The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-09
WORKING IN 4
NA:L...:aafi MIL Clli'II

he railway ser, icc. Not even thu
limited PASSENGER rains, nor tho
i".r, ias hired for unusual purpos-
gs TN milllonarics, can interfere with
II. ~detlaok the fast mail"
/ through tie black night is goes
carr!ing across the country, mark
| ing time between cities with clock
Ike regularity, 10 deliver our let
,ers ut the breakfast table or to hilr-
rs TO our Office business communica-
tcns that mean so much to us.
\ mile minute is prat tically the
standard time for the fast mails, :"
an average speed that must be main
tanned in spite of stops and slow
downs. Consequently this often
Leans a much greater speed along
certain clear stretches of road where
lost minutes must be made up.
The fast mail is the pet of the
l'OstofIice Department also, and only
picked men are in charge of it. 1t is
a travelling postofice in every sense
of the word.
The train usually consists of four
cars carrying nothing but mail,
amounting sometimes to 80 and
more tons. The engine is one of the
biggest moguls Of the railroad ser
vice. a veritable monster Of iron and
steel. carrying ten tons Of coal and
5000 gallons Of water.
When the buleing sacks of mai
are thrown aboard and the conductor
gives the signal TO start exactly on
Tie minute, the eannt, angular en-
linc pnffs ana shorts and starts forth
On its swift journey. Besides a
picked train crew there are H. or
more trained clerks riding in til,
llail ears. Their business begins
the instant The mail is aboard.
Fifty tons OF mail to be serted and
IT iivercd At various points along tn"
route while running at 90 miles an
opr. That seems like an almost in
credible achicl cmcn,, but il is be
inG done every night and day of tn
year. While most of us are sleepina
TIE railway clerks are toiling.
The inside Of a railway pOstotiic"
looks for the world like an Ordinary
pigcoholcs, with III" except ion OF
certain additions which are neces
sary for the good of the service. For
ohc thing, there are sometimes Sc
lie; Of racks which hold open mail
SACHS, and into these the clerks dis
PATCH their mail as they fly across
the land
ono Of these sacks must be drop
rcd oil perhaps 80 or 40 miles from
HE starting point. and there is al
Ways a hurry and hustle to get this
particular sack tied out" in time.
The work of the railway clerk is
hard and cXacting, and he must
Gualify for the position through
study and aspiration. It may be
said hat il is the ambition Of about
every clerk in the postollicc Depart
mcnt 10 get into the Railway Post
cicc service. II is not because the
pay is 80 great. but because mos,
young men like the novelty OF sort
iH- letters while travelling 90 miles
~ hoar in preference to doing it in
a stationary postoilicc.
When he Gets into the railway
s,rNiee he will receive IA salary Of
$50" Il year. and in time, when he
sets the mll appointment, this will
lc raised to $9oo. From that time
On his promotion is according 10
merit.
Each promotion generally means
an increase of $loo year in wages
until he may he drawing 81 ,auo TO
$l,l"c. After that he must wal.
ANA work fcr the position of CLERK in
caarge OF the mail cars on which he
Is working lie is at the head # all
the other clerks then and his nay is
$l.6oo.
3ut the limit OF his amhitiou need
not stop there. Ii he Qualities for
1t. and there Is Il vacancy. he max he
appointed for merit only Ia the no.
slilon of chief clerk in charge of tho 3
ilr9s running through his partieu- 4
lar part of the country. For this h, .
receives $1,000 a year as Assistant
DIVISION superintendent. or Ssnoot
as DIVISION superintendent
according TO the requirements If
the law, an aSpirant for nosjtjan
III the Railway Postoili,c Service
Ray be anywhere between Is and =,
year on age. He must take bFs az