The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-30
EXPLOITING The CITY NAILS
Railway Mail Service for the Metro-
pOlitan Lines.
Postal Cars to Run on Ninth and +
streets Advantages Gained in
Collection aud Delivery.

supt. yicsery, of the Railway Mail Serv-
expedition of the city mails by the ex-
tension of that service to the Metropoli-
tan street railway lines. On Monday morn
ing postal cars will be running on the
street and the Ninth street lines all day,
making a large number of trips and hurry
ing the collection and distribution OF mail
along the routes sometimes by an hour or
more. AT night, OF course, the differ-
ence would be even greater.
The street railway mail service was be-
gun on the Capital Traction Company shines
some months ago aud has proved such de-
cided success that MIR. Vickery has been
anxious ever since to include the Metro
politan lines in the service, too.
The cars for the new service are COM
pleted. They have been constructed at
the shops OF the company at Fourteenth
and East Capitol streets, under the per-
sonal direction of Mr.. Vickery. They are
the first cars of any description ever built
by the company here, and are certainly
credit to il.
They are handsomely aud substantially
constructed, painted aud decorated In gold
and panel ON either side of the car
bears in monogram letters u. 8. M. and the
words United States Railway Post Of
fice'' The interior finish is natural wood
and is perfect in every detail. The cars are
fitted with letters, cases and pouch racks,
cancelling machines and are in every re-
spect the same as postal cars operated on
steam railroad lines.
Postal clerks will be assigned to the cars
and the mails will be distributed en- route.
One of the cars will be operated on the
street line, between Fourteenth and East
Capitol streets northeast, and Florida and
Connecticut avenues northwest, and the
other on the Ninth street line, between Four
aud-a-half and o streets southwest, and
Florida and Grant avenues northwest.
These cars will not only carry mails
from the general postoffice TO stations,
but will take up mails collected from
street letter boxes in collection districts
adjacent to the line. which will be post
marked ane distributed for delivery at the
general postoffice and stations: also for
dispatch by outgoing trains at the Ralti-
more and Ohio and Pennsylvania Rail
road stations Pouches will be made up
anu GlSDGICUtu luI WV iOihf
phia and baltimore, also for points South
along the Atlantic Coast Line and South
ern Railway. and for the Southwest by the
Chesapeake ami Ohio Railway.
As an exampleof Just what will be accom-
plished, it may he stated that people living
near Lincoln Park may drop their letters
directed to New York in any nearby box.
being assured that the next mail car Will
take them up and carry them direct Co
the Baltimore and Ohio or Pennsylvania
station. If letter were dropped into the
box at certain hours OF the day IL would
90 out on the train 10 New York Inside OF
half an hour. The cars on the f street
line viii make ten trips and collections
a day.
The cars to be run on the Metropolitan
line differ from the Capital Traction cars
onlv In being lighted and heated by cleo
tricity. and In having the cancelling ma.
chimes instead OF hand caDcelling. Their
interior finish is somewhat handsomer :
also.
This addition to the city railway mail
service viii probably mark the limit OF the
EXTENSION for some time to come. Event