The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-12-02


! H. p. :ThraIL who has been superin-
tendent OF the eighth or Pacific divi-
sion Of the United States railway mail
service for more than six years, the
! territory including California, Alaska,
/ Arizona. Hawaii. Idaho, Nevada, Ore
gon. Utah and Washington has re-
signed that position to accept an ap-
Fo!ntmert as manager of the mail de-
partment of the Hartman railway
/ lines.
A. II. Stephens. assistant in the rail-
way mail service to Thrall for four
years. has been appointed to succeed
Thrall in the railway mail service and
began his duties as superintendent yes
terday.-.
This news is of interest to men in the
postal service and to all who have
to deal with the United States mails
Fin.a vast territory. The eighth division
Of the United States service is the
largest in the. country under Federal
/ administration. The railway district
in which Thrall becomes manager for
the Hartman lines is greater than
several Of the Federal districts COM
bined.
ThraT was first connected with the
United States railway mail in 1888,
when ne went on the road as clerk
he served on the road until 1891, when
he was made postal inspector. He re-
manned in that capacity until July 1893,
and then was made superintendent of
the Pacific division of the railway mail
service.
Stephens became a clerk in the rail-
way mail service in 1893 in a little
more than eleven years he has risen to
the position of the chief of the eighth
or Pacific division. He first ran as a
clerk on the road between Ogden and
San Francisco, and remained on that
run until 1898. In train wreck on the
Central Pacific line at Colfax, Placer
County. he was nearly killed. When he
resumed work lie was taken into the
Office of the railway mail service in this
! city one month after Thrall was made
the superintendent of the division.
Since 1899 he, has worked his way
| through all the various Office branches
4 of the service. Prior to entering the
railway mail service Stephens was a
newspaper man, connected with papers
in San Jose and San Francisco. He Is
1 the youngest railway mail division SUI
perintendent in the United States. be-
ing but IS years old.
| Included in the Pacific division OF the
| railway mail service are 1900 miles OF
! railway lines over which the malls are
carried in mail cars and 5000 miles on
! which the service is conducted in bag
gage cars IN ciOSeQ pOucheS- The sea
| lines up and down the Pacific Coast of
the United States and between the
| States and Alaska and Hawaii are
managed by the superintendent of the
Pacific division. To his care are also
entrusted star postal routes that run
under contracts
Many postal men yesterday extended
their congratulations on his promotion
to Superintendent Stephens Thrall is
! in Chicago, where he will be perma-
nently stationed, that being the point
from which he can most advantage
ously manage the entire postal area
included in the Hartman territory.
Thrall is credited with having dou-
bled the number of men employed in
the Pacific division of the United States
railway mail service during his COM
paratively brief period of administra-
ton, and the number of miles over
which mails are carried has also been
nearly doubled in the same time.
He has been repeatedly complimented
by his superior officers in the postal
service His efficiency has long been
recognized by the Southern Pacific Deo-
pie, who some months ago planned to
give him the position to which he has
now been appointed.
The salary of the superintendent Of
the Pacific division OF the railway mail
is $4,000 a year. The Hartman lines
win give Thrall more than double that
sum, and IL is rumored that his salary
will be $4,000 a year, with a long con-
tract.