The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-17
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Nail .SerUiae.

~ +. xINEkEE. I2AsdsS IA LA ~ ~
+. r. c. BallAnsane and W ID busa'
pu-sers respectively OF the steam
ers FaraIson. Resale. topeka and Ai-hi.
who have been acting railway postal clerks
during the Alaska rush, have been ap-
pointed regular postal clerks o. the 1ineE-
en-, CLEANERS These appointments were
made upon the recommendation originally
by the Seattle postoffics. and later upon
the Recommendation OF III. p. Thraa, super
insendens Of the Eighth division, railway
mail service.
The enormous amount Of mail matter and
registered packages carried each month BY
the Different steamers. which increased
steadily as the year progressed. showed
the Necessity Of regular mail clerks. wno
would be better prepared anu better COM
pensatea FOR performing the work If EN-
pl0yed regularly BY the government While
Assistant Postmaster w j. Co.kesr was in
Washington last fall he took up the matter
VITA the heads u the posGot.sce department,
and after returning 10 this city looked INTO
the matter more fully, writing the depart
ment at length, giving facts and figures.
A short time after Sups. Thrali WAS ordered
by the department 10 investigate, and he
approved the scheme and recommended 10
the department al W asaington the appoint
ment OF sae parSers named as regular
postal clerks. The compensation viii be
<3ae q year each, which they viii draw
aside from their salaries as employees OF
the steamship companies.
As regular postal clerks the parsers Will
be able TO render much better service in
Alaska. and VIII be OF great assistance TO
postmasters Ia the different towns In the
past but enc purser. Curtis. now On th3
Cottage City. has been in position TO per
form the work properly. De having been
appointed 3 regular clerk several years ago
at q salary of $40 a year. He received his
appointment while purser Of the City OF
Topeka at a time when that steamer was
the only boat carrying mail 10 Alaska
Since the rush north the department has
been compelled to send mail at every pcs
sibie opportunity. to the purser falling the
lot Of caring for the mail and registered
matter. Oftentifaes tens or letters. papers
and packages have been shipped and thou
sands Of dollars OF registered matter. With
out the cofysniences ard paraphernalia
used by regular postal clerks the narssrs
were seriously handicapped. bat now that
they are TO be furnished with pouches,
keys letter racks, etc, the distribution and
general handling Of ali kinds Of mail matter
viii be facilitated.
These steamers make over 400 miles s
month each. and carry each way on every
trip large quantities OF mall matter. lFa-
der the old system one man received $500
q year, two received <iss each and two 81
each, making total OF So year paid III
salaries. as against <l,ss0 from now on
The local Office made an effort to get the
salaries even higher than $780, which is
the minimum paid regular postal clerks.
x * 4
THE local pos.offiee authorities are max
ing every endeayar TO get mail of 20
Faldes and Orca, where many prospectors
are winlerlng. A large amount was sent
by the Wolcott, which sailed for the two
ports several days ago. and another con-
slgnrenf VIII be sent February by the
steamer to be dispatched TO Valdes by the
Pacific Steam Whaling Company. Should
any vessel clear before this date all ac-
cumulated mali viii be- given 20 il. the
policy Of the department being TO get the
mail in at the earliest possible time.
< < <
vOHN II. DAVIES who has been rail-
- way postal clerk between Seattle and
Neah bay at a yearly salary OF $500. has
been made full-dedsed clerk at a salary
OF 500 a year, He has been attending 10
the mails in conjunction with MS duties Of
purser On the steamer Garland. but from
now on ne will give his entire time TO the
mar and will run on the steamer Alice
Gertrude.
Beside Davies and the Eve Alaska purs-
ers there is In the railway postal steam
ship service on Puget sound a clerk run
ming TO La Conner. one 10 Union on Hood
canal one 10 Whatcom. one 20 Port An
geles and one 10 Port Townsend, making
eleven I'm all