The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1896-11-12

what is known as a registered package
envelope. This consists of an ingeni- |
ously contrived envelope specially man.
ufactured out of particularly tough
paper for the use to which it is put,
and also numbered in a series of 100 900. |
On the face of each envelope aTE~ ~ars |
its number and spaces for the maze of
the post office, county and state to
which it will be sent, while the back is
arranged for notations of its condition
by every postal official through whose
hands it subsequently passes. One of
these envelopes having been addressed,
entry of the letter to be inclosed in it
is made on registry bill, which shows
the date of mailing. name of the post |
office using it, name of the post office to
which it will be sent, number of the
registered package envelope, and, hnal-
ly. the registered number of the letter
to be placed in it and the name of its
addressee.
The bill and the letter are placed in
this envelope, which then passes to a
clerk. who removes its contents, COM
pares the letter with the entry on the
bill, and calls the registered letter and
registered package envelope numbers,
together with their destination, to an
assistant, who records these particu-
lars in the mailing book. The letter
and bill are now replaced. in the en-
velope, and it passes to another clerk
for final verification of contents and
sealing.
The sealing consists in an applica-
tion of blue mucilage to the three flaps
of the envelope, which when once closed
cannot be reopened without mutila-
tions, the blue mucilage exposing any
attempt to open the envelope by any
steaming process. The postmark show
ing the mailing Office and the date is
now affixed, and the envelope, with
lot of others from the same case, goes to
the pouch room, where another separa-
tion is necessary in order that it may
get to the registered pouch that will
carry it to the distributing Office near
est it's final destination.
The contents of the registered pack
age envelope can now only be ascer-
tanned by reference to the registered
letter numbers charged against the
envelope number in the mailing book,
or the more full description of the let
ters on the registry bill, which is under
seal. and, therefore, inaccessible.
1O E'sASFNS1S5C lA'OiOPO 10
entered by origin, number and desti-
nation on the book of the pouch in
which it is to be dispatched, carbon
manifold record of the package inclosed
i'll each pouch being preserved. the du-
plicate sheet of each pouch forming
the bill of advice to the office to which
the pouch is sent.
When as many packages as the pouch
will hold hox-n he
proper book two clerks verify the en-
tries, sign the last sheet of the bill,
place it with the packages in the pouch,
adjust the strap that secures it and
finally attach that mechanical wonder
called a rotary lock. This lock has a
fixed serial number engraved on it's side,
which serves to identify it, and ro-
tary number, which unerringly ad-
vances one every time the lock is
opened.
The pouch is then delivered to rail
way postal clerk, who receipts for it by
lock and rotary numbers, and it re-
mains under constant guard until its
destination is reached. Keys that
open the rotary locks are issued only to
post offices exchanging registered
pouches, and a careful comparison of
the rotary number of the lock with it's
entry on the pouch bill is the first duty
of the clerks opening a registered
pouch.
Any discrepancy between the rotary
number advised on the bill and that
| shown by the lock received would in
dictate an irregularity to be at once in
vestigated. AT every transfer from
one clerk to another of registered let
/ ter TnoiSterad nao1<aUo epva1ODa or
registered pouch receipt is taken,
| and by these means no difficulty is eX-
perienced in tracing letter from the
time it is first mailed until delivered
to its addressee.
These rotary locks cost SIS each, and
when the number 999 is turned they
must be returned to the makers for re-
| Observation-Disclosures.