The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
THE STREET LETTER BOXES.
How They Are Robbed - New Reccp-
facles q Proxrided Saaxa.

WASHINGTON CITY, Nov 2L-[Special. Rob
berry from street letter boxes for which crime a
formidable gang was jailed last week, ID an evil
which occasions the postofiee department in
creasing annoyance. The percentage of mail lost
in this manner seems to grow steadily. There are
several ways of accomplishing such thefts. When
q receptacle OF the old style is full letters can
be pulled out with the fingers. Another method,
often practiced by expert operators, is to drop
in thin piece of sole leather which has been
rubbed literally with wax. string is attached
to the leather, and by this means il is extracted
with one or more envelopes adhering to it In
point of effectiveness this plan is inferior to the
simple plan of saving off the paddock Having
secured the latter it is easy enough to make a
key from il that will open all the boxes in the
city. The only trouble is that the operation is
sure to excite remark.
"There is nothing that can prevent a man
from opening letter box if he has a mind to-"
said superintendent Pollock, who directs the
entire delivery system of the country, yester-
day. ale can take ak snd smash il, if he
thinks OF no easier way, or he can bride a car
rier and get an impression OF the key. There
are 1900 carriers in the United states, and il
canuo. be expected that all OF them are incor-
ruptible. But, for that matter, il is entirely inn
possible 10 make the locks safe. II is not prac-
tcable to put burgiar-proof lock on every
letter box. Locks for the purpose have been
offered US which cost as much SIS So each, Blu.
we find that Accent locks serve the purpose
equally well. In fact. We gave UP costly locks
long ago. Tho only protection to De relied upon
exists in the sacredness that attaches, in the
view of the people AT large, to receptacle
fastened by government authority, to disturb
which is q felony In law
still another method frequently practiced for
robbing mail boxes is by the personation of car
riers. Thieves go about openly in the day time
in postmen's uniform AID collect the letters,
having duplicate keys. According to the pres
ent system this is very easily done For ex-
ample, IN New York city there are ll65 letter
carriers. They d. not even know each other
and it is a ready explanation for counterfeit TO
ssy to an inqulriug citizen that he is a Sub
stitute" But all this is to be remedied before
long by the appointment in every big town of
postal patrolmeu, each of whom will have COM
mHnd OF squad and be constantly occupied in
pst7ollnS the district wherein mis- men are col
Letting ans distributing. he will know them
al, OF course. and the opportunities of thieves
VIII De considerably lesSened.
1t may seem strange that the KEYS of all the
mai boxes are made exactly alike, so that one
Key Will open them all; but, Of course. the rea-
son ls mat p0stman can hardly carry about
with him loo or more different KEYS. letter
carriers Key is Il very sacred object, however
The loss OF Il Is regarded very seriOu, affair
ana usually the uniucky man is deprived of his
employment as a penalty.
Before long letter boxes OF very improved
patterns are 70 take the places OF those now in
surprising sort OF contract, which cOmpels Uncle
sam 10 purchase Tor the present certain pat
tern anu none other Although there are other
STYLES lar preferable In every way, the postonice
department IS not permitted TO buy them Mean
wAite inventors ali over the country are con-
SANITY Offering devices OF their own. under the
Impression that there is no obstacle to their sc-
csptance II they are found available Ths con-
tract referred 70 runs out June -, 1898, and not
untll then will II be possible TO introduce any
thing better
Within six weeks there has been offered TO ths
department 4 street mail box which is eonsid-
cred the most perfect apparatus Tor the purpose
ever produced. IL works with time lock. and
an automatic arrangement always shows the
hour Tor the next collection. When a letter ia
dropped, IL passing down 10 the reeeptarle be-
Meath, IL receives stamp indicating precisely
the moment a. which il was posted. This stamp
IS printed on tlle envelope IN the share of q al
Ike watch-tace, with hands pointing to the
hour and minute. Beneath il marked The wear
tGe month and the day. All this is done with
out any human Intervention. save 10 wind IN
the mechanism once in twenty-four hours
Thus each misSlys posted tells accurately
how long IL took 10 arrive at tina
postofice, The box Is made of pressed
steel, and 70 open il would require q cold ehisel
and a Kit OF burglars tools. In the delivery d.
vision the ume-registering apparatus has
already been adopted FOR recording the punetu-
Atty or otherwise of clerks Each eInplove
when he arrives, touches the instrument takes
OCT the marked blank with the dial and date on