The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-10
TONS AND TONS OF MAIL.
In Two Years an Increase of az Per
Cent. Shown--Pennsy Wants
More Money.
TIE Government WI Be Asked to Pau
the Railroads on a
New Basis.

NeaO Basis.
Government officials and Pennsylvania
Railroad employees are weighing all the
mails that are handled on the Philadel
phia and New York divisions of that road.
Beginning on January 18th the weight of
the mails that arrive and depart AVE
been taken, and will be taken daily for
sixty days This interesting process is
going on in the mail-rooms at Seventeenth
and Fllbert streets, the oTject being to
establish a new basis upon which to cal
culate the sum that will be charged the
Government for carrying this ella IS of
mail. The general weighing of the mails
occurs but once in four years, the last one
having taken place in the winter of 1883,
and the basis her determined went into
eff ct on July l following. Hence there
will be no change until July LIST, 1893.
But a separate contract VA made by the
Government and the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company for carrying fast mails
about two years ago, covering certain
territory between New York, Phlladel-
phia, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago and
st. Louis. Since that time the amount of
mail motrer to be handled has increased
25 per cent, and he compny very nstur-
ally wants an Increase in the pay for
doing the service.
EVERY OUNCE Egg D.
4 large force of men is kept constan ly
busy at the mail rooms from midnight to
midnight, taking the weight OF every bag,
pouch, bundle or sack that is carried on
the road. There are 100 trains on the
Pennsy vania that bring mails to Phila
delphia every day, and n nety trains carry
mai. away from the city. The fig RS
taken by the weighers fer January goth
show that there was brought to Phlladel-
phia on the New York divi ion that day
49, 1876 pounds Of mail matt r, and on he
Philadelphia division 6,853N pounds, or a
total of Sc 038 pounds brought into the
city on these two divisions. The same
day there was dispatched from this city
on the Pm ladelphia division A 448
pounds, and on the New York division
II POI pounds, or a total Of Sc, pounds
taken from Philadelphia These two
divisions, therefore, handled 1858
pounds of mail matter on January 10th,
which is about an average day. That IS
over Sc TINS daily. The New York div s
ion carries the mai between this city and
New York, while the Philadelphia division
covers the territory betw cen this city and
Pittsburg along the main line. Alto
gether the Philadelphia division handles
about 81 301 pounds daily, and the New
York division about 81, 1892 pounds Mails
that go south of this C are not taken
account in this calculation.
THE HEAtIEsT DAD
The train which carries the heaviest
mail on the New York division is ne
that arrives here 81 11:47 o'clock at night
from New York. On Thursday it brought
over 26. 703 pounds, or more than thirteen
tons of matter. This is called a railroad
postofic3" train, as is also he n which
leaves PHILADELPHIA for Pitts Ourg a 10 30
at night, taking with it 26,4 6l
poul DIS, or over thirteen tons of nat er
Both trains have four mail ears regularly.
The paper train for the West on Tuesday
morning carried 1851 pour Of mail,
while the paper train from New York
the same morning carried 1924 pounds
The Chicago Limited" which arrives
here at 4:45 O'Clock l. the afternoon, car
ries locked" mail, and brought in on
Tuesday afternoon ia pounds.
An accurate reoo d is kept of all the
every day, and at the expiration
Of sixty days the average daily weight
will be taken and used as tie new basis
for charging the Government. The aver
age is expec'ed not to vary much from
ne figures given above.
GREAT NoREAsEs IN TWO YEARS.
Since the last weighing was done,
about two years ago, the mails have in
creased fully Is pc mi in bulk.
For handling the mails on the Philadel-
phia and New York divisions the govern
ment pays the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company about 5000, 900 annually, nut
this new basis will probably add $4,000
to that Sum. This constitutes but one
fifth of the mail service Of the Pennsyl-
vRnia so far as price is concerned, as the
government has been paying tina com-
pany over $1,000 900 yearly for carrying |
its por ion of the ma Is. The New York
Central is the only other road in this
that approaches th Pennsylvania
in this respect. These two giants have
almost an equal share of the mail carry |
business.
The Government has two methods of
for getting its mails handled. One
is to consider the weight and the other
the distance travelled and number of cars
required. 1t matters very little to the
whether the pouch is filed with
letters or newspapers. as the pay is the
Much depends upon the quickuess
with which the mail IS handled The
quickest work in this respect done il
Philadelphia is when the train arrives
from New York at $50 o'clock il the
morning. The pouch IS containing the
are thrown off at Seventeenth and
Filbert, and in four Mute, hey are in
he Pos. Office. This rapid work is
to get them into the hands of
The carriers for the first delivery IN the
morning -PhiIGd lphiG Record.