The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-24
On Duty and on Their Work Requires
Close Application and Con-
slant Labor.
UNCLE SANS WATCHFUL EYE
MAIL SERVICE MEN MUST BE TEN
PERATE AND HONEST.
How an appointment Is Secured-Fre-
quent Difficult Tests of Efficiency
Made-System Nearly Perfect.

The interior Of a United States mail car
all ready for the road presents to the ordi-
nary individual a very fascinating picture.
With lines of pigeon holes that occupy
both sides of the car. and the uniformed
men i'm front of them distributing letters
and packages. il is enough TO iii the heart
of any boy with envy. But the person who
thinks seriously OF entering the service had
first better make up his mind thoroughly as
to whether he will enjoy life which viii
tax his memory to the fullest extent; for
from the time he passes the civil-seryice
examination until he becomes too old for
active work, or gets promoted 10 some other
branch of the service the mail clerk never
ceases to apply himself 10 books OF United
States geography and lists of postoffices.
The number of men that desire positions
clerks in the railway mail service far ex-
ceeds the demand, and large per cent OF
those who are anxious for appointment
never get it from the fact that they cannot
pass the necessary examinations. There is
hardly any branch OF the government serv-
ice which is so hard to get into as this.
The reason so much care is shown in Sc
lecting the men is that country in the
world has a mail service which completes
with that of the United States and the
officials are always endeavoring TO make il
more perfect
In the first place a man who seeks this
mode Of life should feel that after getting
into the service he will be perfectly satisfied
and always keep up his interest I'm his
work, for any carelessness or lack of in
terest on the part OF any one OF these
clerks can be detected at once. and gener-
ally results in his dismissal. A man. too.
must be well educated, for. after success
fully passing the civil-service examination.
he is put through another test. which com
prises arithmetic. spelling. letter-writing.
United States geography and transporta-
ton, which includes both railroads and
steamboats,. He must also make a plain
copy of some short sketch or extract from
book, read addresses written in the worst
possible hand. and know the names and
locations of the postoffices in the division
in which he lives. The division in which
this city is located includes Indiana, Ohio,
Kentucky and Tennessee. and the number
of offices in these States reaches up into
the thousands. One OF the most unique
parts of this examination, and one which
seems very useless to the applicant. is the
]
long list of figures. but this is one of the
most important parts of the whole affair.
for it tests a mans accuracy. If a star.
such as is sometimes used in books to call
attention to a note at the bottom Of the
page should be left out II would count ten
against the person being examined.
MUST WAIT SIX MONTHS.
After going through this test the post
oa3o OLE i,, 70 ~ fhfa
applicant as 10 results. as they generally
wait about six months. the reason for this
delay being the large number OF appIica-
tions continually on file. If he has been so
fortunate as TO have succeeded the appli-
cant gets his grade and standing ON the ELI
gible list After this he is sent for and
/ put to work. The appointments are made
according to the way a mans name appears
on the list, which simply means the better
his grade is the sooner he will go 10 work.
| The appointment of these clerks is made
/ in the following manner: When more men
are needed the appointing officer who is
/ the postmaster general. sends for three
names, which are furnished him by the
/ examining commissioner Of the division
| he sends TO. From these he selects one. The
/ division superintendent then calls this man
/
AS soon as he reports for duty he is given
another test 10 prove that he is the man
that took the examination in the first
place. After he has been put 70 work he
is given a State to study. For instance, he
/ is assigned to study Texas This Is given
him by sections, and he is supposed to
know the name and location OF every post
office, the division it is in. every line that
]
there. He must also learn all of the large
offices I'm the section given him and those
that surround it, with the names of all
railroads that connect them. After he has
gone through the State by sections ne takes
it as a whole and studies along the same
line, an6 as he completes these sections he
is examined on them. Pigeon holes, similar
to those used in the cars. arranged on
easels, have the names of the pOstoffices
the man is to be examined on marked on
them. and ne is given bunch OF cards
with the names OF the Offices written on
them. He must distribute these. making
the fewest possible mistakes So expert
and familiar with the names Of the Offices
do these men become that the other day in
the local examining room. a man threw
100 cards without getting one in the wrong
]
oughiy he is assigned TO another.
After a new appointee has served as a
/ substitute for about five or six months he
/ is put on probation for six months. so that
II takes quite a time for a man 10 get his
regular appointment even after passing the
necessary examinations. While man is
on probation he receives $500 year. but
/ after he gets his regular run with crew
he is advanced 10 500 year. When he
/ gets 10 running regularly he works four
/ days a week and Is of four. During this
/ lay-off time he Is supposed 20 study and
| practice. Every mail clerk has cabinet
/ OF pigeon holes at home and three or four
thousand cards. with which he works con-
tinually. These clerks are supposed 10 have
/ knowledge covering from six thousand TO
nine thousand Offices. They also take much
/ pride in their standing In examinations. and
many OF them consider IL a very low mark
II they receive - or 99ia. 100 being perfect.
II clerk doesn't study during his lay-oH
/ it can easily be detected. because he viii
not make up his mail properly. on every