Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-29
The Special Messenger Service.

The Special Messenger Service.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR PUTTING 1T INTO EFFECT
IN THIS CITY-THE MESSENGERS To WORK
ON SUNDAYS.
The special messenger service will go into
effect in this city, well the other cities of
the country, Thursday. Postmaster Conger
has arranged room In the basement on the c
street side OF the city post Office building for
the use OF the corps of messengers. A shute has
been arranged connecting this room with the
city delivery division on the main floor. Letters
for special delivery will be dispatched down
this shute and delivered to the boys by a clerk
cupy little space rallied off from the rest OF the
room. The boys will sit around on benches,
IKE boys in school. Mr.; Bell, superintendent
branch of the service also.
POSTMASTER Conger says he has no idea yet
He as
oftwenty-hve boys to begin the service. The
selections were based upon the results of the
that examination below 20, and applicants
who have since appeared have been notified to
report at the rooms of the civil service COM
nation will furnish q "list of ELI
gibles" nom which the service will be
will be similar to the one recently held, the
questions being devised with q view of testing
the applicants knowledge of streets and loca-
tons In the city. The messengers, when APP
pointed, are required to furnish each bond of
$500 The law prescribes that no messengers
shall receive more than $50 month. Whether
the messengers will be enabled to earn that
much depends upon the extent to which the
service Is patronized by the public.
pressed upon the public mind" said Postmaster
Conger to-day, "and that is that the ten cent
delivery stamp does not pay the postage of a
only ten cent delivery stamp must be treated
at this office as q letter upon which no postage
has been paid. Persons mailing letters for
4nQGtAl dRIiVlrv a v q Ia
two cent stamp in addition to the special de-
Livery stamp. Another thing. ten cents in
regular special delivery stamp will not insure
special delivery"
The special delivery stamps have been placed
and also at the branch offices, at the sub-sta-
tiOns, and at the twenty-five stamp agencies in
the city: Already calls have been made for
them. The stamps are very handsome. On one
side is an engraved representation of a messen-
ger boy on a run, and in the center is the in
scription, special postal delivery secures imme.
dtate delivery at a special delivery office"
POstmasters have been somewhat perpleXed
as to the arrangement OF the service. as they
have been left largely to their own dey ices. the
department furnishing only instructions of the
most general character. One point upon which
there has been confusion OF ideas, is as to
whether the messengers should be employed on
Sundays. 1t is thought the service would be
especially useful Sundays, as on that day the
regular carrier delivery service in most cities
Is either cut of altogether or reduced. The Post
master General has, however, decided to order
the special service for Sunday. A circular con-
tanning this order, and other instructions to
postmasters respecting this service, was being
prepared at the Post Office department to-day.
AS the law directs that the service shall con-
tinue through II hours of each day--from 7
ain. to y midnight-the messenger boys at the
city post Office will be divided into sections one
working during the first half of the II hours
and the other during the latter half The
assignments will be made to each messenger,
the postmaster says, in such manner as to make
their compensation at the end Of the month as
nearly equal as possible.