The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-17
RAILWAY MAIL CLERKS
SOME INTERESTING GLIMPsES AT
THEIR DAILY LIFE.
Chief Clerk Clarence f. votaw Talks
of the Duties of the Men
Under Him.

1.-THE United States mail Is very much
like a stream of water. which flows along
in its channel smoothly enough on ordinary
flows its banks and causes considerable
trouble" said Clarence E. votaw. chief
clerk OF the railway mail service. in chargs
Of the postal clerks on fourteen lines OF
railroad running out of Indianapolis.
1T is the duty of the chief clerks" con-
tinued Mr.. Votaw, "to see that the stream
does not become clogged up in any way.
and, If 1t gets so unavoidably, they must
perform extra duty in removing the OBJ
structions. One of the principal duties OF a
chief clerk is to make frequent trips over
his division and see that the mails are be-
ing properly handled. He must also fur
nish substitutes In case of absence OF reg
ular clerks. and keep the department at
Washington advised Of the condition and
needs of the service. 1t is unfortunately
true that the force of railway mail clerks
does not increase in a ratio corresponding
to the ratio of growth of the amount of
mail handled. But 1 do not know of any
clerks who are thinking of r~esigning be-
cause Uncle Sam chooses to practice rigid
economy in this department.
"One of the interesting features about
the chief clerks Office is the examination
of men as to their knowledge of the vari-
Gus States to which they distribute mail.
This is done by giving the clerk a box of
cards, on each of which is written the
name of a postofice. He then takes his
position in front of a large case filled with
pigeon holes labeled to all the railway post
office lines in the State, and endeavors to
put each card in it's proper compartment in
the case. If the clerk has learned his
lesson well in advance the task is easy.
If, however, he has been remiss, he soon
begins to perspire freely, ana this fact
probably gave rise to the designation of
this box as the 'swea case
ATTEMPTS AT DECEPTION.
Now and then attempts are made to
practice receptions on Mr.. Miller, who does
the examining at the local office, but the
offender usually discovers that, although
Miller is personally the soul of gentility.
he is also a veritable watchdog in percep-
ton. Once he discovered that after a clerk
had been examined quite a number of the
cards were missing. He at once suspected
that the clerk had ~purloined those cards,
the inscriptions on which were unknown to
him.. Proof came shortly, when the miss
ing cards were found in a hot-air register
located near where the clerk had been seat
ed during his examination. A resignation
was quickly forthcoming.
ION another occasion it was found that
a clerk who came W for examination had
prepared himself in advance for the ordeal
by writing the names OF 500 postoffices in
which he slyly held In his hand for refer
ence during the examination. Only one
dexterous and rapid grab over his shoulder
was required to connscate the illegal out
fit, and the guilty clerk at once set him.
self to work writing out a form of resig-
nation. which soon had his name affixed.
"One should not form the idea that the
railway mail service is entirely dull, prosy
who have been in the business some time
have quite as much fun as do college stu
dents. They have a system of hazing.
which, while not as severe as some that are
in vogue at institutions Of learning, Is fully
as effective and enjoyable. One of the COM
monest forms which this species of hazing
assumes Is the conveying to new clerks of
the information that the canvas mail
sacks are in need of being Numbered. When
the green fellows first hear this they
naturally inquire how the sacks are
washed, and are told to send a requisition
TO the head office for soap and a pair OF
rubber boots, which they usually do. Some
times the clerk who is in charge Of a
crew solemnly details one of the new men
TO perform the important duty of holding
the clerk who makes an exchange of mail
sacks at what is called a catch station.
that is, a station at which the train does
not stop. The new man grasps the leg OF
the clerk and holds on for dear life while
the catch is being made, and the other fell
lows, who are on are scarcely able to re-
strain their laughter as they congratulate
the two upon making such a remarkably
successful catch.
ONE OF THEIR FRANKS.
"a story is current among railway clerks
to the effect that a new man was once
persuaded to stand in the car door at sta.
tons along a certain route and cry: oh
yes, oh yes the United States mail is now
being received
I'm point of honesty, railway mail clerks
will compare very favorably with men In
other lines of business who handle prop.
erty that is not their own. Every month
hundreds of articles found loose in the
mails, ranging in value from gold coins
down to tin spoons, are turned in at head.
quarters. Frail packages when broken In
transmission are carefully tied up and
forwarded to their proper addresses. tt
theft Of the most Insignificant article is
ground for summary removal.
There is plenty of hardship and weari
| some labor In the life of a railway mai
clerk, but in spite of this there is ar
irresistible fascination about the active
earnest kind of work required and In the
constant swing across the country from