The herald., 1895-03-15
LONDON MESSENGER BOYS
A New Service That Works
Like a Charm
QUEER ERRANDS THEY DO
One Boy Was Hired to Look Like the
Absent Corpse
Some Strange PYRAMIDS Which These
Uncommon Lads Are Sometimes
Paid to Do

London has a messenger service OF
which the British metropolis is proud
1t provides smart, capable, ambitious
lads who vie with each other in executing
their tasks in a manner that will win rec
Ognition and reward. A writer IN Black
and White, in describing the London serv-
ice, says:
"A correspondent of the st. Ja-,es Ga
zette mentioned that, having retired to a
SPOT in the north of Scotland twenty
miles from any railway station, and five
hundred from London, he was fiatterlng
himself that he was efficiently far from all
things savoring of the monster city. But
10, in his pathway, as he descended the
hill side on his homeward way, uncon-
cernedly stepped along boy in the uni
form of the London District Messengers
with a bundle of fishing rods over his
shoulder. He had been chartered from
the Piccadilly office by two gentlemen oil
a bicycling tour His duties, to valet
them, travel with their luggage, while
they were laborously breasting hlliy roads
on safeties, and apparently to enjoy an
occasional days fishing. Who would not
be district messenger boy?
''But upon further inquiry, 1t appears
that the stern path OF duty occasionally
leads messengers into places where they
would prefer not to go-and to undertake
duties which are, to say the least, unpleas-
ant. Not long since a private hotel rang
when the boy presented himself he
was told to send the biggest and strongest
they had. Fortunately tall, strong lad OF
about eighteen was III the ONCE VINO was
in training for the police. He was accord
ingly dispatched to the hotel, it being
ibollt midnight. and was conducted TO
raj
was to sit up with a gentleman who was
IL, and keep him in bed. After beng
there about an hour he came to the con-
clusion that they had left him in charge
OF raving lunatic, and such proved TO be
the case.
The boy however, stuck manfuliy
to his post till the morning. Recently
there was ano her curious case where an
unfortunate man deranged in his mind
appeared at one of the offices and asked
for two boys to sit up with him to pro
tect him. One was sent and the other
was to follow, but before he came the
man got so nervous that he sent the first
boy-to his no small relef-for a police
man as well. The public do not real
ize how careful this elaborate messenger
service is organized; Every effort is made
20 insure the efficiency and absolute
promptness of the service. Even mes
senger police force has been organized III
every district The duties OF this police
are to occasionally, at uncertain hours,
patrol their district to take no ICE OF any
messenger who light chance to be improp-
erly dressed or performing his duties IN
slovenly manner. The chances OF this,
however, are very remote, Tor messen-
ger is not only encouraged to perform his
errands in good time by the bestowal OF
silver medals carrying gratuites with
them, but an offender in this way is first
warned, then fined, and lastly dismissed.
Taken altogether, the discipline OF the
service, which is in the efficient hands
of an old horse artilleryman, who is en-
thusiastc in praise of his lads is admir-
able, and strong esprit de corps pervades
all ranks
Since this admirable organization
took London by storm the general post
office has lost so ne of its most treasured
laurels, and most emphatically been beaten
on it's own ground in cetain directions.
The new service is as expeditiously per-
formed and wthal so cheap, that often
the demands OF the company's resources
are difficult to comply with and many a
time every messenger from u station will
be out simultaneously.
In fact the orga iZation is growing at
mighty rate, and feeling that service
so praiseworthy and accurate must be a
matter OF quickly growing interest. we
have cleaned some particulars at head
quarters for the benefit OF our readers. 1t
is satisfactory to see, in the first place,
that their healthy outdoor work has an
excellent effect on the army of boys in
the company's service. All Of them
are the very picture of health and des-
pite their mum bers cases OF sickness are
extremely rare. AS an instance OF the
ceaseless call of these young messengers,
Il fair example of a couple OF days work
at single branch may be given. At
the Piccadilly office considerably over 800
calls were performed in two days, some
of these representing long journeys into
the counry, and including many trips in
to the suburbs. Quite recently the
company have started number OF BIZ
cycles, so now for small additional fee
an extra accel ted service can be Civ
en-. The royalties inflicted on the COM
pany by the postotfiees are so excessive
that several additional features have
lately been INTRODUCED.
mo work is too strange for district
messenger boy. Nothing ever surprises
him. Quite recently one was 'rung up
for by an institution. On arrival he was
conducted on to the platform where
lecture on ambulance work was in pro-
gress. His presence was required for the
purpose OF Stimulating a corpse and hav
ing various limbs bound up.
In conclusion, the following are among
the various brands performed by the
company messengers. Leading a blind
man about, taking a young lady to
school taking children to school daily
and bringing them back, taking luncheon
down to river picnCs, acting detective in
plain clothes, down into the west country
to pay a county court summons, shop
ping at the stores taking newly arrived
Indian servant to the play, and newly
arrived German cook out for walk in
the park (and bringing her back, to the
disgust OF her fellow-servants, who hoped
he had left her there. Many other anus
ing instances might be related, but the
list would be very long one. ="
Handy Whist Signal Code
This system of conveying legitimate
intelligence to your partner (and to your
adNerSaries il they hannen to be lnoliinnl