The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-05

to 1000 postofIlces, and there are a num-
Der who know 10000 postofices. To
know state. In the language of tho
railway mail clerk, is something different
from what might be supposed by the un-
initiated Not only must he have knowl-
edge of the names OF the towns, but he
must know what county each is In and
what railroad reaches II. If this were all
| the task might not appear a difficult one,
but he must know, too the schedules on
| which the trains run and be prepared to
| route letter by the closest connections.
| There Is no knowing these things in the
Org. They must be known in fact. Reg
ular examinations are made of the men
ITO see that they are up on their states.
| When man Is first accepted in the
service he is examined frequently and
then eventually gets down to two examlna-
tons each year. on his accuracy and ef-
iciency depend his rise In the different
classifications, which means increase in
salary. This matter of advancing Is not
one Of pull" but of cold record and math-
ematica calculation. Every time a man
makes an error it is checked against him
and counts In the records which are kept
In his average. When the time comes for
hlling vacancy In the class above the
man whose average Is highest in his own
class is passed to the next one. The de-
partment allows the men to make mis-
takes which Will delay a letter thirty min
utes, but If the letter is sent on a wrong
route and delayed longer than that the
error Is charged against him. The first
time he makes an error on a route he is
notified, or, as they say in the service, IL
Is brought 10 his attention FOR his in
formation" The next time he makes the
same error he is notified al the same time
that II counts in his average.
Men have TO report one another to pro-
teCt themselves A clerk vvbn
letter routed wrong must report II at
once, giving the time Is was received and
from whom and to whom delivered IL he
fails to do SO and it reaches an office late
1t is traced along its route and the blame
distributed among the men who handle It.
All meritorious actions are credited to a
man on his averages.
Working for Hours at Top Speed.
Each man has furnished to him num-
Der OF what are called Slips" and these
bear the names Of towns or connections
to which he must deliver pouches or bags
on his run. The number Of slips differs
as the runs differ On some runs only for
~ slips are needed. while on other runs
the number required reaches 200. The slips
have to be so folded that they will ft
into the slides in the pouches made for
the purpose.
There Is an erroneous impression that
the clerk works only when he is ON his
run. AS matter OF fact, his longest
working hours are in the big train sheds
before the trains start. A clerk who goes
out OF ST. Louis on the fast mail at
o'clock in the morning goes to work at
$50 in the evening and works steadily up
to the time when the train pulls out He
receives several deliveries from the post
office ana gets mail from incoming trains
routed over his route, which ne must
throw" or work" as they call the ar
rangement Of the letters in the different
sacks
When the clerk reaches his car he finds
all Of the racks piled up promiseuously as
result OF the labors Of The car cleaners
He has 10 first adjust Nn intricate sys-
tenn Of racks, which hold the pouches with
their openings as much distended as pos
sible. Then he sorts his labels into the
cases provided for them and starts after
the mail that is brought to him. In most
OF the big fast mail trains over the trunk
lines out Of 81. Louis there are three to
four mail cars, which carry force OF
from eleven to thirteen clerks. Each man
has certain duty to perform, and he does
1t without regard to any other man. Each
man works 10 the limit of his energy. or
he never would accomplish The task he Is
put TO- system Of fines and suspensions
Is provided, which keeps the men close
TO their tasks