The Railway Mail Service. 363
reform been so nearly realized as in this a similar name in a remote county, bureau of the Post-Office Department These schemes are compiled at division even at that period when the initiatory headquarters, and the general orders are steps now being applied to other depart- revised almost daily, informing the clerks mental machinery were considered all of changes affecting the distribution, and but Utopian, — a system consisting of a also instructions as to other duties, probationary period preceding appoint- From the schemes mentioned, lists of ment, and promotion from grade to distribution are made and time computed grade, based upon a practical and thor- applicable to each line or train of the ough system of examination, had long States for which mail is selected, since been developed up through an To return from this preliminary di- e.xperimental stage to a well-grounded gression to the examinations. These success. The complexity of the postal examinations are of the most practical system, continually var}ang in detail, character and serve to develop the demanded a uniform system of giving mental abilities and intelligent under- information, and a corresponding test of standing of the clerks. To clearly its operation. The system of distri- understand the method, the clerk should bution for each State is compiled in be followed step by step from the time tabulated form in a book or sheet, of his probationary appointment into known as a "scheme," for ready refer- the service, through the probationary ence when on duty, or study when period and his examinations as a full- off" the road. In thickly-settled States, fledged clerk. After a month's service where numerous railroads cross and re- on a line, the clerk is assigned a day and cross each uther in the same county, it hour for his examination ; here is laid is necessary to have the names of the the foundation for future usefulness, the post-offices arranged alphabetically ; op- intelligent understanding of a service, posite the name of each office is given acquired by continual study and inquiry, all its methods of supply and also the that gives to all occupations that pe- hour the mail reaches that office. In culiar zest when understandingly rather more sparsely-settled States the schemes than mechanically followed. A single are arranged by counties ; this is done State, with the least number of offices, where the majority of the offices in a that in the course of duty he \vill be re- county are suppHed by one or two lines, quired to assort, is selected at the first ; and the exceptions, which are only spec- it is not expected that it will be memo- ified in detail in the scheme, by other rized understandingly, or the location of lines or a number of post-offices. In each office fully known at once, but it this case the clerk memorizes the supply forms the basis of inquiry, and develops of the excepted post-offices particularly, either future excellence or mediocrity, the disposition of the remaining post- or total incapacity. The room in which offices in the county being the same \ it these examinations are usually con- is of the first importance to be properly ducted (excepting when a clerk on a informed in which county an office is route in a remote part of the division is located, and the line supplying the prin- the subject, in which case he is visited cipal part of that county. A name pre- by the examining clerk) is kept quiet, fixed with "north" in one county may and nothing that will distract the atten- have the prefix of " south " in another, or tion allowed. He is placed before a
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