The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-29
VERY BAD MAIL SERVICE
The City of Anaconda Gets Ii Right in
the Neck.
AND IT'S ALL UNNECESSARY
Two or Three Changes Would Elk
pedIte the transmission of Mails
Out of the City Most
Wonderfully.

Anaconda business men are patient and
long-suffering, they seldom complain, but
just now there is vigorous kick coming
and Uncle Sans regulations are the
cause thereof. The train service from
Anaconda is very good, but owing to the
way the mails are handled, by the instruc-
tions of the chief clerk of the postal de-
partment, the service is very Ineffective
in securing anything like prompt de-
livery of mail throughout the state. This
is no fault of Postmaster Edwards, who
sends out mail as quickly as he can in the
way the government has provided.
The Montana Union has the contract
for carrying the mails out of Anaconda
and all of the passenger trains over that
road are mail trains. But owing to tho
fact that Union Pacific and Northern
Pacific are not exchanging court estes in
the way of making close connections, the
eastern mail leaving Anaconda at 9:45
o'clock in the evening arrives in Butte
% minutes after the Northern Pacific
east-bound train has gone. Therefore the
pouch lays over in Butte until the next
evening at 1920 o'clock. This might be
remedied by an order from the chief clerk
permitting mail for the East to be sent
from Anaconda at ] :35 o'clock and the
delay in Butte would then be but a few
hours, where now it is a full day.
The :35 o'clock train takes the mail for
states south and east, which is sent via
the Union Pacific road, changing at Silver
Bow. This same train carries mail to
Butte, and mail for Eastern Montana and
Dakota cities might easily be taken care
of by sending it at the same time.
Another aggravating delay arises in
sending mail to Great Falls and points on
the Great Northern road. Passengers can
leave Anaconda over the B., A. & p. road
and make close connections at Butte for
Helena, Great Falls and other northern
destinations. A letter, however, for Great
Falls will leave Anaconda at 8 o'clock a.
m. over the Montana Union road and will
reach Butte just one hour ana ten minutes
after the Great Northern train has gone
east. There this mail remains
idle all day in Butte and % hours later
goes on to Great Falls. 1t takes then al
most as long for a letter to go from Ana
conda to Great Falls or Bozeman as it
does from Butte to St. Paul. All this
could be avoided if the mail for points
north went to Butte over the B., A. q p.
Anaconda merchants are reaching out for
trade and under favorable conditions
would get good slice of the business of
Eastern Montana that now goes out of
the state. This method of handling the
mails, however. is a serious drawback and
unless the officials in charge take steps
soon to give a better local service, they
will hear from Anaconda powerful and
well-founded remonstrance. A petition
should not be necessary in this instance,
as a little attention from the chief clerk
would no doubt straighten out the matter
by allowing the Anaconda postoflice to
throw Eastern Montana mail for the :35
o'clock train, and arranging for the carry
ing of Northern Montana pouch over the
B., A. q Z. road on the o'clock train out
of Anaconda.