Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-19
The MALI Catcher.

When 1 saw the express train steam
ing over the track at the rate of fifty
miles an hour, it would have been very
hard for me to believe it had caught up
and taken due possession of the mail
bag without even " slowing up" had {
not long since been convinced that it
was neither safe nor sensible to be in
credulous with regard to the advances
of science. 1t seemed impossible, but
likewise have many other things fully
proved, so I donned my hat and walked
over to the railroad station.
"Do you mean to say,"I asked the
station-master, "that my letter de-
posted in the post-ofice half an hour
ago, has gone in that train?"
81 do" replied the station-master,
smilingly but firmly.
"Then please show me the lamp of
Aladdin"
"We do not resort to magic" re-
turned MI. Oldham. "I am the slave
of the ring myself, and merely carry the
mailbag to the post you see yonder be-
side those steps. After the mailbag"
he continued obligingly, sis locked, {
strap it around the center, so that it re-
sembles an hour-glass. Ascending the
steps, l pull that hinged beam which
now lies parallel with The upper part of
the post over the top of the post, so as
to be at right angles with the track. On
the movable iron arm attached to it I
hang the reversed bag by the heavy iron
ring secured to the bottom of the bag.
I then adjust the lower arm to meet the
iron ring fastened to the real top of the
bag. The bag will now, you UNDER
stand, be parallel with the train. In
order to keep it stretched $ taut,' l tie it
to the lower arm by a slender cord
which is snapped when the bag is
caught; and as it is svhirled away,
presto, the lower arm falls back beside
the post, and the hinged beam returns
to the first position.
Thanking Mr.. Oldham for his expla-
nation, l resolved to be on the spot the
next time the express was due, see the
mail caught up, and then tell my young
friends all about it. I carried my reso-
luton into effect as far az being present
was concerned. The train came,
whisked by me, and took the mailbag
with it, but how? I rubbed my eyes in
vain. The motion had been so instan-
taneous that 1 failed to gain an idea
which l could reproduce. l therefore
applied to the postal agent, requesting
the privilege of a better insight into the
working Of this, wonderful invention for
saving time. MI. Applegit kindly ac-
coded to my request, SO at the distance
of nine miles from the point where my
investigation began, I,stood on the
platform of a station where the ex-
press regularly condescends to make
u "stop." My attention was called
to two iron rods and a heavy iron lever
folded closely back against the outside
Of the postal car. The gentleman within
pulled and firmly held down the lever,
causing the "elbow" rod, which is
tapering and hooked, to Immediately
project outward. This rod was so ex-
actly adjusted to the mailbag waiting
for it on q post four miles away, and to
the bags on all the other posts before
the train should make another "stop"f
and receive its mail from human hands,.
that it caught them by the middle and
held them securely until Mr.. AppIegit
removed them into the postal-car.
That was all! The continuance is
very simple, and the wonder lies il the
conception that such a thing could be-
done while a train is moving at full
speed. The thought originated, I ~m
informed, in the busy brain of a lad of
fourteen years.-N. Y. Examiner.