Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-11
THE PEOPLES SERVANT.
rHs RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
4 fe~ Facts Relative 10 ats Early f4ls-
tory, Growth and Present Magni-
tuoe Something OF the 6m-
pioyes and heir Duties.
an A. o. E,@a


labors aud duties Of postal elork IL Mest-
efn Michigan which only similar 20
those la any other region Of like population
aud railway fecIillses-suppose Nc accom-
pany one OF them on a round trip, choosing
for example, the route between Grand Rapids
and MackinaW City, over the Grand Rapids
81 Indiana Road At the post offoe. soon
after a. H.. Ne 9nd the clerk Who is 10 take
the nln, reeaphng for his registered mail
aud recording the hour and minute Of his
departure. By 7 O'eiOck, OF before, Ne md
him Ia his car al the UuiOn Depot. clad IL
working suit and busily engaged IN distrlb-
uung mail which came IA by the preceding
night and early morning trains, numbering
from ten 70 thirty sacks of papers and sever
al pouches OF letters. HE train doesn't leave
till 1925, 10 be sure. bat the only way for
him 10 work of his mail. and avoid carry
ing some of II past IL destination, j. 10 som-
lnence thus early. glance al the map die
closes the fact that the Northern Division OF
the G.. X. 4 l. road, 221 miles IN length. l.
the main artery of supply for the north
western portion Of the Lower Peninsula; and
this accounts for the large amount Of mail on
has an assistant IA the persOg of the local
transfer clerk. They are al work ia ii well
lighted apartment. embracing nearly half a
car. which j. provided with "A letter case Of
2i2 pigeon holes. thIrty-sIG newspaper boxes,
"A rack IN which about thirty sacks and
pouches are hnng, and into which mail l.
being thrown. in addition 10 the paper
boxes. and ample table room for emptying
and asserting mail. They manage 10 die
pose of the mail on hand, or most Of II, by
$40, AT which time the night tram from Gin
cinnati arrives over the G.. X. a l., bringing
express male from that city and numerous
intermediate points. a. well as from tie
New York and Chicago X. L. o., which comes
from the connections at Siurgis and Ken
dallville. Soon after ten a further install
ment comes from the city office, and another
from the g. X. a. ELK X. Il. o.. just IA. and
the neccs siiy for tins line haginga helper,
as II does, becomes apparent: for, ia spite of
diligent aud lively effort, there If consider
able unworked mail on hand when the tram
moves out, at 1925 a. m. The tram which
eft Mackinaw the preceding night arrives
Just before he leaves and from II he receives
q pouch containing mail for points north,
mostly beyond Cadillac. At the ID. 81.
junction he'receIyes pouch from the mail
train which has just gone eastward over the
ID. * NJ. As each postOifice Is passed.
pouch of mail Is put off and one taken on.
tributed before the next office Il reached.
and as some of the stations are only two or
three miles apart, his work j. lively. par
ticularly when one or more registered letters
are received and have 10 be recorded. Some
of the postofi ces are al flag stations, where
this tram don't stop, and at such the exchange
is made by the aid Of catcher The
pouch to be taken on l. suspended on
crane. and Is gathered in AS the train
passes 10y means of n device on the side Of
the car, which Is operated 10y pulling down
a handle or lever IN the door way at the
desired moment. We observe that he must
not only have his mail for catch-statlOn
offices ready TO be put of. but that he must
be at the door at the night time, else he fails
10 secure the pouch from the pOstOffice. IN
this way mails are exchanged when the train
is moving at full speed, and We learn that
there are nineteen catch mail stations be
tween Grand Rapids and Mackinaw. Dur
ing Summer, when the day mail train runs
on faster schedule time, the number Is in
creased to twenty-six. At Howard City he
puts of a pouch for the Det. 4 How. City
X. II. o., and receives from that
line large amount of mail
from Detroit and intermediate points.
as well as an installment from New York and
the New England States. This latter comes
from Buffalo. via the Canada Southern, IN
stead of being sent round by the lines on the
south side of Lake Erie, and thus gains con
siderable time. The mail received at How
ard City makes exceedingly lively work. for
II Is important that II be distributed ia time
for the east and west connections on the =.
x p NJ. Road at Reed City, only - miles
distant. At Big Rapids the 10 al mail re-
ceived IL of no small consequence and with
il comes a quantity from the Biz Rapids and
Holland X. Il. O. Az Paris Ne meet the
south bound day mail train. and the clerks
exchange pouches containing any mail they
may have on band for points IN the direction
opposite that IN which they are moving. At
Reed City pouches and sacks are put of for
both east aud west on the +. A y. NJ. aud
mails Hre received from both directions. Al
Walton Junction. the mail for Traverse City.
embracing a pouch and several sacks Of pa
pers. and a pouch for each OF the four inter
mediate Offices on the branch road. are for
warded by The Traverse City train: and mails
from Traverse City and Kingsley are re
ceived Al tins point.
After passing Cadillac. IL j. observed that
mail for an points east. south and west. D.
being received from way Offices Tins the
clerk 10 charge makes az much r. though
the train were moving sOUthvaf1. and Cd
arrival at Mackinaw City u is sent down by
the night tram. leaving - 1910 4. N. II is
addressed % the CaGiilsc and p Wayne
clerk. Who receives IL at G:l5 next morning.
and distributes and delivers n AZ be c0Tnes
southward. arriving At Grand Rapids ~ ln.1s
a. m At Msucelons. boBnd noTfhvsrd. a
rnade-up mail is put 81 for Beiiairas af
Bosne Falls one goes off for Boyne City, and
az pefoskey like mails for fharievoir an3
Harbor SPRING. All tbese are IT. addition
- tlse regular maiis FOR station 0ffice-- On
reaching Mackinav City. iu addition - the
pouches for the terminal Office. rnsde-up
mails are fuf oF for II. Ignace. Marquette.
Mar City and Det n. = o.. ard the night
express south already uIenis0fst Macsiusv
is reached At 3.I0 =. RI. The clerk goes -
the post Office. quarter ~ p mhs from the
deTof takes recelpf for hls registered mail
ard records his ARRIVAL. arld ffrs. aftef usarly
fifteen eorsecutive hsours - hard lai,9r. his
aay vrrk ts done. Although fhe distance
from Grand Rapids 70 HRckinaz j. oHly 20
mfIss TIE uesrig fo1r heufs work done be-
fore leavIre Grand Bagisis - frsiy - Fs -
an additional HUNDRED. naki1z N fsE - ~
vaie1t e. ovnr - nilst.
At half psrt : = clock nett morning 20
fnd hifa ~ tbe Ere; offce reesffls1 az fof fis
registered - 4Yid reos-6 iHx ~ deTsrtrrs
fsr fh,e septfga-e rsn o. tne srstr iFavrnf Fl
n A. Narff-~1 GltF. ano sN Fo5uts
ufere - rnf ~ uIe8e- ur r1ei. tae dsf -
fare he reeelFes po1cte- IN ret1rr 81 ersr
tanning rslI from toe gtfre- ani 1use Tf
t1~ning teen Ehe ~ ~ raed is taa
frirrIrel rrtlf- fof sI fhaf uoTtt eruf f~t