St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-04
SAINT PAUL.
EVERY HALF HOUR.
Inauguration of the Interurban
Mail Service Between the Twins


The interurban postal route. for letters
only was successfully inaugurated yester-
day under the immediate supervision of Nor
man Perkins, superintendent Of the railway
mail service of the tenth division. Postmas
ter Lee, las well as the other officials in Mime
apolis and St. Paul, looks upon the venture
with satisfaction, to say nothing Of the
pleasure it will afford denizens of the Twin
Cities to be able to communicate with their
cousins and aunts in less time than 1t re
quires to communicate with friends In CHI
cago.
The first letter box containing package of
letters for the Flour City was placed on
car at the St. Paul postoffice about a. M.
and small United States flag was stuck IN
the holder attached to the top of the car. ID.
S. Sperry, of Brown, Treacy & Co., was the
first non official man to drop letter through
the slot. The bright, new yellow car, with
its new box of the same color and starchy
new flag of forty-tour stars floating to the
breeze, moved off down Fifth street
like an animated being, whilst hundreds
of beaming eyes streamed after 1t with look
that seemed to say Bon voyage: Quite an
interested crowd watched the favored cars
which in turn, every half hour, were decked
out with new box and flag Eariy IN inc
forenoon the first car had made the round
trip from Minneapolis, and brought Win IL
package of letters tied into bundle, ana also
few letters that had been dropped IN the
box en- route. The time from Minneapolis to
the ST. Paul postoffice is made in about forty
five minutes. and, as it is the intention to
have the mail cars leave the ST. Paul Office at
the full hour and the even half, the box was
taken off the first car and placed upon an
other departing at the schedule time.
The placing of the boxes and flags was
supervised by Capt Hardacre, super1ntend-
ent of carriers, assisted by one of the st. Paul
carriers, who removed the mail and placed
in the box the letters at the st. Paul othce
destined for Minneapolis This method OF
placing boxes continued until 4:30, when no
more boxes were sent out, and the gathering
of the boxes from the cars began as they
came in from Minneapolis
1t will, after yesterday, require Dut one
man to attend the cars at st. Paul, whilst at
Minneapolis it will require two mail agents.
owing 10 the distance of the car line from
the postotfice.
Vice President Goodrich Is endeavorlng to
perfect this system of running cars so that
definite schedule may be prepared. For the
present. persons desiring TO deposit letters IN
the boxes along the route will watch Tor
these cars carrying the flag. The boxes are
placed at the entrance of the forward car
and the flag is carried over the forward end
of the car on the same side as the box.
Superintendent Perkins states that MS
next move will be to have box placed upon
each car, which will give a mail for letters
between the two cities every eight minutes.
For the present mails will be dispatched
and received every hall hour between the
hours of a. m. and 4:30 p. M, except that
on Sundays and holidays no mail boxes Will
be carried on any of the cars.