The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-04-09
WOMEN IN THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Their Important Part in Unc!O Sans
Greatest Eusincss Enterprise.

like SO many members OF the fair |
sex rs now lrlp To couiur; tn" tni,rd |
states Post Office Department. rho
women engaged in tie great public
communicative system and those who !
arc dependent upon them fo" &uppOrs !
would form Il :suodsizcd city. Murr-
over 10 other sphere open TO feminine
workers embraces SO completely every
portion OF In" domain brHrath TIE
stars and Stripes. There are hundrcda
or women employed in the immcusr
building 1T the National Capital, which
constitutes the headquarters OF the
postal system. but they have co-wo"k-
crS iii almost every town and village
and hamlet IN the land. and within
the past few months the field Of OBJ
"rationS has been broadcncd and post
women are nov penetrating the rural
diStrIctS. carrying letters and papers
ava parcels TO country residents pre-
ElouSly so iSGlatcd as to have been
prarticnllT beyond the reach OF mail
privileges.
Some OF the highest salaricd women
employed in the world are in the scr
vice of tho Post Office Department 1T
these women are past middle If" and
FULLY onc-fOurth Of them are over
fifty years of age. Indeed. toiling six
ana Il lalf hours each day in the StrUr-
turc which forms the heart OF the
poSta' system, arc q number Of women
each over seventy years Of age. who
receive salaries ranging from $500 to
$1,000 Il year. Included in this army
OF women. however. arc some of the
most skilled workers Of either Sex to
he found anywhere in the word-thr
famous "hlind readers OF tho Dead
Irttc" Office.
The experts at the Dead Letter Of
ice at WaShinGton-and they are al
most without exception womcn-pcr-
form some Of the most diiiiculr ana
most interesting tasks in the whole
range or human cuLravOr. II is their
duty to take charge o. Che six million
pieces OF mail mniicr which every
year 30 aStray because Improperly di-
rrrtrd or for some other similar rrn-
son. and see that these waits OF the
mail bags get to thrir proper dcStina-
,.on. or. il that be imprac;icablc. 10
r",urn them If possible TO tho srndrrS
10 hc''pli'f addresses lhai would hn
a'Sciutc!y unlntrlli%!hlc to the average
person ana supply deficiencies where
insufficient or wholly erroneous adj
dresses arc given, requires talent of
the highest order. combined with OK
P'r:rhc'. ana som" OF tn" women who
are employed in this wonderful idcnti-
H'''ioh bureau are rs nearly indiS-
P"hSa'l" rs 1t Is possible for any
"ofh"! 10 ne Ill TINS world.
me pr'hclp"l expert i'll d""iphcring
tangled ch'rography and putting mis-
directed letters on the right track is
Mrs. tattt Lyle Collins. Of Mississippi.
"nl Shc mas aShrStaSSistant Miss Caro-
IiE" ChiidS SO great is the skill OF
'N"S" two women that they handle all
~" particularly difficult specimens.
,''"'I'N' Ill we" O! me great guam
"'' VI "'r1! pieces o. man winch
'''' !" '''!" ''''H cannot 90 more
'"'" |'''''' III r'ch auNr"SS "hd II It's
'''''!''''''"h u'"'S not suggest hS"lr
f'n''''!' 'n' "H'l Is nu' ASIDE tor IN
'''''"",'"" Il. 'o'*"r' -hil the women
'"S'|'" III '''S 'N" OF work must OF
'',''SS"! n"SS'SS S"'ie khoWIcd&c or
'''''">' Il" 'h''%"'-'' Ior foreigners
,'! ''''i",'''H 'h'fouE fragments or
'',''' WV" !l''&H "'';''S III the adlr'SS"S
vi ''''' ''''''S' ana III" lalnlnafl'y
WV" N''F'"l'''!' ""''h - 'SSPh'i''''
"''''' '',''"''" ~ us scope "''S S'"ucAt
VI '',
III vas ''"S'"h arc over 'Wr!Vc nun
"''" "",'''n WHO. a'thoH&h Inc! are
1'' Oh 'h' pa'-r"ii Oh III" l"St once
''''c p"''"' "' 'tc'r 'llhc Ill inc
o,' >',' u '''' loH'"' system. IhcSe
, NV Wv i'''.,n,"t el'ploEcS OF inc
POSTAGE siamn. usc1 in tbc J-n,t,,,
states every year All the United