Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-08-03
Mending the Mail Sacks.

4
Post Office Department is making
over 250,0O0 old locks, merely for
the purpose of rendering them diff
ferent. They were very good in
their way, and are so still in other
respects.
At first it was suggested that all
these 250,00O locks should be
thrown away. The junk men were
asked how much they would give
for them, and they said 20 cents a
hundred pounds. This did not
seem large, inasmuch as the post
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 on c street at cost of
81 cents per lock. 1t is very pref
ty sight to see the workmen cut the
old contrivances apart, polish them
up on rapidly revolving grindstones,
which give out showers of sparks,
recognizing the tumblers and put
ting together the pieces into as good
shape as the new lamps which the
magician in the story of Aladdin ex-
change 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. Natur-
ally, 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 symp-
toms of wearing out they are for
varied to Washington from all over
the United States. Thus one finds
in the equipment shop on c street
great rooms heaped with enormous
stacks of mail sacks in all stages Of
use, decay, and, one might aim ost
say, of decomposition.
Upon arrival they are conveyed
by 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
dunce-caps of brown paper on their
heads, and all are busy as 80 many
bees. They are all sewing upon
mail sacks, and when one has finish
ed her task she holds up her hands.
At once the foreman in charge goes
to her, takes the bag she has finish
ed and lays it on a pile. In ex-
change, he gives her another, which
he takes from 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 on top. A wooden partition
shuts off the women from sight of
the pile, because some complained
a while ago that it was possible for
others to see when there were good
sacks on top, and SO escape bad
ones. 1t is like the system of
takes" in newspaper Office.
Thus far only the jute bags have
been spoken of. But there is an
other room in which the leather
mail pouches are mended, twenty
two workmen being employed for
the purpose. This system has
grown up within the last four years.
So short time ago only eight wom-
EN- and three leather workers were
employed to do the work. But it
was believed that a great economy
would result from devoting atten-
tion to the mending of old sacks,
and this has proved so far true that
many thousand fewer bags are made
annually now than were required in
1887, although the post office 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 a man
who is the only person in the Uni
ted States with whom the decision
lies as to when a mail sack is worn
out and shall be used no longer.
Condemned ones are all utilized in
one fashion or another. The best
parts of them are used for the bot
toms of sacks that have to be re-
paired, while other portions serve
for patches, the ragged bits being
slashed off with sharp knives. Such
rags go to the junk shop. After
each sack has been repaired it is
taken to room where a piece of
rope for drawing its mouth together
is strung through it by blind
woman. Another room is devoted
IN tho mailing of coin ,acLs IN