NEW POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE AT BLUFF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 54

NEW POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE AT BLUFF.

(Sco Pictorial Supplement.)

In -another column will be found a picture of the new post office at Bluff. The building- io a handsome two-storeyed atiuettu-e of brick, with cement, facings and enrichments. From the ground io the platform of the. tower is 60ft high, and another 12ft added to this makes 72ft in all. The v.lock is to be a striking one, and will strike hourly. There are Tour dial-,, each 4ft 6in in diameter. The clock, when erected, will equal any of its kind in the colony. It is to be made by Littlejohn and !aon, Wellington. The opening ceremony ib not expected to take place until Parliament is prorogued, when the Hon. J. G. Ward, Postmaster-gtweral, is likely to be present at the important function. In the meantime the building will be -ready foi occupation by the post official officials within the first week in September. The main entrance is reached from Gore street, and advancing two or three steps, two neat archways are brought to view — one each on the right and left. These are very handsomely finished off with Keen's cement, having an appearance not unlike marble. On the right the Public Office is situated, and it is beautifully finished in every detail. The counter is a ciicular one, of beautiful polished red pine, bevelled, and grained on the front. It is also surmounted with brass, and encompassed by a foot rail. There are nine divisions of desks for the general public. Between each fluted glass is fitted in red pine frames. On the left of the public counter is the postmaster's room, 14ft by 10ft, with a strongroom fixed therein. The latter was made by the Southland Implement and Engineering Company, Invercargill, and does credit to that firm. It measures 7ffc by 4ft. Adjacent to this a small room is left for office stationery. Passing through the postmaster's room access is gained into the mailroom, where a good deal of mail matter is dealt with. Although the dimensions of this room arc 26ft by 181t 6in, the room is quite inadequate to meet any pressing requirements. A sorting table, letter case, and hoppers will pretty well tpke up all the available space,

thus leaving practically veiy little room for cccommodation purpose j. Htill, a makeshift can bj made by transferring any bulky matter to another room. Ju^t off the mailrcom is the telephone bureau, where any mbocnber or non-s'jhscribei ran have the use of the telephone by paying tl>e necessary fee. At the rear of the inailioom is tound The private box loom, 10ft by 9ft. All the private boxes are fitted with Yale locks and key?-. Alongside this room if the instrument room and telephone exchange. Three sets of instruments of modern type are fixed, together with a miniature test board. The telephone exchange is to be placed in this room, ancl in all probability will be attended to by a lady attendant. The battery room, 10ft square, is nicely fitted irp for the reception of celk. It will also be utilised as a room for the storage of mail bags when occasion arises. With the exception of tlie Customs room, and another behind that, all the ground floor will be used by the post and telegraph alone. On the upper floor rooms are reserved for the court, magistrate, and stock inspector. The courtroom is the largest one in the building, 36ft by 19ft. Water is obtained from two iron tanks, each capable ' of holding 400 gal. The building was built by Mr Alexander Menzies, of In ver oar gill, and erected at a cost of a little more than £2500, Mr P. Walker, of Invercargill, being the aichitect.