The herald., 1897-01-08

whereby the delegates will leave Chi
cago to arrive in San Francisco ON or
before that date. There will be about
$40 delegates, requiring train of eight
Pullman cars. They will travel via the
Northern Pacific railroad to Portland
from Portland to- San Francisco, where
they will hold their convention and
Where arrangements are now under way
to entertain them several days, after
which the excursion will return east
via Los Angeles, taking in the sights
of Southern California, plans for which
are at present being formulated.
This association has been in existence
about twenty-three years, holding it's
first convention in Chicago November
18th, 1874, since which time annual meet
inSs have been held in various parts of
the United States. The members have
never ventured holding such gather
ing on the Pacific coast before, on ac-
count of the difficulty in arranging for
so long trip. The association COM
prises now a membership of about 4OOO
The beneficiary regulations are, in the
main, the same as govern all such or
ganizatiCnS. an assessment being made
on the death of a member Beside the
board OF directors and president, there
are vice-presidents, one from each of
the eleven railway mail service divis-
ions; also local secretaries in various
parts of the several divisions.
This association was first organized
to provide only for the families of the
clerks who lost their lives while on duty.
put the benefit has long since been ex-
tended to those dependent on its mem
bers, who meet death from natural
causes The casualties have been large.
numbering in the last year 495 accidents
to railway postotfices, resulting in five
clerks being killed. 112 seriously injured
while on duty. This, however, is a de-
crease. as compared with the past, and
while gratifying to record this decrease
in the number of casualties, the fact
remains that the list is large one. not
Withstanding the constant precaution-
airy measures continually being de-
vised by the railroad companies who,
according to the postmaster generals
last report, render every assistance in
reducing danger to a minimum the ele-
meHt to danger is inseparable from the
service.
The initiatory idea of a railway post
office was conceived by w. j Davis. the
assistant postmaster at St Joseph, Mo,
in handling the overland California
mails, who proposed to work some of
1t ON Hannibal and st. Joseph railroa ds.
which had formerly been CARRYING Only
closed pouches of mail: he was the first
clerk appointed and on September 4,
Ioo-, at q Sulctl VI SIUU per month, and
from that has been built the magnif-
cent organization known as the railway
mail service, with 740S clerks now en-
gagged in separating, asserting and dis
tributing the mails, both foreign and
domestic, in postal cars on different
lines of railroad in the United States at
an annual expenditure of 81. 600 900, and
with an increase of 800 clerks a year.
The eleven divisions will be fully rep
resented at this convention in San Fran
cisco and by representative railway
mail service men, able and appreciative,
ready to receive and enjoy with enthus-
iasm the good things in store for them
1t is hoped and earnestly desired bv
those interested that Los Angeles win
not be backward in stepping forward
to extend cordial gre'Nrg to these
well deserving railway maii service bows
of Uncle Sam on whC'm depends the reg
ularity of the receipt and dispatch of
your mail.