The Washington times., 1902-02-09
]. s. RAILWAY
mail SERVICE
Theory of Evolution Exem-
plifled in Its Growth.
DIVIDED INTO ELEVEN DISTRICTS
American Postal orsanization Now
the Most Perfect OF Gts Kind in the
Orid-Oid Freight Methods Su-
pcrscdcd by Up-io-nate work.

From the numbering stage to the fast
lying express train, and from primitive
methods to the perfection OF science
has been the growth of the rail
way mail service OF the United
States during the past half cen
tury, and there is no more complete il
lustratien of the theory Of evolution than
that presented by the history of this
particular branch Of the PostoiIice De
partnent.
There are men yet living who remem-
Der when a trip of 100 miles made by
stage in twenty-four hours was consid-
cred wonderful. Our forefathers. could
they return now, would stand aghast at
the great change which has occurred in
the system OF mail transportation. The
old freight-car methods have been super
seded by up-to-Gatensss in every line.
The Coach Era.
The eighteenth century closed with the
postcfIice in an insignificant state. and
with the railway mail, service a thing
not even dreamed Of From 1854, when
Ebenezer Hazard was Postmaster Gen
eral, TO 1884, shen the railroads were
just coming ii, constitutes the first
period of fifty years into which the his
tory of the Postcfiice service may be di-
yided.
This period may be known as the stage
coach era, while not until 1884 was made
the first mention OF railways as possible
mode of transportation OF mails The
annual report OF the Postmaster General
for 1885 contains the first notice of actual
transportation of mail by rail
In that year the annual transportation
of mail in post-coaches and stages
amounted to 16,S74,050 miles; in sulkies
and On horseback, 1,S1I,913 miles. in
steamboats,, $3.50 miles, and in rail-
road cars, go, ,50i miles. II required thir
ty-nine hours for a letter mailed in
Washington TO be delivered at its desti-
nation in Boston.
Perfection Attained Mt Last.
Now the railway transportation is the
only one of any considerable Importance,
although in the remote districts the
stagecoach is still pressed into service.
The American railway postal service is
now the most perfect in the world.
From the humble beginning inausurated
by Benjamin Franklin and the early pro-
moters of the postal service during Colo
nial and Revolutionary days, il has today
attained such ponderous proportions that
it may easily rank as one of the most
important branches of public functions.
The average man. mailing letter in
Washington addressed to San Francisco
gives 10 thought to the labor incident TO
its safe delivery.
1t is TO the humble postal railway
clerk that the credit is due.
Eleven Mali Districts.
The railway mail service is at present
divided into eleven districts with head
quarters at New York, Washington, Bos-
ton, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago, st.
Louis, Cleveland, St Paul, Fort Worth,
and San Francisco.
The Washington district is in charge of
Superintendent Charles W. Vickery, whose
headquarters are in the Atlantic Coast
Line Building. Upon his shoulders falls
the immense work of attending to the
shipment OF the tons of mail matter which
every week leave the Capital for every
other portion of the country. Washington
is one of the big offices. and, owing to the
great Congressional mail, one of the most
important ones.
The life OF the railwaz mail clerk is
hard one. although he works but two
weeks at time For one week re labors
necessarily. For the following six days he
is allowed 10 rest, but must constantly
study his route.
PeriIs of the Employees.
If these men would they could tell tales
OF hairbreadth escapes from death by
wreck and fire, and of adventures with
train robbers and the ordinary perils of
the life. Ali the old-timers have seen
bloodshed and carnage.
One of these hardy sons of the flying |
express, who is injured for life from an
adventure of this sort is now employed [!
in the Washington Postofiice, where he /
does quiet work, not too arduous for his /
strength. He is II. W. McGregor, trans !
fer clerk, who has charge of the ship |
ment of mails to the railroads.
Nr. McGregor was injured in the wreck |
on the Atlantic Coast Line, near Gearys-
burg, n. c., on June 4 1900. In this wreck, |
caused by head-on collision, several
lives were lost. including that of the en-
gineer, whose body was cut in two.
Hurled Under Debris.
Mr.. McGregor. who had charge of the
postal car, was sorting mail when he re-
ceived the first intimation that serious
calamity had happened. This warning was
the telescoping OF the car and the COM
plete wreckage of everything in it. His
assistant was killed instantly. while he
was buried under mass of debris.
Scalding steam from the exploded
boiler Of the engine sent stream of boil
ing water throughout the wreck. lending
added terror to the destruction already
wrought a rescue party was formed.
and Mr.. McGregor was taken out, more
dead than alive. At the hospital he was
given up, but instead of dying he recov-
cred, and is now able to work. He will
never again, in all probability. go back
into mail car.
In this wreck but little damage was
lone to the immense amount of mail mat
er in the car. Most of the mail was
lrenched with blood, but it was all safely