The record-union., 1897-03-29

post, or until she has written "the last
sentence" addressed an envelope and
licked a stamp. is ended The expert
ments have shown so marked an econ
omy with the new box that it is even
declared that one carrier can collect
from and deliver to the new boxes as
fast as he could deliver alone under the
old system.
The stamp selling is effected by means
somewhat similar to those employed on
street cars which have a driver but no
conductor. When citizen wants
stamp he marks on a slip furnished him
the number he wants. This he incloses
with the money in a celluloid envelope
made transparent, so that the order and
the money may both be seen from the
outside. The idea here is again to save
time This envelope is then placed in
the posting compartment of the letter
box, where the carrier takes it up, de-
livers 1t at the station and gets the en-
velope back containing instead of the
money the requisite number of stamps
If the citizen has a letter to mail. but
no stamp for it, he drops it in the box
and with it an order for stamps car
rier stamps and mails the letter and re-
turns the balance of the stamps in the
celluloid envelope on the next round.
place is left on the order slip to indi-
cate that a special delivery stamp is
wanted.
Such is the system which the depart
ment has extended to twenty four cities.
What satisfaction the collection box
has given is shown by the language of
General Order No. Al:
This box receives the carriers de-
liveries and enables householders to post
letters, magazines, newspapers, small
packages and such other matter as is
ordinarily carried by letter carriers,
without going out of the house The
Postmaster at st. Louis, when this box
was tested, stated in his report that it
can be adapted to almost any situation.
1t can be placed outside as we'll as in
side. 1t is adjustable to doors, porch
rails. and may be constructed in the
walls of houses during or after con-
struction
THE practical tests were thorough and
satisfactory. The carriers did not take
any longer time in stopping at each door
to collect and deliver mail than is found
y
householders were delighted with the
convenience of posting letters any hour,
day or night, without going out doors.
No additional expense will be incurred
to the department, and probably the
time saved to carriers, no longer COM
PEELED to await answers to bells. may be
utilized in further extending the boun-
daries of routes in rapidly growing
Cities
The boxes will be installed at the
householders expense. The patent is
held by Pennsylvania company. 1t is
urged that more people will write let
ters. In St. Louis the increase in mail
in one district was 800 per cent 1t is
also urged that robbery will be more
difficult, because the boxes are inside
stout doors instead of being exposed at
street corners, and because their greater
number will lessen the return to each
crackSman. There would be more rea-
son in risking a term in prison for a
bushel of mail than for a pint. The ad-
vantage to the householder in obviating
the necessity of exposure in bad weather
and the worry and delay of purchasing
stamps is supposed to speak for itself
Following are the cities where house
toulouse collections will first be intro
duced: Allegheny, Pa; Atlanta, Ga;
Boston, Mass; Buffalo, n Y; Cleve-
land, O.; Detroit, Mich; East Orange,
N J.; Indianapolis, Ind Joliet, H.:
Minneapolis. Mimi; New Orleans, La;
Washington, D. c.; Portland, Me-; Rich