The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-26
A NEW BOX FOR LETTERS.
It VIII Supersede the Present Attach
ment to Lamp Posts.

! ceived from the factory at New Britain,
Conn, SAMPLES Of three sizes OF the Dore-
mus letter box, which has recently, on the
recommendation of a commission, been
adopted to supersede the present style of
letter box Those now in use are par leu
| Larry Objectionable from the facility with
| which they can be robbed. An ordinarily
| expert thief. with the advantages of a dark
night and drowsy policeman in his favor,
can, with gummed stick, a piece Of wire,
or PAIR OF curved nippers, abstract enough
letters out OF a box In a short time TO be
reasonably certain of getting something
valuable out of the lot 1t is a dangerous
kind OF fishing, but sufficiently profitable
20 Keep certain grade of sneak thieves at
the business most of the time
Another objection to the old box is that
IL Is not weather-prOof. A driving rain will
dampen and frequently soak the contents
OF letter-box IN a very short time. This
Ioosens the stamps, and frequently renders
addresses difficult to decipher.
Many ingenious dev. ces have been in
vented TO overcome these difficulties, but
the large majority were either too expensive
or else impracticable. A letter-box must
not be complicated, SO as to render it diff
cult to operate, and must be absolutely
proof against getting out of order. The
box adopted by the department is quite
simple, yet carries out the main objects to
perfection.
The box has no visible opening, but at the
top and front are two knobs By pushing
down on either one hinged plate revolves
anu an opening much larger than in the
present style of letter box is exposed Cast
TO the movable plate is a tray, which, when
the slot is open, makes an upper and lower
compartment in the box. Letters previously
deposited are in the lower compartment.
and are absolutely cut off from the reach
OF any instrument applied through the slot
A letter or package inserted in the box rests
on the tray as long as the slot is open, but
as soon as the knob is released the tray. by
its own weight, falls like the trap in a scat
Iold, and the letter or package is secure
until the box is emptied by tue carrier.
An advantage of the new box is that
nothing can be inserted after it is filed, as
the hinged tray will not rise and the slot
cannot be opened. II is a matter of the
greatest ease to abstract mail from the
boxes now in use, when they are filed up
Hush with the opening In the new style #
boxes The mail already deposited is COW
cred while the slot is opened and protected
from snow or rain that might blow in dur
ing the operation of mailing a letter.
The new box will not be substituted for
those OF the old style now in use, but no
more of the old style will be put up. The
replacement will thus be gradual.
In the following places where the free
delivery has just been established, to take
effect Oct. l, the new boxes will be first in
PRODUCED:
Menominee, Mich; Albion, Mich.
Wa'au, Wis; Fostoria, O.; As pen, Col.
Flushing, N. Y; Kearney, Neb st Johns
bury, Vt; st. Cloud, Mimi. Medford.
Mass; Niagara Falls, N. Y: Mt. Vernon
n. Y; Lock Haven, Pa. Jamestown, N.
y; East Liverpool, O.; Corey, Pa; Bidde-
ford Me-. Oberlin, o., aud Madison, Ind.
Formerly only two sizes of letter boxes
were made. The new style embraces three
SIZES, the third size being as large as the
other two combined. A one-armed man
using the new box will be obliged to pull
down the knob with his only hand and ill
sert the letter with his teeth.
Nearly 100 different styles of letter boxes
We're submitted to the commission an
pointed to select an improved box. Some
OF them are wonderful, but are more
adapted for use as curios in dime museum
than for public use, where they would be
pulled and handled daily by scores of i'm
petuouS citizens. The original expense of
these highly ingenious boxes would preclude
the possibility of their general introduc-
ton, and mechanical expert would have
to be employed in eaca city keeping them
In order. A letter box, to meet require
ments, must be in working order twenty
four hours day and seven DAYS III the
week. 1t must stand ali but the most VIC
lent conditions.
some or these proposed boxes have a
clockwork arrangement which automatic
ally registers the time when it is emDtled
ana displays to public view the time when
the next collection takes place. One en-
braces the too familiar slot device which
upon the introduction OF two pennies. will
drop postage stamp, or for l cent will
yield postal card. All sorts Of checks on
carriers were submitted. One device con
sisted OF shell and receiving box inside
OF 1t, which could be taken out. The
mail deposited went into the detachable
compartment. This compartment, when
Withdrawn, Is self-locking, and only capa-
Die OF being unlocked by special kew
Kept at the postotfice. When the carrier
Wlthdraws box he substitutes another of
the same kind. Thus the man who COL
Iects the mail has no opportunity to ever
see 1T, let alone handle or abstract anv of il
This invention met with a great deal of
favor at the hands of the commission. and
might have been adopted had it NOT heen
for the objection. That is that by this
system 1t would be necessary to collect the
mail by horse and wagon. The self-Iocking
boxes are more or less bulky, and two sets
would be needed, Enough boxes would
have to be taken along on each collection
trip to supply the places of those COL
lected
The department is not ready to adont
anything so far in advance of the present
style that congress might hesitate to make
rhe necessary appropriations TO carry it
out.