Evening star., 1909-08-22

to .: the other way they begin with
or and continue the same numeral
throughout the row. Thus the / numbers
are in a row, one back of the other.
Each trunk that comes into the station
goes under one of those nine rows, ac-
cording to the initial number of the
claim check. A trunk bearing check
numbered 336 would be under the J row
of numbers. one bearing 1923 would go
into the l row The trunks are all on
end with the check numbers showing
and ii is an easy matter, therefore. for
the baggageman to find a piece OF bag
gage bearing a specific claim number
There is a clever scheme in this ciassl-
fication of the trunks according TO the
initial figure of their claim check mum
bers. In case there are three or four
trunks in the same party they would
probably bear consecutive numbers. such
as 81. 22. 23 and ~. When they are
classified according to the initial hsure
they will all be put in the row ana
thus kept together: and the baggageman
will find all four trunks together. IL
classified by the last figure each would
be in a separate row.
Load Thirty Mail Cars Day.
AS soon as trunk has been checked
for an outgoing train by the exchange
of claim check for train check. the
checker pulls it out of its row. The
called-ouiekly spot these trunks out of
line load them onto hand trucks ana
carry them away. From the hand truck
a piece of baggage is loaded onto wag-
on truck. with many others 10 go on
the same train; that truck is "heeled
onto an elevator. hoisted to fAe tfalh
platform above and the baggage is with
in a few minutes packed away Ill lhe
| baggage car on the right train. Inc
loading of bagsace cars begins oiteh-
times several hours before the trains
pull out, thus enabling the baSeasemeh
to keep the room cleared IS much as
possible and avoiding grand rush TO
get all baggage loaded onto tram
minute before 1t is scheduled to start
Trunks on incoming trains go through
a reverse process. After being hauled
from the baggage car TO the baggage
room they are classified in the same way
a the others.
Those thousands of trunks which are
handled in day in the Dig termihal
must be distributed among the baggage
cars of Ill trains that leave the station
every twenty-four hours: and trunks
coming from the same number of trains
must also be properly cared for. The
owners Of the trunks rarely see them in
their passage through the station, but
the system is perfect that rarely does
the wardrobe of q traveller go astray.
Baggage room reports show that about
10000 pieces of luggage were handled
000 per day
But the worries of the baggage de-
partment employees do not end with the
handling of trunks. dress suit cases and
the like. To their lot falls the care of
all lost articles found trains coming
into Washington or around the station
itself About 800 such articles are turned
iii in the course of a month, and they
are of spicy variety. Of course there
are plenty of umbrellas, coats and small
handbags. but once in a while live ami
mails fall to their keeping All such ar
tic1es are kept three months to be
claimed by the rightful owners. At the
end of that time the unclaimed articles
are given to the finders.
There is also the parcel room. which
comes under the care of the baggage
agent. 1t is open day and night every
day in the year, and in the course of
month $500 packages, on an average,
are checked in and out.
Load Thirty Mail Cars a Day.
The baggagemen also are called upon
to load thirty mail ears every day, and
they handle. on an average, about $500
tons of mail every month. This means
a daily handling of about 2S6 tons or
5I3, ,333 pounds of mail. Much of the
milk of the city also passes through the
hands of the men under the general bag
gage agent. the records for July showing
that 3S5,1S0 gallons of the lacteal fluid
was deIlYered at the Union station In the
thirty-one days of the month.
Eighty tons of newspapers are handled
in a month by the men under the bag
gage agent, and he also takes care of all
the mail matter in the railway mail serv-
ice. 1t is estimated that about 100000
letters in that service alone pass through
the baggage room of the Union station
in month. 6.1OO valuable packages and
$500 ordinary packages.
More work comes to the baggagemen
when theatrical company opens an en-
gagement in Washington. Nearly all the
companies have at least one baggage car
full of trunks and scenery, and all COM
panies have a large quantity of luggage
which must be handled promptly.
For performing this multitude of duties
about $50 men are employed. working in
twelve-hour shifts. SO that a part of
them are on duty all hours of the twenty
four. AS is the case with all the activi-
ties of the big terminal, the baggage
room comes under the general jurisdic-
tion of the superintendent of the Wash
ington Terminal Company, a. NJ keppel.
In specific charge of the baggage room
is the general baggage agent. ". J. Fit
tall. and he has his assistant and
chief clerk T. S. Burton.