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Window 1, Year 1773, Boston Harbour, MA, delivery by
horse: In Colonial Times, in line with the European practice of using coffee
houses and taverns as mail drops, mail is brought to local taverns. Ben
Franklin, Joint Postmaster General for the Crown, is outside.
Window 2, Year 1835, St. Louis, MO, Mississippi River, delivery by
steamboat: In 1811, fast moving steamboats began travelling the rivers.
Steamboats had to deliver the letters and packets to local postmasters
within three hours of docking in daylight or two hours after sunrise the
next day. The scene: Cargo (including a horse) and mail being loaded onto
the stern of a double-decker steamboat tied to the dock.
Window 3, Year 1840s, Colorado Rockies, delivery by stagecoach: Beginning in
1785, the Continental Congress encouraged the use of stagecoaches to
transport mail between Post Offices to subsidize the growth of stagecoach
lines. Stagecoaches were used until 1845. The scene: Passengers are getting
out of the stagecoach, making a brief stop at an isolated stone hut that is
the Post Office to drop off and pick up mail. A blacksmith is repairing the
shoe of one of the horses.
Window 4, Year 1889, Hudson River Valley, NY, delivery by steam locomotive
"The Iron Horse:" Congress on July 7, 1838, designated all United States
railroads as post routes, and railroad mail service increased rapidly. The
route agents opened the pouches from the local offices and separated mail
for other local points and sent the rest on to their Post Offices. The
scene: Inside a Hudson River Valley train station where a locomotive has
just stopped to drop off and pick up new mail, packages and passengers.
Window 5, Year 1920, Mid-Western Plains, Omaha, NE, delivery by biplane:
Scheduled airmail service began May 15, 1918. Those early mail planes had no
instruments, radios, or other navigational aids. Pilots flew "by the seat of
their pants" using dead reckoning. The scene: The start of transcontinental
mail delivery. A biplane flies above the plains. Below, a farmhouse where
the family is dressed up, getting ready to go out. A boy is pulling the
horse out of the barn while a child is making snow angel wings on the newly-
fallen snow.
Window 6, Year 1930, New York City, NY, delivery by truck: An act of
Congress on March 3, 1863, provided that free city delivery be established
at Post Offices where income from local postage was more than sufficient to
pay all expenses. For the first time, Americans had to put street addresses
on their letters. The scene: The mailman is in the foyer of an art deco home
delivering the mail and packages. Seen through the front door is his parked
truck. The house is being decorated for the holidays. The maid is resting by
the chair as strings of lights are being put on the tree.
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As a result of the mounting global market and technological advances, an abundance of flower varieties are available throughout the year. Some of the most beautiful and diverse arrangements contain a mixture of fresh cut and other types of flowers or plants. Contained within this section are some of the more common varieties that are available through most local florists. One of the more classic flowers - the rose - is available in a variety of genres, including the tea rose, the sweetheart rose and the spray rose. The nearly 120 arrays of roses that retailers commonly carry contain all shades of the spectrum, such as those of the red, pink, purple, orange, coral, peach and white families. The style of growth, as well as color, may differ from type to type. For example, tea roses will open from three to four inches, with stems spanning 12 to 30 inches in length; whereas the stems of spray roses may contain several flowers each. The variety and type of rose will determine its life span, but most will typically live between four and seven days after cutting. Due to their delicate nature, stems should be placed in the vase very gingerly. In order to reduce the build-up of bacteria, any foliage that is apparent immediately above the water line should be removed. For maximum life expectancy, stems should be re-cut every two to three days. Lilies may also be referred to by variety, such as in the case of the Asiatic Lily or Oriental Lily. These flower types can be recognized by their trumpet-shaped petals and can reach six inches in diameter. The height of their stems can reach up to three feet and may sport four to eight blossoms. Their color varieties include white, yellow, pink, red and orange.
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