the port in 1893, and Captain MacDonald was succeeded March 2, 1898, by William L. Buechle, the present incumbent.

THE FEDERAL COURT. - Through the efforts of Congressman James N. Burnes a branch of the western division of the United States circuit court was established at St. Joseph. The first session of this court was held at the court house on April 4, 1887, with the late Arnold S. Ivrekel as judge. Channing M. Dunham was appointed clerk. Judge Krekel and Air. Dunham both died in the summer of 1888. Judge John F. Philips, the present judge, was appointed to succeed Judge Krekel and appointed Charles M. Thompson as clerk. Mr. Thompson served until October of 1891, when he was succeeded by Charles S. Pollock, the present incumbent.

The office of United States commissioner had been held by various attorneys in the city. James T. Beach was also a commissioner and had an office in the Federal building up to November of 1891, when he was succeeded by Mr. Pollock, who is now commissioner as well as clerk. It is the province of the commissioner to give preliminary hearings in cases of violation of Federal laws and to certify to same to the circuit court if the investigation warrants.

Two terms of the United States court are held in St. Joseph every year. The first term convenes the first Monday in March and the second term the third Monday in September.