Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-27
THE RAILWAY posToFFlcs CAR.
Tho Discovery of TAis Method Of Di
tributing the Mails.


Tho Discovery of T.,is Method Of Dis
tributing tho Mails.
The doom of the old time distributing
Office was sealed0with the advent Of the
railway postoflce car. The discovery OF
this method of distributing and Fastening
the mails was made July, 1862, by Will
lam II. Davis, of St. Joseph, No., On en-
ploye of the postoffice in that city. In
that month he operated the first post
Office car ever placed on wheels in this
country, on the Hannibal and St. Joseph
railroad. The plan proved 10 be SO eIni-
nently successful that it speedily came
into general use, and worked a revolution
in the railway mail service Before the
day of the railway postoffice letters crept
as snails, and since its advent they fly as
on the wings Of steam. Under this sys-
tenn there is never a pause IN the onward
flight of the mails until the offices of des-
tination are reached. Through letters,
like restless footballs, are tossed from ore
flying postofice car to another until tho
end of the route Is reached, or they arc
consigned to the slower movements Of
stage coaches or pony expresses. Way
mail is snatched up by the flying post
Office cars, and is as unceremoniously
dropped again when the Office Of destina-
ton glimmers past.
The postal clerk is a genius who must
necessarily understand the name and
locality Of every artery, vein, tissue and
fiber in the entire postal system. When
he takes up letter addressed to remote
Office, he must at glance understand the
various lines of travel over which it is to
pass, and it is his duty to send it by the
most expeditions route. The postal clerk
Is required to commit to memory the
names of all the offices contained in the
various states included in his division.
The average number Of offices so COM
mitted is about 5000 for the entire sys-
TEN. Perhaps the most difficult duty
known to the postal clerk is that Of distri-
buting the mails for the larger cities. It
is a very difficult task to remember the
scheme of New York city, yet the postal
clerk is required to distribute all New
York mail by stations, streets, numbers
and boxes. Fifth Avenue hotel mail IS
thrown into its proper box at Station
E." The Grand Central gets its let
tiers at ''Station A." So of all firms, in
situations and leading individuals. The
various carrier routes are made up in the
same manner. A letter addressed to No.
145 Washington street would be placed in
q package for Carrier No. 10" The
Times building mail is carried by mo.
&c." The Tribune by ''No. So"
The postal clerk must know the various
mail routes as Familiarity as he does the
faces of his best friends. His car, with
its tier over tier Of pigeon holes, and its
ranks Of yawning mail bags, is to him no
labyrinth of mysteries. His eyes are in
his fingers, and the skillful musicians
touch is not more accurate than the aim
of this wizard of the mail car. The de-
partment rules are eXacting, and if an
occasional error results from the hurried
manner in which the mail is thrown, in
course OF distribution, it is sure TO be de-
tected by the next clerk into whose hands
the stray piece OF mail falls, and report
of it Is at once sent to the division super
intendent to be charged against the clerk
making the error. During the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1885, the number of
letters and other pieces of mail matter
distributed was $3.50, 621 ,475. The num-
Der of errors made in handling this vast
quantity of matter was only ], 2G0, 443
The number of pieces handled for each
error committed were 4, 22S, thus making
the percentage Of correct distribution
99.98. All employees are required to at
test their skill by frequent examinations,
and for this purpose much of the leisure
time of each is devoted to studying the
mail schemes of the various states attach
ing to the division in which he is en-
ployed-John NJ. Bishop in Magazine Of
American History.