Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26
MENDINa MAI. SACKS.
How Uncle Same Mail Bags ART Repaircd-
100000 Locks Renewed.


100000 Locks Renewed.
nNoE IN EIGHT YEARS ALL THE LOCKS
on Quilted States mail bags mus. be
changed. II not oftener This is because after
awhile good many lost keys get around, and
they are not very safe 70 have 30 distributed.
Just now the equipment division Of the Post
omee Department 10 making over 10000 old
LOCKS merely for the purpose OF rendering
'ae" oinerene They were very good in their
day, and are so still In other respects.
At first 1t was suggested that all these 90. 600
locks should be thrown away. The junk men
we're asked how much they would give for them,
and they said 2ocents ahundred pounds. This
did not seem large, inasmuoh as the post Office
had originally paid 81 cents apiece for the locks.
Therefore IL was concluded TO make them over
again, and this is being done now at the repair
shop on street. at cost OF Ga cents per lock.
1t is very pretty sight to see the workmen cut
the old eontrivances apart, polish them up on
rapidly revolving grindstones, which give out
showers OF sparks, reorganiEing the tumblers
and putting together the pieces into as good
shape as the new lamps which the magician in
the story Of Aladdin exchanged for old ones
MAIL BAGS.
These locks, as has been said, are 10 secure
mail bags, but even more interesting are the
mail bags themselves and their histories Nat
uraliy. in the course Of human events, these re-
ceptacles wear out now and then. This being
regarded as inevitable, in former times they
we're turned over promptly to the junk men.
NOW, however, il IL all very different. Accord
ing TO the regulations, as fast as the bags show
symptoms OF wearing out they are Forwarded
70 Washington from all owe. the United States.
linus one hnds In the equipment shop on
stacks OF mail sacks in nil stages of use decay,
ana, one might almost say, OF decomposition.
Upon arrival they are conveyed by a big
elevator TO the third floor, where ITO women SIT
sewing with coarse thread. The bags are made
OF lute. Some of the women wear dunce-caps
OF brown paper on their heads. and all are busy
as SO many bees. They are all sewing upon
man sacks, and whenever enc has finished her
task she holds up her hand. At once the fore
man In charge goes TO her, takes the bag she
mas nnished and lays il ona pile In exchange.
ne gives her another. which he takes from a
stack near by. The sacks in the latter pile are
IN all stages OF diispidation, and the rule is
that each worker must take the one that ID on
Top. wooden partition shuts off the women
rom sight OF the pile, because some complained
~. ~nhe ago that 1t was possible for others to
see when there were good sacks on top. and SO
escape bad ones. 1t is like the ystem Of takes
In newspaper office.
WHERE LEATHHR BAos ARR NrSprp.
Thus far only the jute bags have been spoken
OF. But there is another room In which the
leather mail pouches are mendsd, twenty-five
Workmen being employed for the purpose This
system has grown up within the last four years.
80 short q time ago only eight women and three
leather workers were employed 10 do the work
But u was believed that great economy would
result from devoting attention 10 the mending
OF old sacks. and this has proved SO far true
that many thousand fewer bags are made an
nuaily now than were required in 1887, although
the post office business has increased one-uuar-
ter since then. The bags are manufactured in
New York state.
READY FOE Use AGAIN.
When the mending Of each bag is finished il
is inspected by man who is the only person
In the United States with whom the decision
lies as to when a mail sack is worn out and shall
be used no longer. Condemned ones are all
utilized In one fashion or another The best
parts Of them are used for the bottoms OF sacks
that have to be repaired. while other portions
serve for patches, the ragged bits being slashed
on with sharp knives Such rags go 70 the
junk shop. After each sack has been repaired
it is taken to room where piece of rope for
drawing Its mouth together is strung through
it by blind woman. Another room is devoted
to the making Of coin sacks, in which postmas-
tiers send money.