Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-06-09
The Postal Car Service.


the principal railroads of our country, over and
back, both night and day, post-ofice on wheels
helps to constitute their express trains, and Sc
cure rapid transit Of letters between ourselves
and friends-a saving in time, amounting, at
least, to three or four days, between the ends Of
onr continent, our letters now not resting mo-
ment in their travels.
Each of these postal cars has its head clerk,
equal in authority to our postmasters and he
also has his assistants, varying in number with
the Importance of the route; their duties
amounting to hard work and plenty of it, as we
shall endeavour to make clear. To illustrate,w we
will follow the routine of round trip of night
line postal car, travelling over the road before
our doors, between Washington and New York
distance $40 miles, running time nine hours,
leaving New York at $50, p m. They have an
accumulation of mail from remote sections
East, West and North, and South points ada
cent, transmitted to the car in one huge four
horse wagon, and another drawn by two-horses
weighing from six to ten tons, according to the
day, and varying circumstances, measuring
about 1900 cubic feet, and numbering some forty
locked pouches, and eighty canvas sacks occa-
sonally dozen or more cases. Immediately on
the arrival of the first wagon at the car, busy
scene is inaugnrated, separating and slowing
away the through bags in their several compart.
ments. After this labor is performed the mat.
ter addressed Postal Carr is opened first the
pouches, varying from fifteen to twenty in num-
Der, and about the same number of canvas
sacks containing only newspapers and periodi
calls. In this they find employment almost to
fmladelphia, where another two-horse wagon
load il awaiting them, which is taken in before
leaving the depot, while mail numbering some
twenty pouches is thrown out Such matter as
had accumulated at the New York Office in the
Interim between the departures of the regular
Philadelphia and Washington postal car mails
and IN addition such additional matter AZ ma,
have been collected on the chichester is soon
reached, and as we rush through, pouches arc put
off at the depot, that the good people may have
their letters early in the morning. Soon, again.
the whistle is blown for Wilmington DEL, al
which place mails are exchanged. Again, al
Baltimore, is put off huge wagon load, and one
received.
During these busy hours letters are handled
that have come from the several Eastern Offices,
the frontiers West, poured into them at New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore; and as the
dome of tho capital looms in sight, all has been
properly assorted, arranged and is secure. As
soon az the train stops at the depot at Washing
ton, few seconds suffice to turn out, at ono
door, and pile on its proper wagon, the city
mails, with which clerk is despatched to the
Office. On two other wagons are loaded the
mails for the Orange and Alexandria II. H., the
beginning of the great s. w. Route, CARRYING
mail to the most remote part of Texas and to
the Potomac Postal Car Route, such matter az
should be scattered along the seaboard,
to the extreme end Of Florida; eacl,
in charge of detailed clerk, to secure proper
delivery and receipt Mt the respective II. II. de-
pots and steamboat landings.
During the trim spynuty pntirlpa hayp hnat,
opened and contents handled, from which four
TO five thousand letters have been made MP, and
from fifteen to twenty sacks of newspapers.
Bound North from Washington, the train does
not leave until D p. m. The first load of mail is
despatched from the office at o'clock thus
early that the Western matter to be left at Bati-
more, may he got ont of the Southern connect
ing mails from the Orange Agent and Potomac
Postal Clerk, before reaching that point. As the
aggregate of the mails has run M to one hum
bred pouches, it may be imagined that the -four
hours before THANKSGIVING, and the one and a
quarter hours running to Baltimore afford barely
time to accomplish this work In case the mat
ter should he too heavy to get through, the let
tiers carried by are put in pouch labeled g Ex-
change, which is left at Wilmington, Del, for
the Sonli-bound train, arriving few minutes
after our departure from the depot and so ar
rive IN Baltimore i'll time the following morning
TO make the desired connections. At Baltimore.
Wilmington, and Philadelphia, mails are ex-
N. J..
that place, Easton, Pa. and the New Jersey Gem
trail Il. II. Agent. At Newark, N. j.. several
pouches for that place. others for the New Jer-
s.ey r. Il. Agent over the Morris Il Essex II. II.
Al Jersey City, pouch is delivered to messen-
ger, and by one wagon, a mail to the Hudson
River II. Il. and New York Central Rail
road as far West as Detroit, Michigan,
and Canada lii another wagon is dis
patched d mail to the New Haven depot to the
noston postal clerks, including matter for the
Eastern States and the Eastern section of the
dominion of Canada and also the mails for the
Harlem II. Ii. Agent. Then, by the New Yorl,
Once wagon, huge pouches of city letters and
sacks OF newspapers; pouches for the Long
island Agent and Erie postal clerks, Brooklyn,
New York. and other routes, not leaving until
later i'll the day, OF until the next evening made
| up III distribution rouches. In accomplishing
TINS, from fifteen to twenty Thousand New York
city letters have been handled and separately
as many more for the distribution, which has
required constant application from tile beginning
throughout the fourteen hours.
The force on the day line consists of two mon
with helper between Baltimore and Washing.
ton The service differs from the night line be.
tween these two points, inasmuch as a way sci.
Wee IL performed, although on an express train
by means of a catcher an iron two tined forl
that swings out from fasenngs on the side OF
the car catching the pouch i'll its crotch from d
crane u has been hung On, AZ the train PUSHES
ny. There il difference in the amount of Labor
day line. but the difference il diminishing
Since the restriction of tho service in the South
| the mails have been rapidly increasing and tt
olr Post Office Department, which has provided
MS with such an adnirablesystem, the public are
greatly indebted.
For the proper carrying out of that system
clerks OF more than ordinary intelligence and in.
formation are required. 1t is necessary for then
10 Know the location of several thousand post
oihces; in addition to which they are CONSTANT,
exposed to danger. Not one in Thousand knows
anything of the small body of clerks who l1r
these postal cars and to whose energy and elf
cheney, and unilagging efforts, the piles of mai
| matter are distributed and dispatched to tleil
| proper destination.
great difficulty complained of by the posta
car clerks, is the neglect of parties directing mai
matter--and especially is this neglect attribute
bic to publishers of newspapers, or their mailing
| clerks in not putting the name of the county il
winch the post-oifice is located on the packages
Tins omission often subjects the clerks to the
necessity of searching the post-ofice record, ant
thus consumes their valuable time. every mo
meht of which is precious Cecil Wing.