The National tribune., 1903-08-06
day and night, being run by two shifts of

day and night being run by two shifts of
clerks.
| "a man called me into his tent one
morning and asked me to deliver his mail.
Next day I could not even locate the
place where his tent had stood. l rubbed
my eyes, looked up the order, and found
the place where the tent should have
been; but in its place was a frame struc-
ture. A grocer was arranging his stock.
l asked him where his predecessor was.
oh, he has pushed on was his response.
But he told me to bring his mail here
l said. We'll, that is all right, but that
was yesterday he answered as though
discussing ancient history. L bought him
out yesterday afternoon. hired a gang of
carpenters and ran up this building last
night. and we put our stock of goods IN
this morning The man you are looking for
pulled his freight for Council City this
morning. l guess you had better forward
his mail there ..,
''It was remarkable what absolute con-
fidence the public reposed in us. l enter
cd Il saloon one day. delivered the mail to
the barkeeper and to the men who We're
running the various games. such as Black
Jack, Roulette and the Wheel of For
tune An old graybcard called to me.
Here. son.. he said. as he pushed over Il
pile of $50 gold pieces, i have started a,
little game here that is panning out pretty
well. Get me Il money order for 500 to
send to my wife in Los Angeles l. wrote
down her name and address. pockcted the
gold, and next day brought the man his
order. l suppose l have bought n dozen
money orders for men who were too busy
gambling to attend to it themselves. They
would hand me $50 or S1O0. thrown down
a silver dollar. and say, That will cover
the cost of the order and pay you for
your. trouble.
HOW MATHEMATICS REINFoRCEs LoGIC.
Letter-carriers' routes differ so greatly
in topography, density and character of
population. and other important details,
that standards of even relative equality
are very hard to establish. One carrier
who was congratulated on having an easy,
level district, smooth as n skating-rink." ;"
pointed out the reverse side of the Sit,la-
ton. showing that some of these light and
easy assumptions should be heavily saltcd
before swallowing. He reports that he ac-
tually climbs $50 steps every day on
that smooth route. delivering his mail.
One thousand five hundred and sixty steps
in one day, counting them only six inches.
80 feet: enough energy expended to make
nearly 1S miles on the level; reaching up
toward the sky, not counting Sundays, va
cations and holidays, 43 miles in the
year, or in 40 years 1.720 miles. with
energy expended in that time to make over
100000 miles on the level, in addition to
what walking he actually does on the
level. Thus mathematics reinforce logic
level. Thus mathematics Teinforces logic
full men in gray suits is not an altogether
easy one. .... .
Contrary to widespread belief. and I'M
like most classes of uniformed public serv-
ants-National. State or Muncipal-the
letter-carricr receives no pay whatever
during sickness and incapacity for work.
Though his disability may be the direct
result of sickness contracted in the line
of duty, his pay summarily ceases the mo-
ment he is unable to report for duty. The
mail must be delivered to the eager. ex
acting public. and a substitute carrier is
always kept in readiness to do the work
and draw the salary.
A SCHEME TO EXPEDITE DELIVERIES.
Lateness of delivery of the first morn
ing mail, by letter-carriers in cities, is Il
subject of constant complaint by business
firms. AS nearly 30 per cent of the mails
reach the great centers during the night.
it follows that in those cities the first
morning delivery is of greater importance
to the business patrons than all the other
trips of the day combined The time con-
sumed by the carriers in routing their
early morning mail-that is arranging it
in consecutive order for patrons. especial
ly in the larger cities-is therefore Il mat
ter of vital importance to the success of
the service. So great has been the con
gestion of this early morning mail that at
many points the carriers were occupied
two hours in routing it. and no other sin
gle feature of the work engendered so
much dissatisfaction and complaint As
n means of solving this problem the pracs
tice was inaugurated two years ago of as
signing expert carriers in several of the
large cities to night duty arranging this
mail for carriers in business districts, so
that they can take it up promptly on ar
rival at the post office, and proceed at
once with its delivery.
UNIVERSAL POPULARITY OF THE CAR
RIEEs.
There are classificatiOns in postal EN-
plOyment whereof the Civil Service Com
mission never dreamed. Letter-carriers
are the pets of the public and the ayistoc-
acy of the mail service. Their uniforms
identify them proudly with the dignity
and grandeur of our National Govern
ment. They alone come in direct contact
with the mass of the people, who, for
who handle the letters en- route, give the
carriers most Of the credit for the mar
velous speed and accuracy attained They
are the Gentlemen at the top of the
wall who do all the work. Patient toll
ers make the brick: other patient toiiers
haul them to their destination; still others
carry them in hods up to the fourth or
fifth story on dizzy ladders--the carriers
in neat uniform and bright brass buttons,
get all the credit for building the house.
They earn all they get, both of public
favor and emoluments of office. They
have won popular esteem by their char
acter and conduct, by their industry and
courtesy. They have secured fair hut not
extravagant salary and their eight-hour
day, by intelligent organization. To the
merit system, honestly administered, and
the Letter-Carriers' Association, they owe
much Of the progress made in lettering
their condition within the past 10 years
tions of bad crops and preposterous poll
tics, they go on, winning their way to the
right of the line in the grand army of pos
tai workers.
HOW THE TABLES ARE TURNED.
Many citizens find a possible menace to
the ultimate integrity Of our postal sys-
tenn in the organizations which have been
formed among various classes of its EN-
ployees, avowedly for the advancement of
their own interests as well as for the pub
lie benefit. Unquestionably the present
Civil Service policy is absolutely indispen-
sable to the efficient workings Of our Gov