The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-06-25
THE STORY OF A LETTER.
Things Revealed by a Visit to the
 Washington Post Office.
What ls Done with a Letter or Package After the Sender Has Deposited - It in One of Uncle Sam's
 Mali Boxes.
Especial Washington Letter.l

lSpcClal W aSninStOH Letter.I
 It is easy enough to write letter, to nut a stamp on it and plail it; but it is not SD easy to deliver it. Ninety and nine out of every hundred of the people who write letters complain of the trouble that is caused in their prepara- ton and sending, but their difficulties are not to be compared with those who handle the tons of written and other mail matter that leaves the post office daily for all parts of the world. Avisit to the office only reveals scene of hustiing employees and for the moment excites more or less interest. To un- derstand the systematic movements go- ing on could not be told in few words, and to fully appreciate them one must spend sufficient time to learn them.
 In the office can be seen men engaged in various kinds of work, keenly intent and busy after a manner which comes of experience. These men go to make up the history of a letter or package intrusted to the governments care for dispatch or delivery to the person ad- dressed. Every man employed has his number and place and is responsible for the work in his charge.
 When a person drops a letter in the box upon a street corner lamp his only thought is, twill it get to the person ad- dressed and how soon?" His work ends there; but it is taken up by letter car ricr who brings it along with the other letters to the main office, where he sepa ( l.~ Xl.x C., side places. As he does this man in the mailing division gathers up the out side mail and carries it to the stamping table, where the stamperS cancel the postagr with stampers hearing the date of the month and their own number When cancelled the letters are placed by him in trough attached to the table. These letters gre taken away by men whose duties are to assort them i:,to eases.
 Each case bears the name of state or q city When the hour for closing the mail arrives the "statcr,' as he !s called, takes out the letters from the cassa and puts upon each bundle slip. This slip has the name of the state or SihN "pch IL, uiSV tIc HUult Ol tHc post office, the postmark showing the hour and day of dispatch. as also the clerks number. When his work is finished .anofSer clerk, who is called the dis. Patcb"r, gathers up the bundle of let tcrs and puts them in leather pouches. Before locking up the pouches the dis. FatcherN places his slip" in a steel slide. This slip indicates the point of destination of the contents, and slight error in this regard would occa- sion much delay.
 . You must be informed that large ma jority of the letters sent from the post office ir the national capital are sent by members of congress. They are very careless in their postal busi ness, and are also very impatient if dc lays occur. Their principal business is tO look after the desires of their people, particularly in pension cases. Very often they send letters to the wrong ad dress, and then they blame the postal officials for their own larches.
 The "stater" referred to has plenty of business on hand all the time, but there is another class of clerks who handle the mails whose duties are more diff cult than those of the "stater." The latter simply puts letters into boxes labeled with the places easily under stood, while the former assorts his