Litchfield enquirer., 1868-10-01

cess IS repeated many times along tn
 route, and the constant reception and de
 livery of mails adds greatly to the labors e
 the clerks.
 Sometimes bags are missed or knocke, down by the arm attached sto the car, bu never when they are properly suspended The force with which they are ierked ul by the express trains soon destroys tn, bags employed in this service; but as the, are inexpensive canvas sacks, it is matte of slight consequence, considering the ma ny advantages of tho service.
 ORIGIN AND EXTENT OF THE SYSTEM.
 ln the summer of 1864 certain officers ot the Postoffice Department conceived the idea that the prompt transmission of mails might be greatly facilitated by having the labor of distribution which was then per formed in designated offices, done on board of the mail cars while the mails were ir transit. Prominent among those who be- heved in and advocated the practicability ot such system where the second and third Assistant Postmasters- General. It was tinall ly agreed to call meeting of ex. perlenced postofice agents which was held Tn June, 1864. The result was that the de. partment determined to venture the exper- lnent. Geo. B. Armstrong, then assistant postmaster at Chicago, and c. B. Wheeler. of the Cleveland Postofice, were selected to superintend the new system-the former TOT the western and the latter for the east ern states
 The first line of railway postal service lnaugurated was upon the Iowa division of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, Iowa, on the 18th of August. 1864. The next was upon the New York and Washing ton line which was immediately followed by its introduction on the Chicago and Rock Island and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads in the West, and on the Pennsylvania Central and New York and Erie roads in the East.
 As usual with all important reforms, the new system met with almost universal op- position during the first two years of it's operation. It was difficult to find compe- tent men to perform the clerical duties; and even by the Postoffice Department it was regarded as a costly experiment that, in the event of success, could never be made to produce results commensurate to the ex- pense of maintaining it. This opposition became so strong, that at one time the de- partment contemplated abandoning 1t as 8 failure; but 1t was finally determined to ex- pertinent while longer and it has since demonstrated its claim to consideration as one of the greatest Improvements ever made in the postal service of the country. The railway postal service is now in ope- ration on seven thousand three hundred and forty five miles of railroad in the Uni ted States. On one thousand three hun dred and forty eight miles, and requiring the employment nf two thousand and six 1ivla al lntn npIyo from nine hundred to fourteen hnnnred dollars per annum.
 There is continuous line starting from Portland, Me-, via Boston to Welden, N C. another from Boston via New York, the Erie Railway, Dunkirk and Cincinnati to Toledo, where the link from Toledo to Chi cago is in operation. The chain will soon reach on to Omaha by one route, St. Jo- seph by another, Iowa Falls by third, Green Bay by fourth, and Columbus, Ky. by fifth. There are also in successful op eration postal cars from Chattanooga to Memphis, and Chattanooga to Atlanta. These carry the extensive mails passing in those directions, distribute and send them to every point of the South and West with out detention.
 In 1866 Mir. Wheeler, superintendent of the eastern division, resigned his position and MT. Harrison Park, to whose efforts much of the present efficiency of the sys. | tenn is due, was commissioned superin ten dent. He at once proceeded to reorganize the service; and instead of only through distribution being performed wherever il was practicable, the way service was intro duced. By this improvement every town which is supplied directly or indirectly with it's mails by railroad is brought from twelve to forty-eight hours nearer the principal cites of the East and West. Rail way postal service in the eastern division is now established permanently on the fol lowing routes: Portland to Boston, day and night; Boston to St. Albans, by day Boston to Albany, by day; New York te Albany, day and night; Albany to Buffalo and Niagara, day and night; New York to Buffalo and Dunkirk, by way of Erie Rail way, day and night; Philadelphia to Pitts burgh, by day; Washington by way o Richmond to Weldon, N. O., day and night Chattanooga to Atlanta, by day. In the West, also, this service.is rapidly extending and its benefits are now so generally ap preciated that the people ill some localities are demanding its introduction. The time Is not far distant when it will be considered necessity on all trunk railroads, and as great an improvement on the old system O1 route agents and slow trains as are railway accomodations on the numbering stage coach es of the last century.
 In his efforts to perfect the system MT Park has tried an experiment. on the postal cars running between New York and Bos ton, that promises to add new and i'm portant feature to the service be tween large cities. The general adop tion of the carrier-delivery system by the people of New York and Boston has result ed in the addressing of most city letters tt the street and number. Clekrs familiar with the districts and carrier routes of botl cities are now employed on the postal cars who assort the letters for city delivery SC that they may be immediately forwarded te the various sub-stations, without the dela. otherwise necessary in the general postof fees The prompt delivery as carrier let ters is much facilitated by this means, and although this feature is not permanent. established as a part of the system, it's man ifest advantages render it worthy of officia recognition. Under the able management of Mir. Park the service of the eastern di vision is rapidly perfecting, and the in creasing confidence of the public Tn this i'm portant reform is the best evidence of it
 efficiency.