The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-03-25
REGISTERED MAIL.
Many Clerks Handle and Verify Each
Package.

In the New York post office, when
letter is presented for registration it is
inspected by the receiving clerk to as
certain whether it is in good condition,
firmly sealed, properly addressed
and sufficiently prepaid, and that
the name of the sender has been
indorsed on it, These requirements be-
ing met, the clerk records the letter in
q book composed of alternate thin and
thick leaves, a manifold copy of the en-
try being obtained by means of a sheet
of carbon paper placed between the
two.
The thin sheets are perforated in OBJ
long sections for ready separation, and
constitute the receipts issued to the
public. Each receipt bears distinct
number in series running from one to
one hundred thousand, and every letter
registered has the number of the receipt
issued for it indorsed on it's face.
The condition of the letter envelope
is now inspected by another clerk, and
if perfect, the imprint of a hand stamp
is impressed across the edge of the flap
to betray any tampering.
These preliminaries being completed,
q card known as the return receipt is
prepared and attached to the letter by
means of a rubber band. On one side of
the card appear the number, date of
mailing, name of addressee, and desti-
nation of the letter; on the other, the
name and full address of the sender, to
whom the receipted card will be re-
turned when the letter has been deliv-
cred.
In it's numerical order the letter
passes to a separating clerk, and with
90 others, composing an even 100, is dis
tributed to one of the six cases, where
it will be further treated. The sep
arating clerk verifies the count of each
100 letters before separating another
100, and, as frequently as may be neces-
sary, delivers each subdivision to the
clerks in charge of the cases.
A case consists of long table with a
set of pigeon holes bearing the names
of the large cities in the section of the
country assigned to that case, and in
these pigeon holes the clerk in charge
boxes the letters, and from time to time
parcels them out to his assistants.
The next step is the preparation Of
what is known as registered package
envelope. This consists of an ingeni-
ously contrived envelope specially man
ufactured out of particularly tough
paper for the use to which it is put,
and also numbered in a series of 100000.
On the face of each envelope appears
it's number and spaces for the name of
the post office, county and state to
which it will be sent, while the back is
arranged for notations of it's condition
by every postal official through whose
hands 1t subsequently passes. One of
these envelopes having been addressed,
entry of the letter to be inclosed in it
is made on registry bill, which shows
the date of mailing, name of the post
office using it, name of the post Office to
which it will be sent, number of the
registered package envelope, and, final
ly, the registered number of the letter
to be placed in it and the name of it's
addressee.
The bill and the letter are placed in
this envelope, which then passes to
clerk, who removes it's contents, COM
pares the letter with the entry on the
bill, and calls the registered letter and
registered package envelope numbers,
together with their destination, to an
assistant, who records these particu-
lars in the mailing book. The letter
and bill are now replaced in the en-
velope, and it passes to another clerk
for final veriication of contents and
sealing.
The sealing consists in an applica-
tion of blue mucilage to the three flaps
of the envelope, which when once closed
cannot be reopened without mutila-
tions, the blue mucilage exposing any
attempt to open the envelope by any
steaming process. The postmark show
ing the mailing Office and the date is
now affixed. and the envelope. with a
the pouch room, where another separa-
ton is necessary in order that it may
get to the registered pouch that will
carry it to the distributing Office near
est it's final destination.
The contents of the registered pack
age envelope can now only be ascer-
tanned by reference to the registered
letter numbers charged against the
envelope number in the mailing book,
or the more full description of the let
ters on the registry bill, which is under
seal, and. therefore, inaccessible.
The registered package envelope is
entered by origin, number and desti.
nation on the book of the pouch in
which it is to be dispatched, q carbon
manifold record of the package inclosed
i'll each pouch being preserved, the du-
plicate sheet of each pouch forming
the bill of advice to the Office to which
the pouch is sent.
When as many packages as the pouch
will hold have been entered on the
proper book two clerks verify the en-
tries, sign the last sheet of the bill,
place it with the packages in the pouch,
adjust the strap that secures it and
finally attach that mechanical wonder
called a rotary lock. This lock has
fixed serial number engraved on its side,
which serves to identify it, and ro-
tary number, which unerringly adj
rances one every time the lock is
opened.
The pouch is then delivered to a rail-
way postal clerk, who receipts for it by
lock and rotary numbers, and it re-
mains under constant guard until its
destination is reached. Keys that
open the rotary locks are issued only to