The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-23
MEN WITH BIG MEMORIES.
Brains Kept on the Jump in the Railway
Mall Service.
New York Sum-

k4NO" Ivan @AhsJ
Washington, Sept. 1.-THE war with
Spain caused great increase in the work
of nearly 5000 employees and it's 8, 1893 cars
and apartments. The soldiers mail
respondence and in addition, made nec-
essary what amounted to reorganiza-
ton of the service to greater or less ex-
tent on certain routes.
1t was during war times that the sys-
tenn was first started. The history of
travelling postofiees takes one back to
Revolutionary days, when Ebenezer
Hazard was Postmaster General. In a
memorial to the Continental Congress in
l776 he is quoted as saying that owing to
the frequent removals made by the army
be was put to much trouble and expense
through having to follow the army on
foot to deliver the letters OF the soldiers.
He added that this was because he was
not able to purchase horse. He not
only delivered mail and collected it, but
also performed the asserting process.
When Gen. Washington became President
in 1883 the Postofice department was reor
ganized and transportation of the mails
was effected by stages and pony express,
and later by a few steam boat lines In
1888 Congress passed an act constituting
every railway post route. Now there
are more than $50 whole postofdoe cars In
use and 173 in reserve, besids 2,026 apart
ments in cars in use and $40 III reserve.
making total of 1893 cars and apart
ments on railroad lines; while in addi-
ton there were last year 65 electric and
cable cars and 81 apartments on steam
boat lines used for postofdce purposes. 1t
is said that the present system of assort-
ing the mail on the cars was conceived
by W. A. Davis, a clerk In the postofics
at st. Joseph, Mo. 1t was there that
the overland mail was made up in 1869.
Davis suggested asserting the mail on the
cars, and his plan was adopted after he
had tried it himself.
The first superintendent of the Rail-
way Mail Service was Col George B.
Armstrong of Chicago. He was succeeded
by Col g. S. Bangs, Theodore N. Vail,
W. B. Thompson and John Jameson.
Gradually they improved the service and
soon postal cars were seen.
The average postal clerk has a memory
that has no loopholes through which any
knowledge of his work can slip. The
records at the Postoffice Department. show
that 6, s54 clerks are employed on railroad
lines, 81 on steamboat lines, 102 on cleo.
trio lines, 81 on transfer duty, and as
on offioe duty, making total of 1909.
including 90 acting clerks. The amount
of mail which is dumped into one OF the
cars on an important route is simply.
enormous. There were 6. 059, 769, $50 pieces
of first class mail matter handled last
year, and 5,511, III. 900 pieces of second,
third and fouth class matter making q
total of II GIL ,64o, $50 pieces, exclusive of
registered matter. OF this class there
were handled 14,640, S32 packages and
and 63l, 1888 inner registered sacks, max
ing in all 1926, 1858 pieces of registered
matter. There were also handled
462, ass, $40 pieces of city mail.
In ten years the amount .Rof mail
handled has increased Tia persoent., but
the working force has Increased only 1876
per cent. in that time. The length of rail-
WaY covered Dy Uii0 loAAV"y Pontdl service
with clerks was last year 1914 ,225 or; of
electric or cable lines. 1903. IS miles; of
steamb boat lines, 1853. 90 miles, making
total of 16I, 9S8.27 miles
Mail for city distribution receives much
attention on the postal cars as it must
be in shape for immediate delivery by
carrier on the arrival Of the train. For
distribution in New York city there We're
handled by the clerks 3,76,7S7 packages
of mail. Each package averaged forty
pieces, making the number OF separate
pieces going to New York city alone
las, 87l .4S0. The largest separation was on
the New York and Chicago railway post
office, the number of letter being
&c, Osi 1870 and the smallest was 6,040
pieces on the Brooklyn and Long Island
City route. On the New York city col
lection wagons 8. 22o,o0 pieces were
handled. On the New York and Pitts
burg system there were handled 80. $50 100
pieces, and at the Third avenue railway
office n, $50 $40 pieces.
To enter this service the applicant must
pass the civil service examination and