The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-24

! &ISSJlter boxes for the
TJl5@,lysy coming four years.
&WRIZ The lumber OF /,
MN - boXcsin use Is close
n ~ to 100000. With
n theloss from break
q age and those de-
mandod by natural /
Increase OF population, II Is estimated
that the contractor whose bid Is accept
ell will be- called on TO supply 100000 or |
600. 600 before 1901. says the New YORK |
Tribune. The boxes in ordinary use are
made OF a cheap quality OF IRON. lheIe
are three sizes. Il may not be gen
orally known that a letter box Is
patent AFFAIR That is the fact. 3d. TOO
some Of the improvements recently
made are covered by separate patents
In such a case the patentee. or the
owner Of the patent. assigns his rights
TO the government for the time the
contract Is TO run. In addition 10 the
bids received for iron boxes some pro-
pOsals for steel boxes were put In. ana
II Is said that steel boxes can now be
obtained az a lower price than was pald
for iron ones under the contract soon
u terminate. The advantages OF the
former. 10 Is asserted. are that they
would prove more durable. ana that
@ would Doc less easy for thieves o.
break them open. when Mr. Wanna
maker was 90 the head Of the post
Office department be- was iayorably Inn
pressed with the idea OF using steel
boxes but when a new contract was 90
be made. near the close Of his term. he
did not think bc would be- Justified In
Imposing the additional expense on the
incoming administration. ln conuec-
ton with ths matter an interesting
story is told ly a man In this city. who
has had Tor some time business rela-
ton with the postoiico department
The incident took place in the time Of
a former postmaster general and In
his Office This is the way the tale
runs, M narrated boy the New Yorker.
Il was On the Office OF the postmaster
general, as was also another man who
had some interest Ia the then existing
contract Tor letter boxes. and IN urging
the advantages OF using steel Tor that
purpose ] told them that Il was an
exceedingly easy thing 20 open the
boxes Ia use and extract the mail.
Why said /, I can open one Of those
boxes and take everything out Of q
In four minutes by the watch on
] course. they we're iucrcdulOus. and the
other man offered 20 bei 800 that 10
couldn't De done. refused 10 bet. but
II was arranged that the trial should
be made right IN the Office. I went
downstairs 90 make my preparations
They consi ted la getting a fairly heavy
picCe of iron and "a block OF pine wood.
both OF which ] could easily carry in
my coat pockets without attracting az
tentiou. In the meantime they Fixed
up box. put a lot OF stun in 10 and
put on "a lock Then they went on, OF
the room and locked the door Al the
end Of four minutes they came in with
a triumphant air was sitting boz the
postmasicr-Eenerars chair. quietly
whistlIng The box Jay on the noof
and alongside % @ lay all the mail
they had put Ia o. The head OF the
department looked dum'oundcd. Tn,
other man fairly turned pale How
did you DO a." they asked as soon a..
they recovered from their as,onish.
ment waited long enough Tor then
20 become impatient Then I lifted the
box and turned q over showing th,
back had been broken in. As soor
as they went out OF the room I tool
the box on my lap. laying the from
down. Then ] took out my block an,
piece OF iron aud. with a single blow
which did not make noise enough fo
them TO hear q in the next room. hrokl
open the box and removed the contents
The whole operation did not take hal
the time had asked Tor The post
master general was convinced afte
that that q was not worth while II
spend large sums Of money 90 pruyid
ing letter boxes with expensive lock.
when they could be 40 easily broker
into u one wished 10 get AZ their con
tents OF course. q may be said tina
, no thief would undertake such a go
. on the streets Of a city. With the chanc
, that policeman nigh, hear the blow
Hut a man with a pal might earll
, avoid the danger OF detection at a
, early hour In the morning. Tor onl
, a light blow Is required. the back q
the letter box being ve-y thin -hardl
thicker than sheet iron" Inquiry d
the postoilice showed that no atientlo
had been given TO the question Of ste,
letter boxes and that the matter Ia
never been brought % the notice Z
the officials by the Washington author
tiles. Several years ago there were
number OF boxes on the extreme we.
side 90 the city robbed by being broke
but such things are rare. Tho offcil
giving the Information said that. I
y his opinion. few thieves would tai
r tho rlsk Of the noise involved 10 al
r operation when there was no ccrtaini
10 that anything o. value would De- foun
in the box, 40 least, this would be- On
J, case in The settled parts of the cit
s while In the outskirts the chances
q letters Of value being found would
10 exceedingly SLIM Asa matter 90 Gas
e. some p1s'nastcw instruct their ml
o collectors THAT % O. lCck is oui 20, 10
der and q box cannot De- opened In %
u regular way, O. is the mans duty
o get a hammer or a paving stone at
d break Il opcn. and after getting q
q mail. report the fact to the station
q once. 10 that the broken box can be- r.
J. placed Il Is obvious that a steel b,
y would be less amenablc TO this procci
than an iron one.