The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-25

changes or relays, SO that seventy-two
horses were necessary, and a reserve from
which to supply the places of those dis
allied. The amount paid for this extraordi-
nary service was 81 for each mile run by
each horse. 10 give you an idea of what
the roads were in those days, let me read
you a short extract which ] happen to have
at hand from Charles Dickens American
Notes. Describing "a ride in a stage coach
when he was in the country in 1912. he says:
The great portion OF the wav was over
what is called the corduroy road, which is
made by throwing trunks of trees into a
marsh and leaving them to settle there.
The very slightest of the 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 a similar set
of sensations i'll any other circurns 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 axletreeg.
SO deep we're the roads, 1t was with such
difficulties as these that the postofice de-
partment had to contend with in the early
day,:"
by railway beginr"
"Along in the early '3Os q few short rail-
1OtNA 0SAo puAipJ oAAA7 W.
was taken of them to expedite the mail SER
vice. 1t was many years before there was a
continuous line OF any considerable length.
In 1885 a Washington newspaper hazarded
the prediction that the day was not distant
when travellers leaving 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. 1t is be-
wilderin9 to think of the progress that has
been made in the postal service during the
last fifty years. The mails are now carried
upon 100000 miles of railroad in the United
States. Postal clerks are employed upon
1873, 600 miles,"
When was the railway postal clerk sys-
tenn established?"
1T began during the late war, about 1862.
Years before that the department had
recommended to ongress the adoption of a
system BY which the distribution of mail
matter might be made while en- route. By
the old way all the mails were carried in
closed pouches to fixed points designated as
distributing Offices. At each of these the
matter was assorted and the mail made up
for the Offices within its district. Yon can
readily see that this plan was hours and
days slower than the distribution by postal
clerks between stations on the swlftly-hying
trains. Congress ventufed to authorize a
trial and the system was successful from
the very outset. Its advantages in quicken
@hS AAttAA WIZ . paw
that the system ives rapidly extended. It's
growth has been marvellous, reaching i'll
twenty-five years the figures | have given
you. BY 1867 eighteen railway postal routes
had been established, with 160 clerks. In
1880 more than 5000 postal clerks were en-
pIoyed. Last year, in the discharge of their
duties. they travelled an aggregate Of 1885,
100000 miles. The number Of pieces of
mail matter handled by them during that
time was above seven thousand Million"
DO not the clerks make n good many
mistakes in distribution?'
Not nearly MS many as you would think
to see them work. Our men become by
intelligent application and practice won.
derfully expert. They do their work at al
hours of the day and night while whirlinp
along at from thirty to fifty miles an hour
Rapidly and correctness are equally essen.
tiai. If n postal clerk gets behind IL is al
most impossible for him to catch up. he
must distribute the mails rs they are picked
up on the way and make up those which are
to be dropped of, Absolute perfection il