Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26
OUR RAILWAY MAIL.
Wonderful Efficiency in the Distribu-
ton of Our Mail While
in Transit.
Present Condition Discussed,
with Suggestions as TO How it
Can be Improved.
Stories of Old Stage Coach Days
and how Mail Service
has Grown.

One or the most interesting branches OF
the government service is the railway
mail, and as interesting talker as you
will find in the postoffice department is
Mr.. J. Lowrie Bell, the second assistant
postmaster general, who was not long ago
general superintendent of it. He is thor
oughly informed on all matters relating to
cur postal system, and when asked as to
the service recently, he replied:
1.-The story of the growth and prosperity
of postal service Of the United States is
the most wondrous in our history. In
1890 there were only seventy five postofices
in the country, and our entire postal reven-
ne was only $4,000. Now We have sixty
three thousand postofhces, and our postal
receipts are five to six times as much every
day as they were in 1870 for the whole
year The year 1888 is not so far back,
but there are many persons now living
who remember it, In that New York
newspaper complained because news by
mail from Washington was a week old,
when it should have gotten through in four
days. | can show you contract dated
about this time, for transporting the
mails between Philadel phia and Pittsburgh
In four-horse post coaches. The contract
ors were to run two lines a day, one to go
through in little more than two days,
and the other in three and half days.
The first was the through letter line and
was the fast mail of that day. The
slower one was called the way mail, car
rying newspapers and letters for the small
offices. These old contracts contained a
clause STIMULATING that on lines where
mails had grown heavy, they should be
carried in coaches, constructed under the
directions of the postofhce Department.
exclusively for the mails, Except an out
side seat for the accommodation of three
passengers. From this it will be seen
that in building and running railway cars
exclusively for the mails, in these later
days, the department las only followed
out the policy that was deemed necessary
in stage coach times.
at was considered a great stride for
ward when a contract was made for an
express mail between New York and Phil
adelphia in six hours. At that time an
express did not mean railway train, but
a fast horseback service. The distance
between those cities is ninety miles and a
speed of fifteen miles an hour was requir-
ed. This was attained by running the
horses under whip and spur and changing
them every five miles. 1t took two horses
each way to carry the mail and there were
eighteen changes or relays, SO that seven
ty-two horses were necessary, and re-
serve from which to supply the places of
those disabled. The amount paid for this
extraordinary service was one dollar for
each mile run by each horse. To give you
an idea of what the rca6s were in those
days, let me read you ashort extract which
! happen to have at hand from Charles
Dickens American Notes. Describing a
ride in stage coach when he was in the
country IN 1912, hesays:
The great portion of the way was over
what is called the corduroy road, which is
made by throwing trunks of trees into a
RhSers9ee a sd1 igfhf Of fhe jolts with which
the ponderous carriage fell from log to log
was enough it seemed to have dislocated
all the bones in the human body.
1t would be impossible to experience sim
liar set of sensations in any other circum-
stances, unless perhaps in attempting
to go up to the top of St. Paul's in an
omnibus.
"a report explaining delay in the trans
mission of the mails between New York
and Philadelphia, states that the post
coaches were drawn for miles upon the
axetrees, SO deep were the roads Itwas
with such difficulties as these that the
postofiice department had to contend in the
early days
"When die the transportation of mails
by railway begin?"
along in the early sos few short
railroads were built and Immediate adj
vantage was taken of them to expedite the
mail service. 1t was many years before
there was a continuous line of any consld-
cradle length In 1885 a Washington
newspaper hazarded the prediction that the
day was not distant when travellers ieav-
ing that city in the morning would dine
In Philadelphia and arrive in New York
the same evening. The distance between
these two cities is now made by fast trains
In FIVE hours. It is bewildering to think
of the progress that has been made in the
postal service during the last fifty years.
The mails are now carried upon 150, 900
miles of railroad in the United States.
Postal clerks are employed upon 1900
miles.
"When was the railroad postal clerk
system established?"
cit began during the late war, about
1862. Years before that the department
had recommended to congress the adop-
ton of system by which a distribution
of mail matter might be made while en-
route. BY this old way all the mails were
carried in closed pouches to fixed points
designed as distributing officers. At each
of these the matter was assorted and
the mails made up for the officers
within its district. You can readily see
that this plan was hours and days slower
than the distribution by the postal clerks
between stations on the swiftly flying
trains. Congress ventured to authorize
d trial and the system was successful from
the very outset. It's advantages in quick
eniug mail communication were so APP
parent that the system has rapidly extend
ed. Its growth has been marvellous,
have given you. BY 1867 eighteen rail
with 100 clerks. In 1890 more than 5000
in the discharge of their duties. they
travelled an aggregate Of 126000,000
miles. The number of pieces of mail mat
ter handled by them during that time was
about seven thousand Millions
''Do not the clerks make a good many
mistakes in distribution?"
Not nearly as many as you would think
to see them work. Our men become, by
intelligent application and practice,
wonderfully expert They do their work
at al hours of the day and night, while
whirling along at from thirty to fifty mile
an hour. Rapidly and correctness are
equally essential. If postal clerk gets
behind. it is almost impossible for him to
catch up. He must distribute the mail as
they are picked up on the way, and make
up those which are to be dropped off
= 4.