Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-28
LOCAL MAIL CARRIERS
Those of Washington Said to
Rank Very High.
WEAR SERVICE BARS
WHERE AND HOW PoSTMEN ARE
STATIONED.
More Collections Than Deliveries-Pay
Can Only Reach 81 900 Per
Year-Requisites.

The letter-carrier service of Washington
IS said to be the best in the United States,
and it is a notable fact that very few peo-
pie know the extent of the service or have
any idea of the duty performed by these
men who trudge through the streets day
and night. both picking up and delivering
inissives, that bring sometimes joy ard
sometimes sorrow to the thousands of peo-
pie in Washington.
The letter carrier service of the Wash
ington city post office covers practically the
entire District of Columbia. There are %
carriers Of which number ifty-ive do
nothing but collect letters and packages
from the various boxes.
Out of this number forty-nine are, ac-
cording to the department, mounted" For
this mounted service the department allows
SO per month for the care of the horse.
The carriers are apportioned follows:
Main office. 122; station A, 13; station B,
30; station ID, 10; station F, 10, station G.
81; station H. 4; Brookland. 2; Tacoma
Park, 2; Bennng, 2, and station X, which
Is at Langdon, L. In addition to these reg
ular carriers there are thirty-eight substi-
tutes. who take the places of the men who
are either sick or else desire a few days
vacation.
Many people have doubtless noticed that
on the arms of most of the letter carriers
Is either black braid a star of black,
silver or gold. 1t is not generally known,
however, that these braids and stars are
the sign of so many years honorable serv-
ice In the work of the Post Office Depart
ment- Following is a list of service marks,
as prepared by Superintendent Bell of the
local post office delivery service:
There are forty-one who are entitled to
wear one black silk star for five years Of
service.
There are sixty-six who are entitled to
wear two black stars for ten years of serv-
ice.
There twenty who are entitled to
wear one red silk star for fifteen years of
service
There are nineteen who are entitled TO
wear two red silk stars for twenty years
of service.
There are twelve who are entitled to
wear one silver star for twenty-five years
of service
There are three who are entitled to wear
two silver stars for thirty years of serv-
ice.
There are only two who are entitled to
wear one gold star for thirty-fve years of
service.
And lightweight who by reason of less
than five years of service wear no insignia
Out of the entire service there are but
two carriers, it will be noted. who are en-
titled to wear the gold star on the sleeve
of their coat.
Their Careers
One of these is Albert Carew who was
born at Rochester, N. Y, November g.
1912. He educated in the public
schools of that city, and when the civil
war broke out he enlisted in the Union
army, at the age of sixteen years, in Com
pany E. I'd United States Artillery, the
7th day of January, 1860. He served dur
ing the entire war, and was mustered out
of service January Z, 1865. Immediately
upon his entering civil life Mr.. Carew
tered the postal service in Washington as
a letter carrier, and since that time he has
made an honorable record for himself.
The other man entitled to wear a gold
star is Mr.. E. A. WILDER, who is also vet
eran of the Union army. Mr.. WILDER en-
listed in the army on the 18th day of jan
uary, 1862, in the 58th Regiment Pennsyl-
vania Volunteer Infantry. He was taken
prisoner at the second battle Of Bull Run,
and was exchanged few months later. 1t
Is interesting to know that when Mr.. VIII
Der was appointed to the letter carrier
force the entire District of Columbia was
served by a force of twenty-five men, five
of whom made the collections for the en-
tire city
by Major Bell, superintendent of delivery
at the local post Office is mapped out with
military precision, and it IS seldom that
the schedules as arranged by Major Bell
are not carried out to the exact minute. In
the residence section of Washington three
deliveries are made each day, and seven or
eight collections In the business district
there are four deliveries and eleven collec-
tions. For the purpose of handling the
collections there are 1870 letter boxes and
2I3 boxes for the collection of packages
The service performed by the night car
riers, and this continues during most of the
night, is devoted entirely or almost so to
making collections These men go on duty
at o'clock in the afternoon and are usual
ly through at 100 in the morning. but under
no circumstances is a carrier permitted to
work over eight hours on one trick. The
carriers assigned to deliver routes report at
q o'clock am, and are usually through
their duties about 5 o'clock pm.
In the meantime, however, in order that
they may not work more than eight hours
IN twenty four, these men are required to
Swing" or be off duty, between the de-
Nveries.