The New York herald., 1878-09-23
soon dispose OF their task and have few minutes
rest before they the national capital, after

rest before they enter the national capital, after
HARDEST WORKED GovgRSxENr EMPLOYEES.
These men have been on their feet Tor twelve
solid hours their work has required tension Of
mind and exercise OF body which lew Other occupa
tions subject man. The public know little about H.
but really harder worked ana more deserving class
oil officials is not IN the employ ment OF the govern
msnt. II 70 estimated by QUO who has been ~ the
trouble OF collecting the statistics that they work year
out LII days more than any other class Of
employees in the government SERVICE not to speak OF
they In the constant presence OF danger
from railroad accidents. Yet ths government has no
COMPENSATION Tor their families hen they arc kiied
IN the discharge Of its business II, however they are
only wounded they are retained Gu the payrou ior
niusy days, and then II they snould not recover they
pRovipsG FoR ruEIR FAMILIES.
The postal clerks early IN their carccr that they
10 daily peril In their arduous sccupa-
tou-in fact, their danger greater from constant
railroad travelling than even that attending tho en-
gineer or conductor OF rain or either OF these has
\ chance OF seeing and escaping IRON railroad
catastrophe but the poor postal clerk none he
10 literally locked up IN box, the avenues oil escape
most being barred with plies OF mail oags ana
pouches, while MS mind Is intently occupied with his
work OF deciphering aud distributing correspondence
Feeling this they set work and organized Mutual
Relief Association, which, commencing with thirty
four, has increased TO membership oi 800 ana mas
distributed since It's organixaton tho sum OF $36 900
to the families OF men killed on the railroads IN the
os nna Of rns to
peril has the effect of binding The men together IN
bonds stronger Than those oil mere friendship, ana
instances OF self sacrifice and devotion toward
Aacn other not uncommon among them.
MACHINERY OF THE SERVICE.
A prominent and interesting feature Of the railway
mail service Ia tho EInation department., under
tho charge OF Colonel Frank A. Butts, formerly OF the
Forty seventh regiment Of New York voup An
applicant Tor position as postal clerk who has, OF
course bring the necessary political influence TO
recoQ milton, receives probationary appoint
ment Tor SIX months At salary ranging from 5000 TO
5000 year II he fails to graduate at tho end OF the
term no dropped from the rolls IL is Estimated that
thirty per cent OF the sppointees FAIL He Is rst
placed on a car under the Instruction oil the older
clerks, he undergoes six examinations during mis-
noss oces b oSn,ss n the second
division there are i've places Tor examinaton.-New
York, Syracuse, Harrisburg. ri.,sb9rg and Daakirk-
tionist comes one OF these places and is gwen
tray OF cards. each containing, Tor instance IN the
case oil Pennsy vania the names OF over three tnou-
sand post 9ffcss. frame OF pigeon holes labelled
with the names Of the sixty Odd counties oil that
State Is placed before him. and he asked to do
post correctly in each the post Office belongi ng to
that county. This requires an immense cnort oil
memory, and few are able TO DO u even alter
made himself familiar with this task, he
has to become acquainted with "a scheme
examination" on DIVISION OF the states by routcs.
For instance there three separate railroads pass
ing through Westchester county with constantly re-
curing stations along each route rhe postal Slerk
post office on the Huds0n In place OF the Harlem
Railroad. Ihs probationary CLERK has TO show q
record Of fifty per cent; Ia other words, no must
know at least the OF half the post offices IN
State by counties before he is put duty regularly
and here IS where civil service test comes In Tor
the examination 10 too rigid Tor preteudsr to slip
tnrouxh Applications for these positions aio
TO extent OF over six thousand, notwitnstana'ng
the difficulty OF passing the examination.
ARpUoUs NATURE OF THE woRK.
