Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-09-19

the past few days he has APP ARD IN
Washington as the advocate OF il.
A statement by Mr.. McAllister OF
his interesting plan OF trolley mail col
lections IL here given:
when first suggested. the Idea to
most people possibly looks visionary
Only the practical details Of IT, which
are not apparent at first sight. lend 10
It the aspect Of genuine common sense
and plausibility.
1T is proposed TO provide an abso-
lutely exposed or coverless opening Tor
letters ON that side of every street car
which is nearer the sidewalk. The
best mechanical construction of this
drop letter opening-for kind of use
on street cars. TO be presently explained
will demand:
"First.-That II shall be n duly elon-
gated mouth. topless aperture-that Is
an entirely flush opening.
"Second.-That II shall be placed YER
tically, at no angle OF detection what
ever. to the hand of the depositor.
.Third.-That 1t shall extend suiii-
Gent distance. TO be determined by eX-
perience. say ten or fifteen feet or
more, along the side of the car.
"Fourth.-That It shall be provided
with mechanical parts interiorly to
protect letters in the mail box from
the elements freely beating into it.
1.-THE mechanical design also calls for
means of discharging the mail from
the receptacle at one point only, no
matter how far along the car the open
ing may extend.
"Now, the citizen desiring TO post a
letter on a passing street car would go
about II In the same manner precisely
as he now goes about boarding ear
to ride. He would, however, not use
the near street crossing, or that now
used by intending car passengers; he
would use the far crossing-the mall
ing crossing, as 1t would come to be
named-being thus distingushable tc
the motorman as a person about TO
post a letter.
"As the car came toward him he
would, Of course, step from the side
walk to meet 1t. The motorman, AT a
proper distance from him and in the
usual way, would down brakes but
In this case only for quarter stop of
the car, graduating the speed so that
the car would pass the crossing at
about the rate at which, in all our
cities, cars are run when male pas
sengers are about to board them with
out stoppage. This will be better ex-
planned In a moment.
practically the speed of the car
would be little moderated, as the time
required for the check up the drop
of the letter and the release of the
brake would be, in all, three and one
half to four seconds. Since the drop
letter opening, however, would extend
| perhaps half the length of the car, ex.
perience has demonstrated that five
| persons could drop five separate letters
all at different points, while the car
was passing.
| "Now, very naturally, an impulse OF
prejudice leads us to believe that the
act of posting a letter on a car in this
way would be more difficult, more com
plicated than that of taking passage or
q car.
"In reliability this letter posting
would be something indefinitely sim
pier, more direct, less disconcerting &c
the average man, or woman either, and
accomplished also with possibly hun
dredth part Of the difficulty or risl
now involved in boarding a car. II
this latter case one must remain in the
street while the entire body of the cal
passes before one steps on the bach
platform, and all the while ones at
tention must be wholly fixed on this
platform. Only part of n second Ii
consumed in dropping letter.
ION the steam railway system mai
Is transferred from road to road. Al
analogous arrangement would in thi!
case place transfer agents at sucl
points Of intersection of the electric
roads as would insure the nearest con
nection for mail transferred from
roads not running to the postoffice t.
those running there. Collections owe
Ian area Of forty or fifty square mile
could thus be focused at the very doc
} of the postofiice. Retaining the cor
'ner' boxes, the carriers would continu
ously shift their small contents to tn
car boxes.
"Motormen do not now find childrel
of tender age attempting to ride; the,
would not find them attempting to pos
letters on the cars when their parent
could and would send them to the COZ
ner boxes. and as to fire blockades
either the mail or the blockaded car
would simply be shifted to anothe
(even contguousl line Of the local trae
ton system" absss 4&ss I: sssas.9Sss.sss.