The Washington herald., 1911-03-05

bags In those days Il was the practice
for all postofaces to wrsp mp their pack
ages OF letters which could not De opene,l
enroute. The wrapping included a way
bill. with an itemized list OF al the let
tsrs. and the amount OF postage TO be
collected thereon.
As result Of this system. The nan- en-
route was separated and resorted In
certain large postofiices called distributing
postoficez. and OF course. delayed many
hours for this purpose. The delays in
transmission had become IntolerabIe aud
the time wns ripe for tho Inauguration
Of a new plan. The idea OF the railway
postocice was hit upon and ptauned to
diseoutInue all Of the distributing posi-
of1ces and to have the mails entirely
sorted IN :hs postal cars 1t YVES required
that the postofice where the mail origt-
nated should make some preliminary d.
yfEion ef the mail and only snoh nnni
ssparatioo a. the quantity handled
would Justify. The expectation was that
the mans would make as quick time 10
their destination as a passenger could ac-
complisb. There were many didncnlties TO
be overcome and many problems to DO
solved, and It was years before the pres
eut htrh standard of efncienc5 was at
tained.
Although the postal system has been
greatly perfected, and improvements are
being made every day for the comfort
and safety OF the mail clerks. there are
many dangers TO be encountered. The
highwayman appears at intervals to as
sure Uncle Sans employees that he has
yet 10 be successfully bauished from the
region Of the mail car.
In one instance a Ia ndlt. with the aid
Of two revoIvers. held up q fast mail
train in the outskirts Of q large city. He
compelled the engineer to stop the train
and when the conductor attempted to
interfere the robber shot him through
the shoulder. He then forced one Of
the train crew 70 blow open the express
car. Finding II empty. he covered the
two clerks In the mail car With q gun
and rtded such pouches as he believed
eontalned valuable letters. He demanded
the registered mail pouches and when the
clerk attempted TO reason with him, the
rrarzuder sent a shot past his face at
such close range that 1t was powder
burned This brought the mail clerk
tn terms
The robber. laden With his booty,
backed out of the car, covering the crew
With bis reyoITers until he had climbed
Into the engine, Wnfcn ne uncoupIed
himself from the rest CT the train The
bandit was evidently an engineer. for he
ran the engine into the city. opening
the mail pouches and riding the letters
az he went. He stopped the train at
one Of the avenues. leaped to the ground
and disappeared into the darkness.
Another bandit, in the guise Of q post
ONCE inspector. obtained admittaRce to
o-e of the mail cars and made a most
successful haul With q mail sack, such
as railway postal employees carry their
belongings in. and q small grip. he ap-
peared at the door OF the car and an
nouneed that he would ride to the next
stop. some few miles distance. He then
surprised and overpowered the clerks az
the point of a gun. locked one In
small closet, hardly large enough 70 ad-
NIT a man. bound the other ami put him
under the table.
Calmly smoking his pipe. he rined the
through registered mail pouches and
packed his booty into the small grip.
The clerk VINO was locked in the closet
made a plea for air. And to this the
bandit replied cheerily that he was very
busy at that moment but would tend