It takes from one to three years, according to
his business During his nrst year on the cars he is
little more than laborer or 'duinper" as the pro-
iession call hm, his work consisting cnieny 10 na9i-
hours of work average sixteen out oi twenty-louE
Among oil the many details OF the service ID DE-
vice to detect errors distribution OF the mails
When clerk is making up package OF letters In the
car no places slip (called an error slip) on the
package stamped with his Office, his namc and tho
route or State Tor which the package intended Tue
clerk receiving that package and nnding au error IN u
notes the error and attaching MS nae ana post ONCE
once OF the clerk committing the error forwards II 10
tho superintendent OF tnat division, WHARF account
is Kept Of all checked against that Offending
clerk and OF all errors he checks against other clerks
so IL IL q system OF checks all round list
of errors is seut nt intervals to Washington.
postal clerk cannot make his hrst trip less ne Is
we'll vsrsed IN geography, possessed OF certain
sleght OF hand, accuracy OF eye good memory, cor
rect Judgment and an ability 10 decipher what to
ordinary people would appear unipte telIRibie chirog-
raphy. Tnoy are expected 10 know more even than
The writer's Of the letters that pass through their
hands. and TO understand what was intended to be
written, what should nave poem written, {,
instead OF what was written, IN INC address. WINE
mui and distributing post oices OF daes tri-weeK-
lies and specials, Of tags and labels. OF supplies,
pouchsa lie sacks and registers, he must loo out 10
see that he Goes not miss his connections He may
nss mis- wife aud chilaren but not his conneotions
The railway mail service was inaugurated IN 1864
under the general supsrintondencs OF Colonel George
Armstrong, VINO orGn".Sa ISss tns racnsod ~ ~
arst impetus forward. the successor TO Mr.'Arm-
strong Mr.. George 5. Bangs, who lett 70 accept
some more lucrative post, and me present general
superintendent Is Mr.. Theodore N. Vail, who also
coutemp plates leaving to accept the presidsncy oi
new lsephons company There arg n s'ns @ 2,
States, with q superintendent at Boston; the
second, Now York, New Jersey, Pepnsyivunia aud
tpta anda II o.
In the new Post Office building tns third, Maryand
lsxcuding the Eastern shore) Virginia, West Virginia
.SS ps'rs. aa
vision-North Carohns. South carolina, georgia,
Flor,da Alaosma Mississippi and LOUISIANA, ,;n ~
Indiana, kentucky AND Tennessee, Z. french, su'
perintcndcnt CINCINNATI, ohio. sixtn-W sconsin,
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and upper PENN
suIa OF Mlchigan aud the territories ol Da-
kota and wyoming. James Z. White. super
in.enden, onoaso III Go,arsso asa ,hs rsr.
ritorcs Of Indian and New Mexico, Walter N.
Hunt, superintendent st. LOUIS No. Eishth-Cali-
Arizona, Idaho, Montans, Utah and Washington, Ii.
j. McCusick San Francisco, CAL Ninth division
comprises n,oosa n %ss T ~. Duns nss OF "a. eo
Snore and Michigan Southern aud Inc lower peninsula
OF Michigan, W. b. Thompson. superintendent, C!eve-
In the Second division there 14o railroad routes
ana 205 milcs OF railroad aud steamboat service,
and IL, l76 miles OF stage service
SUMMARY or WORK IN THE SECOND RAILWAY NAIL SER
DIVISION.
Tho following is condensed summary OF inc
annual report Just transmitted TO Washington by
Superintendent Jackson, OF the second DIVISION OF
tho Railway Mail sorvice:- 49,
Numper o I postal cars In second divison.. 32l
OF which there run through 10 ST. Louts....... ~
Whole number or clerks IN Socona division.... 5o4
On duty daily fve
Average amount OF mall mater distributed daily
by each cIerk-Letters.. 4, 70.
Papers. ...... ................. 1881
An average Of one error discovered Ia evory zoo
letters handled.
Number Of local agents lat depos) for transfer OF
mails to different lines ~
Number of letters distributed. ..... ISl, 1922, 08
Number OF papers distributed. llO l99, 40
Increase Of letters IRON ls77......... los, ,yl5 6S
Increase Of papers from lS57.......... 65 o53. vs.
Registered packages handled 1875. ........ LOCO, 40
Registered packages handled 1S77.... ..... 800, All
Promotions on merit during 1S7S... o.
CASE EXAMINATIONS.
Cards handled during year.... 543 Gs