Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-25
in A POSTAL CAR.
Distributing Letters While on a
Fast Railroad Train.
4 LONG AND BUSY TOUR OF DUTY.
But After It's Over the Clerks
Have a Rest.
A STAR REPORTERS STORY.

A STAR REPORTERS STORY.
In order to ascertain what actual basis
there may be for the alleged complaints
OF certain railway mail clerks Of their
hardships on the run between Washington
ana Charleston, s. c., a Star reporter has
made the trip in the postal car with the
clerks staying with them throughout the
| entire trip keeping awake with them, and
endeavoring to share far as possible
| their experiences
In this manner 1t was expected that the
reporter could gain actual knowledge of
| many of the conditions surrounding the life
OF the clerks by experiencing them himself,
and could observe the AMOUNT and charac-
ter OF the labor required Of them. The
Of getting at the truth in the matter Of
tne published charges and that The Star
nigh might present to the public an unpreju-
Through the courtesy OF the Post once
Department and the Atlantic Coast Line
oHicials, the object was accomplished
Beginning at O'Clock A. M
| At o'clock last Saturday morning the
| reporter entered the postal car lying on
side track outside the B. and P depot
on 6th street The clerks. five in number,
naa just arrived. and a van from the city
SACKS and pouches Of mail Intended for dis
tribution throughout the south. The
sacks sac sand and pouches We're labeled showing
the states ana general destination of the
contents.
1T It was the duty of the clerks to assert
TOW ms and railway functions on the route.
une Ia, yirginis mail was handled first as it
TS,. TSn'd H.. De the first dispatched. of course.
es and ths mails for North and south Car
% DINA. Georgia and Florida taken up in sue
cesSlon, ana the clerks busted themselves
with this until Ais Am when the fra in
from from New York came in. bringing mails
and ar0m TN the nc north for points along the route
From this time until about 2 O'Clock in
at their Distribution. They had a great
sSsir wS;s which ssnDsiss sSsn q keep sp
northern mail to prepare for distribution,
but they received small quantities of mali
tions and small pouches at the way sta
tions for local distribution. This work was
good eyes,sht to % decipher % addresses II esored and
the exercise Of memory in locating the diff
rerent nae1 star. star routes and the distributing
The Work slackens.
Later in the afternoon the work slack
ened and the crew could have divided the
duties and performed them in relays. one
set resting while the other worked. II was
the time to- to transact trans @ the @ 10 local al Business & M
along the line. but two men could do It ex-
hand. won Would % be reauirea i te poSch ~le tSe dssl
tributed mail for points further south.
The train was due at Charleston at 23o
Ru wRss s the eerRs ie saq the es
They were not expected to return to the
ten hours Of rest st before Sesinnins f the ren re
get their dinners and return to the car.
a n,rnd frfv on hn,,r
less than the southbound. This is due to
| the fact that the return is made on a
speak f Of and % going % over % what % is % known as as
the short line. When the train started at
tla pm. the clerks had completed the dts
themselves then selves with the the distribution Of the
on a the conn eonneesns es train from Tampa Two
or three hours work cleaned this up and
WAS no TusR that time ags
considerable quantities., The. run between
tSnity for rest. The train arrived at Wash
ington at 7:l0. consuming fourteen hours
in the northbound trip.
Four Days Rest.
When the clerks left the car at Washing
ton they were not to return until four days
later They could LAY or from Monday
morning at 7:45 until Friday morning at
o'clock. The intermediate time was theirs
is the principal part Of postal clerks
duty to become thoroughly scquainted with
the ofi1ces along his route he would prob
ably, II he wanted to make record as a
good clerk, put in considerable time each
day studying the schedule.
1t is not the purpose here to say that
these clerks have an easy time: That
could not be said of any railway mail
clerks. It is a hard life at the very best;
a busy life, recurring constant care and
watchfulness and attended at an times
with the duties and responsibilities.
The run from Washington to Charleston
is long one and the duties severe. but 1t
trip The clerks work ten days out of
thirty In the month. The only alternative
from the present situation is one which
on the run would vote against. That al
tentative would be to divide the run IN
half. Then a man would work two days
and lay off one day. AS the day Of lay
off would have to be devoted to sleep and
rest the clerk would never have any time
to himself at all, whereas now he can get
a good portion Of two days to himself.
It Is stated at the Post ONCE Depart
ment that II a majority Of the clerks de.
sire to cut the run in half the department Ss nen
sideration. If The Star reporter who made
the trip were a clerk on this run he would
prefer the long run with the four days
lay off, and this preference was expressed
| upon which The Star reporter made the
Up to date the complaining clerks have
made no complaint to the department. and
in the absence of such complaint attested
by a considerable number Of clerks the de-
partment will probably conclude that they
will accept the lesser of two necessary
hardships.