approaching that of the preceding forty
years. The numbers stand in 1905 at 73,000,000.

On Sunday, the 10th January, 1904, the liner "Philadelphia" (which,
by-the-bye, as the "City of Paris" went ashore on the Manacles and was
salved and re-named) was the first of the fleet of the American Line to
call at Plymouth and land the American mails there, instead of at
Southampton, as formerly. In connection with the inauguration of this
service to the Western port of Plymouth, Bristol--undoubtedly a natural
geographical centre for the distribution of mails from the United States
and Canada--played an important part in distributing and thus greatly
accelerating the delivery of the American correspondence generally.
Bristol itself distinctly benefits by the American mail steamers calling
at Plymouth, for it enables her traders to get their business
correspondence many hours earlier than by any other route.

Owing to a severe storm encountered off Sandy Hook, the "Philadelphia,"
on the occasion alluded to, due on Saturday, did not arrive in Plymouth
Sound until early on Sunday morning. The mails were quickly placed
aboard the tender, which returned to Millbay Docks at 6.20 a.m., and an
hour later the special G.W.R. train moved out, carrying over 21 tons of
mails. Eight tons were at 10 a.m. put out at the Temple Meads Railway
Station to be dealt with at the Bristol Post Office, and the remainder
taken on to Paddington. The mails dealt with at Bristol included not
only those for delivery in Bristol city and district, but also those for
the provinces. They were speedily sorted and dispersed by the
comprehensive through train services to the West, South Wales, Midlands,
and North of England.

The second American mail was brought over by the "St. Louis," which
arrived off Plymouth at one o'clock on Saturday morning, the 16th
January, 1904. The G.W. train reached Temple Meads at 6.23, and 350 bags
which had to be dealt with at Bristol were dropped. The premises
recently acquired from the Water Works Company by the Post Office were
utilized for the first time, there not being sufficient room in the
existing post office buildings to cope with such a heavy consignment.
The letters were sent out with the first morning delivery in Bristol.
The Birmingham letters were despatched at 10.30 a.m., and those for
Manchester and Liverpool were also sent off in time for delivery in the
afternoon.

The third mail arrived per "New York," at 7.3