SlakePDF.org

I'm doing research on USA 4th class postmark books. One of the search engine results has led me to a website called slakepdf.org which requires me to enter my name and email address for a link to a pdf that might be useful.

I have looked at the website and tried to find out more about the site including who is actually running the site.

Does anyone have any experience using the site? Positive comments, negative comments. I'm trying to practice safe computing.

I would not give that information .

What do you mean by "4th class postmark books"? Things like account and cash books? List of Postal Supplies Furnished to Post Offices of the 4th Class? A particular PO form #?

I very rarely open a pdf file from an internet search, and if I do, only from a proven site. One that I am not familiar with, and asks for personal information, I definitely do not mess with.

I agree with ikeyPikey. You know the document exists and can be found on the internet. It's better to be safe, and find it via another site, than with someone who is harvesting your information, 'for who only knows what' purposes.

Hi

If you are using the Chrome browser install the WOT extension. It will tell you if there are problems with a website by blocking access to it and by a code next to each search entry. However, there may be no problems with the site and it just is a scam. You could report it to WOT and they will decide to block or not.

Fortunately I use Yahoo Mail system which has disposable addresses. If I have to enter an e-mail address I just create a "dummy" e-mail address. If I have problems all I have to do is delete the address so there is no access. My cat does get a lot of spam mail saying there are problems with his bank acount

Jerry B

John Becker: I am the editor of the Vermont Philatelist. Sometimes, I also write a short article to flesh our the quarterly publication.

I have recently purchased the 1930 East Middlebury Post Office daily cancel book. So I've been researching the use of this book. I know that after April 22, 1920 1st and 2nd Class post offices didn't have to have a record of their daily handstamp. This was recorded in the Brooklyn Post Office's General Order #957. Also, from the same General Order: "At all third and fourth class post offices the record of postmarks shall be kept the same as heretofore with the exception that no books nor special sheets shall be provided by the Department for this purpose, plain wrapping paper or other improvised sheets cut to uniform size to be used instead.

I'm just trying to flesh out my article.

BTW, if anyone would like a pdf copy of The Vermont Philatelist, if can be downloaded from http://vermontps.org/vp/VPMay15email.pdf

If you haven't found it, Google search for a paper "Postmarking Records, Cancellations and Postmaster Pay" by Erick Lee Erickson.

Here's a link to an Abstract:

http://postalmuseum.si.edu/symposiu.../papers.html

mml1942, I had already downloaded the research paper that you found at the postal museum, very interesting material.

Thanks for the information. I have worked with computers for almost 35 years, and have been online since 1990, and just had gut feeling that something was not right about the site. I just wanted some validation to my thoughts, which I received.

I looked at a cached version of the site and found that it only included links to pdfs that I could access using other means.

Glenn,
Interesting. I have a batch of postal papers from a 4th class Pennsylvania office. It includes small store-bought notebooks spanning 1938-1951 used to record the daily handstamp cancel. How odd the POD would not issue such a daily cancel book when this office had booklets/record books for:
Bills for box rent, form 1538
Senders receipt for insured mail, form 3813
Record of transit and delivered insured mail
Postmasters record of special delivery mail, form 3953
Record of C.O.D. parcels received for delivery, form 3814-a
Register of money orders issued, form L
Fourth Class Postmasters account and cash book
and other misc individual forms and papers.

Glenn, John B.

I dug through a couple of storage bins and also found one set of these cancellations books. The postmaster at Emerald Nebr. used small pocket type notebooks to record the postmark device impression each day as well as the value of stamps cancelled each day for mail on his local route plus what went to the trains that picked up his mail each day. He used a second little book to record the Stamps Sales each day. I have five of the Cancellation type of books, covering dates from May 28, 1934 – Dec 1, 1938; and four Stamp Sales books between June 8, 1935 – Oct 26, 1938.

There was a valid reason for keeping these cancellations records, as the Postmasters were checked to insure they were maintained and up to date.

The requirement to maintain these cancellation books was derived from the Postal Laws & Regulations. For the edition of 1924, this is stated in Sec 526. I also have in my archive of Post Office forms, a copy of a four page Form 1639-Third Class, Revised July 1, 1929, titled "INFORMATION REGARDING THIRD-CLASS POST OFFICES", which is a summary of duties and responsibilities of a Postmaster and things that he will be graded against when the Postal Inspector comes to visit. This requirement is found at item 34: Keeping records of postmarks.


I also have several copies of a Form 601, dated between 1935 and 1940, for the Post Office at Wesleyville PA, which is the Postal Inspector's "grading sheet" or checklist, on which the PI notes deficiencies in the post office. I've scanned page 1 of the Form 601 in which the postmaster had a very poor score grade (16%). This postmaster apparently saw the light and got his act together as subsequent inspections saw his score in the 85% to 92% range over the next five years for which I have these reports.

John Becker:

In your original post, you mentioned the publication: List of Postal Supplies Furnished to Post Offices of the 4th Class

If you have a copy of this publication, I would very much like to know the date of your copy. I have several different ones, but am trying to acquire as many different versions of this list as part of an effort to document all Post Office forms used. Thanks.

Fourth Class List ..., dated January 1, 1948
Third Class List..., dated July 1, 1952

After posting the first page, I decided it might be helpful to post the remaining three pages.

If anyone had the impression that being a postmaster at a small post office in the first part of the 20th century - or even back in the 19th century, was an easy job, then they should carefully read over these 191 points that the Postmaster was graded against.

I have no idea what sort of checklist was used prior to these from the 1935-1940 period. These are the only ones I've seen in the ten or so years I've been collecting these types of documents.

I hope these are legible. The 200 KB file size is tough on files with this much text.

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Thanks for all the information and help that I have received.