The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-13


and Packages-Methods Employ ed
to Reach the Information Desired.
Uncle Sam writes few millions of letters
every year, and the amount Of his postal
bills would build brown-stone fronts for a
great number OF his subjects
When you put a two-cent stamp on a let
ter and drop it into the mail box on the
street corner, do you ever stop to think
hat portion Of your two pennies defrays
the expense OF the actual transmission Of
the letter.
Uncle Sam transacts great deal of BUSH
ness with the railroads which traverse his
DOMAIN, and he pays them millions of dol
lars every year that letters and packages
may DE carried promptly and safely TO their
destination.
The manner in which the CONDENSATION
to the railroads for this service IS arrived at
is an Interesting chapter OF the inside ma
chlnery OF the postal department. Uncle
Sam, you know does everythin., in a sys-
tematic manner, and If there is anything in
which he takes particular pride it is his
postal system, the best in the world
Inc railroads are paid about $3.50 per
mile or maui every year for each GOO pounds
OF mail carried The amounts are graduated
according to the number of pounds carried
Nv" UoOo CuSIc OdI KNOW now much to
pay the railroads then?' you ask The very
task or answering that question costs a
TOT or money, and involves no end of COM
plication and calculation
once every four Years the mail is weighed
Tor 81 working days Every pound carried,
II ciIding letters, 4 packages and papers.
from ana to every point, in and out of
every car is carefully weighed and record
ed upon cards. !rhese are all sent to the
once OF the superintendent of the railway
mail service located in the division, and
are there compiled, and from the results
the average number of pounds OF mail car
RED each mile of road during the 20 DAVIS
Is ascertained. Upon these figures the rates
Ior the ensuing four years ar BASED. The
computation is a difficult one. and requires
large amount Of clerical work
If for any reason during the four wears
Uncle Sam thinks he is being cheated ne
can nave another weighing in the particu-
lar territory. rIf also the railroad has u
large volume of mail turned to it's route
oy reason or change in forwarding or
other cause it may request a reweiphine
and readjustment of COMPENSATION accorIo
lngiy. The weighing of mail does not take
place in all districts at the same time
hence 1t is going on somewhere all tho
year round. 1t requires a large amount Of
extra work on the part of the railway
mail clerks and other postal EMPLOYEES in
terested Upon the large lines a special
man is detailed as weigher by Uncle Sam
ana II the railroad company desires it NAV
also appoint wegher to check the work
OF Uncle Sans man. They both travel in
tne mail car. each of which is provided
with large scale. and are under the direc
ton OF the mail clerk. On the lines which
carry but little mail the clerk himself does
the weighing in and out.
AS the We1ghers are only on duty but SC
days IN every four years, Uncle Sam ap-
clerks and city carriers taking them from
what is called the Sub list" If the .'subs'
are exhausted. the next in line for the
appointment are the "eligibles' those who
stand In line by reason of having made
application and passed examination for
clerks and carriers.
Mail weighing is at present in progress
In District No. 10. which includes Montana
North and South Dakota. The trains which
run into and through that territory leave
Minneapolis. hence this is at the present
the headquarters fer the mail weiyhe rs
The weighing began March %. and will
close April Is, which is Just 30 working
days. The reports arc all sent % Norma
Perkins, superint,r.d> mt of the Tenth u:-
vision of the railway mail service, at ST.
Paul. where the totals are being compiled
The lines upon which the weighing is now
being done are as follows: Northern Pa
cific, to jamestown; Great Northern, to
Neche and to MinOt; 500 Line, Minnea polls
to Enderlin.
The Tenth division includes, besides the
above. Wisconsin and the upper peninsula
of Michigan. Besides those given, the fol-
lowing are mail routes terminating here:
Chicago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul; Chicago
st. Paul Minneapolis and Omaha: Chicago
Burlington and Quincy, all to Chicago;
Chicago Great Western, Dubuque; st. Paul
and Duluth and Eastern Railway of Min
Dnluth. Mtnnoa nOliS Sanlf
Marie Pennington
In addition to the rates paid for the
amount Of mail actually carried, Uncle
Sam pays a large rental for mail cars.
Every railroad line is entitled. for the use
Of it's railway postal cars, to rate not ex-
ceeding $25 per mile per year for cars 40
long, $50 per mile per annum for 45-foot
cars $40 for 50-foto cars. and 800 per year
per mile for cars 10 to 60 feet in length
The company in return is obliged to keep
the cars Of such style, size and length as
Uncle Sam wants them; shall keep them
clean, furnishtrthem with water. light and
fuel. and does not receive rent for them
while they are out of service.
The rent ofgmaIl cars amounts to an
enormous sum-. On many of the Eastern
roads solid mail trains are run as frequent
ly every four OF five hours, and a large
number of cars are constantly In service.
The rental in such cases amounts to al
most as mucn as revenue ITO1n some Otner
sources. 1t has been said that Uncle Sam
ought to own his own cars and run them
when and where he pleases, and keep them
in repair. simply paying the railroads a
mileage for hauling them. Whether there
would be any saving not would be doubt
full. One thing is certain: Uncle Sam takes
care of his own business pretty well, and
if any money is to be saved by owning his
own mail cars hei will probably do it.
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