Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-30

mail to the main travelled road, but
in such eases a larger number Of fam
lilies are accommodated by the read
justment. The only real inconvcn-
fence suffered is the necessity Tor
changing postoffice addresses. but
such changes are usually made with a
view OF giving the people postal Tacili-
ties from the post office located i'm the
town where they do their trading.
While. necessarily in making these adj
iustment which results i'm a more sys-
venient To some people. yet better
facilities are afforded a larger number
Of people. Inasmuch as this Is in line
with the policy of so adjusting the
service as to give the greatest good
to the greatest number of people,
| these changes, which are never made
unless absolutely essential. can not be
permitted to interfere with any read
justment which result in u more sys-
tematic and satisfactory service, and
economy of administration
1t has been found that his work
can be carried forward with the great
est facility where IL is taken up by
counties. The department. inspectors
are now undertaking Investigations in
l55 counties, in which ii is believed
that there are a sufficient number Of
routes TO adequately serve the county,
but which by reason OF lack of sys.
tematic arrangement do not efiicient-
y serve the people as is possible.
The postmaster general has APP
proved the device for catching and
delivering mails from moving rains
invented by f. II Burr, of Atlantic,
Iowa, which has been undergoing Il
test OF tho Chicago. Rock Island and
Pacific railway between Davenport
afl TN..,nafI II.a 70. At~. 81 ttArA- F...
several years past, and continuously
during the past year.
This marks m important step in
the movement TO equip all railroad
lines with automatic devices for eX-
changing mails at points where the
trains do not stop, N end that the de-
partment has been earnestly seeking
for many years. The approval of the
Burr device by the postmaster general
will permit of It's installation by any
railroad company
Other devices are in the field and
viii undoubtedly be subjected to the
same rigid tests that have been APP
piled in the case OF the Burr device.
should they measure up to the re-
quirements of the department they
viii probably be accepted.
The growth of the service and the
shortening of the schedules Of mail
trains has nccessitatcd the exchange
OF mails without stopping at many
Offices of considerable size. Sc long as
the rains stopped Mt such stations
there was, of course, no trouble. but
ii Is no simple task for the postal
clerks to attempt to deliver a large
amount of mail from a train moving
at "A very high speed. 1t is necessary
in delivering the pouches that they
be placed as far as possible from the
track so as to minimize the risk of
rolling back and derailing the train.
With the Burr device the mail is
piled on an iron screen or platform,
which rests on the floor in the door
way Of the car ana projects some six
or eight inches from the door sill.
This platform is operated by a lever
attached to a compressed air cylinder.
On approaching the place designated
for the delivery Of the mail a trip rod
interferes with an upward slanting rod
set in the ground n few feet from the
track and thus sets off the compressed
air cylinder by which the platform
upon which the mail is piled is thrown
forward and outward and the mail
deposited either in a box or net. or
upon the ground. which is especially
prepared to receive 1t by being cover
ed with solf sand or cinders. A guard
rail runs along the track opposite the
point of delivery so as 20 prevent the
mail from rolling back on the track.
The delivering platform, when not IN
use. hangs down along the side the
car just outside the door and forms q
step by which the clerks can enter
ana leave the ear by the side door.