The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-01
THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
An Interesting Description of the PostOfiice
on Wheels.

Wheels.
Colonel T. P. Cheney, in Bay State Monthly.
IL 1911 there were :, 1904 postofices, and dur
ing the year the mail was carried 46 $50 miles in
stages and 81 Ill miles in sulkes and on horse
back. In 1888 the railway mail service began
with 1913 miles of railroad throughout the
country. In 1916 mails were carried over 1902
miles of railway, which increased in 1882 to l0O-
563 miles. The miles of annual transportation
of mail by railroad in 1892 amounted to Ii u.s.
76S, which increased to 49, 995 3l8 in 1882, with
an increase in the number Of railway mail serv-
ice employees from forty-three in 1916 to 3,012 in
1882.
The machinery of the Postoffce Department
is a system of cog fitting wheels in all its com
ponent parts; and were it not So in the neces-
sarily limited period and space allotted the
work in postal-cars could not be successfully
accomplished. The interior dimensions of
postal-cars vary from whole cars sixty feet in
length to apartments five feet five inches in
length by two feet six inches in width. The
most comprehensive conception of the prac-
teal working of the postal-car system can be
found in railway postoffice car from forty to
sixty feet long 1t is in charge of four clerks
one of whom has charge and makes the "trip
report" in which is noted connections missed
and other irregularities that may occur. The
interior of the ear is fitted up with carefully
studied economy of space Occupying one end
of the car are cases of pigeon-holes or boxes
numbering from GOO to 1000 arranged in the
shape of horseshoe, for the distribution of let
UelS. lneSe BOXES are lttDleO WIN the names Oh
the postoffices on the line of road, connecting
lines, States, and prominent cities and towns
throughout the country. A long, narrow aisle
passes through the centerof the car, on both sides
Of which are racks for open sacks and pouches
into which packages of letters and pieces of
other mail matter thrown; on the sides
above are rows of suspended pouches with the
mouths open. By this plan upward of 200 diff
ferent pouches and sacks can be distributed into
between the termini. On one side of the aisle
is a narrow counter upon which the mail matter
is emptied from the pouches and sacks. This is
hinged to the pouch-rack, and can be swung
back to enable the clerks to get at the pouches
more easily. The space beyond, divided by
stancheOns, is for the storage of mails and for
their separation into piles. The lights in the
car are kept burning from the start to the finish
in order not to lose time in tunnels and dark
stations.
The work in the car begins sometimes several
hours before the starting of the train. Trans
fer clerks and porters deliver the pouches and
sacks into the car the label of each being
scanned and checked by the clerks to detect if
all connections due are received, and that no
mail may be delayed by being carried out on
the road with the other mail and returned. The
two clerks to whom is assigned the duty of dis
tributing direct packages of letters and news
paper mail, including merchandise, empty the
pouches, out of which pour packages of letters
and circulars to be distributed unhrOken into
pouches and others labeled to this route and
different States, which are in turn to be sepa-
towns to the letter case To the clerk in charge
is assigned the sorting of such letters as are des
tined to distant routes terminal connecting
lines. and his associate or second clerk is busy
distributing letter mail for local delivery and
into separations for intermediate connections
In addition to sorting letters the clerk in charge
has the registered mail, which requires special
care in its reception and delivery, booking, and
receipting therefor. Large pouches Of regis
tered mail are also placed in his charge en- tran
sit between large cities, and represent great
value.
The peculiar footing Of a whistle, or the pecu-
liar movement of the train around the curve
warns the fourth clerk of ''catch' station; the
letter mail for that postofce is deposited by the
local clerk in the pouch the lock is snapped, the
pouch is thrown out at a designated spot and
one is deftly caught without Stacking of the
speed of the train. The contents of the pouch
thus caught are quickly distributed, and the
work goes on. When the stations at which
pouches are caught are within mile or two of
each other the greatest activity is needed to as
sort the mail between stations
The manner of catching the mail from the
track-side is as follows: A crane is erected near
the track, having two arms, between which the
pouch is suspended lightly, being held in such
way as to be easily caught by an iron rod
with bar across the door of the car The de-
tails of the work in the care are many
and various, and the position of the clerk is no
sinecure. There are a number of lines in the
far West where the clerks do not leave the car
for number of days. Throughout the country
the total number of pieces of ordinary mail
handled by 1855 railway postal clerks on the
amounted to 3 1881. SIG $780, the number of errors
made in the distribution 958. AIS pieces, or
percentage of correct distribution of 99.97.