Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26

DO not the clerks have trouble with
defective and illegible adddresses?''
PLENTY of it, just as everybody does
who handles mail matter. A postal clerk
on railway train up to his ears in work,
cannot spend much time in deciphering
an illegible superscription. If he cannot
read it at a glance. ne must lay it aside.
The boys call these 'nexies.' They found
upward of four millions of them last year.
They have experts at these Offices who
succeed In making the proper disposition
of about half of them. The other half
they send to the dead letter Office here in
Washington, which is the court of last re-
sort for them
Under what system of examination are
the clerk appointed?''
They have to go through the civil SER
vice mill. They are, however, examined
with special reference to their fitness for
the business. We do not care whether a
man can read Chaldee or knows anything
about the diferential calculus, but he must
understand the geography OF this
country and be quick to read writing.
These two things count much more in the
examination than any other. Ii man is
seriously deficient In them he is not likely
to make good postal clerk. But a GER
tiicate that he has passed a creditable ex-
animation does not make a man a postal
clerk. 1t simply means that he is quail
fed to learn to be one. We take him six
months on probation, as they do in The
Methodist church. At the end of that
time, if he has acquitted himself well, he
gets permanent appointment. II ne is
not quite up to the mark, but gives
promise Of success, we may extend his trial
term three months. Some men are slower
to learn than others, but are just as good
when they get there. From time to time,
as the law provides, the permanent
clerks are examined for promotion to
higher grades. Those who pass have their
pay increased. So you see there is a con-
slant incentive to reach the highest posi-.
bic proficiency.
These examinations consist chiefly OF
the actual distribution, as if they were
letters, of large number of cards which
bear the names of postofices. CELEBRITY
and correctness In doing this are the thing;
that count. The clerks are started at $500
a year. At present the maximum pay is
81, 400"
What provision is made for them in
case Of death Or disability by acci
dent?''
"Not as much, in my opinion, as there
ought to be. The duty of the postal CLERK
is not only arduous, but involves constant
danger to life or limb. There is no class
Of men in the government service who art
more earnest and diligent in their worl
or more deserving of consideration. The
law now permits US to continue on the pay
roll, for period not exceeding one veal
and to an amount not more than 81 900
clerk who is disabled while in the line
of duty. There is no provision in CASE
of death. The department has recon-
mended to congress a bill to pay ont
years salary to the widow, children o.
dependent relatives of one who is killed
This seems to be emiuently proper, ant
little enough for the government to do ii
such cases.
Last year there were AS casualties il
the railway mail service. Ten posta
clerks were killed, ninty-fve were serious
ly and forty slightly injured. The danger
to a postal clerk in case of accident il
greater than the ordinary passengers. Hi
car is near the front of the train an is gen
orally lnore likely to suffer disaster thar
the rear coaches. The record OF casualtie
each year is narrowing one. The posta
clerks often meet death or mutilation il
their most awful forms. Not long age
one of our very best men, Greenawald
was killed in that smash UP on the Read
ing. Not week passes without acci
dents to these faithful servants of tn,
people,
"A few yaa-,o ago the enanlovas of IL.
railway mail service organized mutua
| pUntnClal ASSOCIATION, which is in
flourishing condition. It is good thing
and we encourage the men to join it. it,
membership embraces about half in the
service. Each member pays dollar in
case of death. The sum paid being now
about $32,0OO."
This Is purely a voluntary matter anc
does not IN any manner lessen the obliga
ton which think rests upon the govern.
ment to make such provisions as has beer
suggested. We shall continue to urge
the matter upon congress and hope for g
favorable ISSUE"
What part of the time are the clerks
on duty9"
mot every day, of course. Their work
is wearing and they must have time fo1
rest. On the heavy lines each man has
from a quarter to third of his time fol-
rest and study. The postal clerk always
has something to learn; he never sees the
time when he can say he knows it all. On
the shorter routes, with lighter mails, the
work is not nearly so hard. The long
routes are divided into sections. For in
stance, between New York and Chicago,
one set of clerks run to Syracuse, another
to Cleveland and third from that point
to Chicago. Not more than ten or twelve
hours of continuous service can be asked
of a postal clerk. IF, as in some cases,
the exigencies of the service require this
to be extended to fifteen or more, proper
tionate time must be allowed for rest. 1t
is hard life at best, involving close APP
plication, absence from home and often
irregularlty In meals and hours for sleep.
| am proud to say that we have an ex-
cellent force, whose efficiency and faith
fulness are beyond praise"
''What of the future?"
''As Patrick Henry said, 4 have no wav
of judging the future but by the past
PROFESSIONALLY the railway mail service
will continue to grow, keeping pace with
the development of this country. In pro-
noting speedy communication it has con-
ferred upon the people benefit that can
not be measured. It is a fact that the
thousands of towns and villages get re-
latively more advantage from it than do
the large cities. Between the latter. the
mails go through direct; the great benefit
comes from the quick distribution of the
mails that are picked up along the route.
The railway mail service costs something,
but the government makes no expenditure
which pays better. Exchange.
SAUER-KRAUT.
Recommended by a German as a Remedy
for Nervous Dyspepsia.
A German physician, who has been ex.