The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-07-02

UNCLE SANS LOCKS.
They Are Altered T. 11sare Safety Once
Every Right Years at Least
Once every eight years all the
locks on the United States maid
bags must be changed if not oftenes.
This is because after q while good
many lost keys get around, and
they are not very safe to have 90
distributed. Just now the Equip
ment division of the Postof6ce Do
partment is making over 25O,0O
old locks, merely for the purpose
Of rendering them different. They
were very good in their day, and
are still so in other respects.
At first it was suggested that all
these $4,000 locks should be
thrown away. The junkmen were
asked how much they would give
for them and they said 20 cents per
100. pounds. This did not seem
large, inasmuch as the Postofice
had originally paid 81 cents apiece
for the locks. Therefore it was con-
cluded to make them over again,
and this is being done now at the
repair shop at cost of 81 cents per
lock. It is very pretty sight to
see the workmen cut the old con-
trivance apart, polish them up On
rapidly revolving grindstones,whic
give out showers of sparks, reor-
ganizing the tumblers and putting
together the pieces into as good
shape as the new lamps which the
magician in the story of Aladdin ex-
changed for old ones.
These locks, as has been said, are
to secure mail bags; but even more
interesting are the mail bags them
selves and their histories. Natural
ly, in the course of human events,
these receptacles wear out now and
then. This being regarded as In
evitable, in former times they were
turned over promptly to the junk
men. Now, however, it is all very
different. According to the regula-
tions, as fast as the bags show
symptoms Of wearing out they are
forwarded to Washington from all
over the United States. Thus one
finds in the equipment shop great
rooms heaped with enormous stacks
of mail sacks in all stages of use,
decay, and, one might almost say,
Of decompositions.
Upon arrival they are conveyed
by a big elevator to the third floor,
where ITO women sit sewing with
coarse thread. The bags are made
of jute. Some of the women wear
Ounce caps Of brown paper on their
heads, and all are busy az 20 many
bees. They are all sewing upon
mail sacks, and whenever one has
finished her task she holds up her
hand. At once the foreman in
charge goes to her, takes the bag
she has finished and lays it on .
pile. In exchange he gives her an
other, which he takes from q stack
near by. The sacks in the latter
pile are in all stages of dilapidation,
and the rule is that each worker
must take the one that is on top.
A wooden partition shuts off the
women from sight of the pile be-
cause some complained while ago
that it was possible for others to see
when there were good sacks on top,
and so escape bad ones. It is like
the system of stakes" in q news
paper Office.
Thus far only jute bags have been
spoken of. But there is another
room in which the leather mail
pouches are mended, twenty-five
workmen being employed for the
purpose. This system has grown
up within the last four years. So
short a time ago only eight women
and three leather workers were em-
ployed to do the work. But it was
believed that q great economy would
result from devoting attention TO
the mending of old sacks, and this
has proved so far true that many.
thousand fewer bags are made an
nually now than were required in
1887, although the postofice busi-
ness has increased one-quarter since
then. The bags are manufactured
in New York State.
When the mending of each bag
is finished it is inspected by man
who is the only person in the United
States with whom the decision lies
as to when = mail sack is worn out
and shall be used no longer. Con-
demned ones are all used in one
fashion or another. The best parts
| of them are used for the bottoms Of
sacks that have to be repaired, while
other portions serve for patches,
the ragged bits being slashed of
with sharp knives. Such rags 60
to the junk shop. After each haa
i