The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-04
For The Ccci
A Night in a Postal Car.

7" but few people is the fact known that the prn-
cal railroads of country, and back both night
and LAY, postofce wheels helps to constitute their
express trains, and secures rapid transit of letters
between ourselves and friends-a saving in time amount
ing at least three four days between the ends of
our continent our letters now not resting in
their travels.
Each of these postal has its head clerk equal in
authority to postmasers and he also has his assist
ants varying in number with the Importance of the
route; their duties amounting to hard work and plenty
of it, shall sndeavor make clear. To illustrate
will follow the routine OF round trip of night line
postal car travelling the road before doors
between Washington and New York distance 40 miles
running time nine hours leaving New York at go
They have an accumulation Of mail from remote sec
tiuns-E,st W est, and North and South points adjacent
transmitted to the ear in one huge fourhorSe wagon
and another drawn by two horscs-weghn from six to
ten tons, according to the day. and varying crcum-
stances measuring about 1890 cubic feet and numbering
some forty locked pouches and eighty canvas sacks ;
occasionally dozen more cases. Immediately on
the arrival of the first wagon at the busy scene is
inaugurated separating and slowing away the through
bags in their several compartments. After this labor
performed the matter addressed Postal Car, is opened
first the pouches. varying from fifteen to twenty in num-
ana about the nulnef canvas SACKS,
tanning only newspapers and periodicals. In this they
find employment almost To Philadelphia, where another
twohorse wagon load is awaiting them, which is taken
in before leaving the depot, while mail numbering
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 mails, and in addition such addi-
tional matter may have heen collected on the car
Chester is reached and rush through pouches
thrown OF at the depot that the good people may
have their letters early in the morning. Soon, again.
the whistle is blown for Wilmington, Del ut which
place mails exchanged Again. at Baltimore is put
off a huge wagon load. and one received
During these busy hours letters handled that have
come from the several Eastern Offices the frontiers West
poured into them at New York, Philadelphia and Balt
and the dome of the capital looms in sight, all
has properly assorted arranged and is As
the train stops at the depot, at Washington,
few seconds suffice turn door, and pile
its proper wagon, the city mails, with which clerk is
despatched to the office. On two other wagons loaded
the mails for the Orange and Alexandran r. r., the
beginning the great S. W Route carrying mail to the
remote part of Texas: and TO the Potomac Postal
Car Route such matter should he scattered along the
scaboard to the end of Floria each in charge
of detailed clerk proper delivery and receipt
the respective Il. r. epots and steamboat landings
During the trip seventy pouches have been opened
and contents handled from which four to five thousand
letters have been made up and from fifteen to twenty
sacks of newspapers.
Bound North from Washington, the train docs not
leave until The first load of mail is despatched
from the Office at O'Clock: thus early that the Western
matter to he left at Baltimore, may he got out of the
Southern connecting mails from the Orange Agent and
Potomac Postal Clerk, before reaching that point As
the aggregate of the mails has up to hundred
pouches it may be imagined that the four hours before
tran-leavng. and the and quarter hours running
Baltimore afford barely accomplish this work
In the should be too heavy get through
the letters carried by are put in a pouch labeled
Exchange" which is left at Wilmington, Del, for the
south-bound train, arriving few minutes after
departure that depot and arrive Baltimore in
time the following morning to make the desired
tons. At Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia.
mails exchanged. Mails left at Elizabeth n j.,
for that place. Easton Pa and the New Jersey Central
r. r. Agent. At Newark j. several pouches for that
place, others for the New Jersey r. X. Agent the
Morris Essex Il. X. At Jersey City, pouch is dcly
cred to a messenger, and by one wagon mail to the
Hudson River Postal Car, for routes and offices via Hull
River r. r. and New York Central Il. r. far West
Detroit Mich, and Canada In another wagon is dis
patched mail to the New Haven depot to the Boston
postal clerks including matter for the Eastern States
and the Eastern section of the Dominion of Canada
and also the mails for the Harlem r. r. Agent. Then
by the New York Office wagon, huge pouches of city
letters and sacks of newspapers pouches for the Long
Island Agent and Erie postal clerks. Brooklyn y. V
and other routes leaving until later in the day.
until the next evening made up in distribution pouches
In accomplishing this from fifteen to twenty thousand
New York City letters have been handled and separately
many for the distribution, which has required
application from the beginning throughout the
fourteen hours.
The force on the day line consists Of two with
a helper between Baltimore and Washington. The SER
vice differs from the night line between these two points,
nasmuch way service is performed, although on
express train, by of a catcher iron two
tined fork that swings out from fstenings the side of
the catching the pouch in its crotch from it
has been hung on. the train ruslrs by. There is a
difference i'll the amount of labor between the lines
this mail in favor of ae day line, but the difference is
diminishing.
Since the restoration of the service in the South the
mails have been rapidly increasing; and to Post
Office Department, which has provided us with such
admirable system, the public greatly indebted
For the proper carrying out of that system clerks of
more than ordinary intelligence and information are
required. 1t is necessary for them know the location
of several thousand post-oices in addition to which
they constantly exposed to danger. Not in a
thousand knows anything of the small body of clerks
who these postal and to whose energy and eff
cheney, and unfaggng efforts, the piles Of mail matter
distributed and dispatched TO their proper desna
ton.
great difficulty complained of by the postal car
clerks is the neglect of parties directing mail matter
and especially this neglect attributable publishers
of newspapers their mailing clcrksin not putting
the of the county in which the postocc is located
the packages This omission often subjects the clerks
the necessity of searching the post-occ record and
thus their valuable time every of which
is precious.