St. Louis Central Station duplex handstamp - Nat'l Stockyards, IL rec'd marking

The content makes this cover special. Sent from the Office of Vice President of American Trust Co. in St. Louis (Henry Hopkins) to the Chief Cashier of National Stockyards (R.A. Garvin). Friendly jabs and a couple of great turns of phrase. The St. Louis PO was experiencing major labor problems. In 1917, hundreds of St. Louis postal clerks and carriers enlisted in the military. This led to the first significant hiring of women and temporary workers to maintain mail delivery.