The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-03
THE RAILROAD MAIL SERVICE.
Collection and Distribution of Postal
Matter by Flying Trains.

Matter by Flying Trains.
The railway mail service of today affords
a striking contrast to that of score OF
years ago Special cars to the number oil
over 600 designed especially for the use OF
railway postal clerks, and :, 600 other cars
partly occupied by the clerks are In use
Some of the new cars are models of con
venience, and the clerks are enabled to
perform their duty as easily and rapidly a
if they were in we'll equipped postotice
in one of the large cities. Special trains
consisting of three or four of these cars.
and having no passenger cars attached.
are dispatched at frequent intervals be
tween the large cities. Mail is taken up
ard left at various points along the line,
The clerks not only distribute the mails
from the starting point, but those from
and to various stations along the route.
and mails for the large terminal points are
distributed by street and number 50 that
the carriers may take them at once to their
destination.
A trip on one of the postal trains is a con
slant panorama of busy action. Tons Of
mail matter in pouches and sacks are
placed in the cars before the start il m&da.
Trained clerks are occupied from the mo
ment of starting in opening these mail bags
and distributing the letters, papers and
packages according to their addresses. The
cars have convenient cases, and pouches 10!
various stations are ready as soon as the
mail is distributed. As the train approaches
a station at which mail is to be left and 20
be taken on, the side door OF the car Is
opened, a clerk stands with a closed pouch
of mail in his left hand and with his right
hand on the ingenious mechanism for catch
ing the mail bags As the train approaches
the platform a motion OF the clerk hand
throws out the catcher ready TO take the
mail bag hanging from crane close 20 the
track. The pouch containing the letters
for the station IS thrown out by the clerk
upon the platform and the catching ma
chine takes from the crane the pouch which
has been left there by the local postoslce
messenger. The train rushes on and the
exchange Is made without moments de
lay 70 the swiftly moving cars. The pouch
is brought into the car. opened upon the
long tables and the contents are quickly
distributed.
The work Of the clerks Is continued a.
high pressure from the start until the fl
ish- \ GrSt class postal clerk Eos oaly
knows The name and situation of eyer-
postofice in the large portion Of the several
states through which BE passes, bus ca
many OF the lines he must be familiar with
the streets and street numbers IN the grea.
cities TO and from which his route lies
The mails which reach New York and
other large cities in the early morning
hours, and which could not be distributed
by the local clerks in tine FOR the early
morning delivery. are 80 arranged By the
railway postal clerks that the carriers %
station clerks can hegin a. once Tie work
81 sending o4t and promptly conveying 70
the persons addressed the often ns.'ortsszi
messages intrus;esi 20 the mails.
Tie l5f- 81 a postal clerk = F1os o. ssse Is
3c>r issts..H. hut oIs- q psiyssc=-l hart
sAiFS snl = 30 li-7 ir .ls-t-er. The mtsinL
81 Fss. Fs.rp..rsslI ss--saS iss css-r &.