matter of the first class deposited in or received at any post-office unsealed or in a mutilated or otherwise bad condition must be stamped or marked with the name of the post-office, date, and the words "Received unsealed" or "Received in bad order," as the case may be, and be resealed before being forwarded or delivered.

Sec. 383. Distribution and Dispatch of Mails.-In the distribution and dispatch of mails, all postmasters will be governed by orders from the General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service, or from the Division Superintendent of railway mail service acting under him, excepting foreign mails outward from exchange post-offices, which are under the control of the Superintendent of Foreign Mails. In the absence of other instructions, every postmaster whose post-office is situated upon a railroad, will mail all matter direct to the cars, unless it be addressed to postoffices directly connected with his own by star or steamboat routes. Postmasters at other post-offices will mail to the nearest post-office upon a railroad all matter which cannot be sent direct to its destination by star or steamboat route. See section 707.

Sec. 384. No Changes except in Emergency.-No change in distribution or dispatch must be made without first obtaining such an order, except in cases of emergency; and in all such cases an immediate report, giving the reasons for such change, must be made to the Superintendent of Railway Mail Service for the division in which the post-office may be situated.

Sec. 385. Distribution of Mails by Schemes.-Postmasters will carefully distribute and make up mails by the official schemes which may be furnished them, and will conform to any changes that may be made in same by the Superintendent of the Division, and will make up and exchange only such pouches as may be ordered by him. But such post-offices may be excepted from the requirements of this section as the General Superintendent may direct.

Sec. 386. What States should be Distributed.-A distribution or separation should be made of mail only for such States or portions of States as can be advanced or expedited by reason of such distribution.

Sec. 387. Mail to be made up by States.-All mail for States of which no distribution is made must be made up "by States" (and facing-slips used, in accordance with section 396); that is, letter and circular mail for each State must be made up in packages, and newspaper mail in canvas sacks, by itself, and the name of the State marked on the slip covering the package or tag attached to the sack.

Sec. 388. Local Mail for Railroad and Steamboat Lines.-Mail to be forwarded to local post-offices on railroad or steamboat lines should be made up in packages, addressed to the proper railway or steamboat office, and containing only the local mail supplied by that line, as given in the official schemes.

Sec. 389. Other than Local Mail Sent to Railroad and Steamboat Lines.-All other mail, not local, sent to or via such lines, should be made by States, if sufficient to do so, and if not, then put all in one package, addressed with the name of the railway (or steamboat) office in whose pouch it is forwarded, adding "State of —," to indicate that it contains other than local.

Sec. 390. Making up Local Mail for Railway Lines.-Post-offices on railroad lines, in making up local mail for such line, will make two packages, one for the train going north or south, east or west, as the case may be, and, in addressing the packages, will add the direction in which it is intended to be sent.

Sec. 391. Make Direct Packages for Horse-routes.—In making up mail to be forwarded by a horse or stage route, a direct package should be tied out for each post-office, including the last one, on such route, so as to facilitate the handling of the mail by the intermediate post-offices.

Sec. 392. Making up Mail beyond last Post-office on Stage-route.—Mail from a post-office on and to be forwarded by a horse or stage route and beyond the last post-office on such route, should be made up "by States," as far as possible, or if

not sufficient to do so, then in one package, marking the name of such last post-office on the slip covering the same and adding the abbreviation "Dis.," to indicate that the package is for distribution.

Sec. 393. Letters for Delivery and Distribution in Separate Packages.—Letter and circular mail for delivery and mail for distribution at a post-office must always be made up in separate packages.

Sec. 394. Direct Packages.-Making a direct package is placing all letters for one post-office in a package by themselves, with a plainly-addressed letter for such post-office faced out on each side.

Sec. 395. Letters must not be placed in Pouch Loose.-Letter and circular mail must always be properly "faced up" and tied in packages, and never placed in the pouch loose.

Sec. 396. Facing-slips to be used.-Facing-slips must be placed upon all packages of letters and circulars, and in each canvas sack of newspapers, the same to be securely tied on the package, or if newspapers, placed in the sack, and have on each the address or destination of the package or sack, the post-mark, with date and time of close or dispatch, and the name of the person making up the same.

Sec. 397. Checking Errors.-All errors found in the distribution of a package of letters or in a sack of newspapers must be noted on the reverse side of the slip covering or inside of the same, giving the name of the post-office and State, and the county, when included in the superscription, adding thereto the name of the person noting the errors, and postmark with date.

Sec. 398. Disposition of Slips received. All slips received upon packages of letter or circular mail or in sacks of newspaper mail must be preserved and forwarded to the Division Superintendent. First and second class post-offices will forward such slips daily, and all other post-offices at the end of each week. Slips on which errors are checked should be forwarded in sealed official penalty-envelopes.

Sec. 399. Absence of Slips on Packages or in Sacks.-If no slips are received on the packages or in sacks, notify Division Superintendents, stating, if possible, the office or post-office from which the mail was received, and if newspaper mail, forward the label received on the sack.

Sec. 400. Slips and Schemes furnished.-Postmasters can obtain facingslips from the Superintendent Railway Mail Service in whose division their post-offices are located; also, official schemes of distribution, or any information relating to the

same.

Sec. 401. Report of Unworked Mail received.-Postmasters will report to the Division Superintendent all mail sent to their post-offices which should have been distributed and made up by railway mail employés, forwarding with report the slips covering the same, or if newspaper mail, the labels received on the sacks.

Sec. 402. Report of all Irregularities. They will also promptly report to the Division Superintendent any and all irregularities in the receipt of mails for or at their post-offices, and any other irregularity affecting the proper dispatch or forwarding of mails which may be brought to their attention.

Sec. 403. No Through Pouches by Mail-trains.-Postmasters will not make any through pouches to be forwarded by mail-trains unless specially instructed to do The mail should be properly made up and placed in the pouch for the railway mail employé.

So.

Sec. 404. Changes in Forwarding Mails.-Any changes which postmasters think should be made in the forwarding of mail from their post-offices should be reported to the Division Superintendent for attention.

Sec. 405. Hooks prohibited in Handling Mail-bags.-The use of hooks in handling mail-bags is forbidden.

Sec. 406. Letters with Stamps canceled not to be returned.-After canceling the stamps a postmaster must not return the letter to the person mailing it for him to take to the train. It must be forwarded in the pouch, as railway mail employés are prohibited from receiving it; and any person offering such letter to an employé for mailing is guilty of a misdemeanor under the law. See section 1252.

Sec. 407. Letters not to be placed under Strap of Pouches.-After pouches are closed and dispatched from a post-office letters must not be placed under the strap or attached to the outside of the pouch. If this is done at the depot inform the mail messenger, and have the practice discontinued.

Sec. 408. Printed Labels furnished to be Returned.-Printed wooden labels for sacks of newspaper mail and printed slide-labels for pouches must be taken off when the sacks or pouches are opened, and returned by first mail to the post-office or line from which they were received, the wooden labels to be classed with newspaper mail and the slide-labels as letter mail. Under no circumstances are any of such labels to be defaced or destroyed.

Sec. 409. Application for Printed Labels.-Postmasters will send to Division Superintendent lists of such printed wooden or slide labels as may be needed for use at their post-offices.

Sec. 410. Time of Closing Mails.-Mails at first-class post-offices are to

be closed not more than one hour and at all other offices not more than half an hour before the schedule time of departure of trains, unless such departure is between the hours of 9 p. m. and 5 a. m., when they can be closed at 9 p. m. The post-office at New York City is excepted from the requirement of this section.

Sec. 411. Pouches to be examined. When a pouch or canvas is opened it should be carefully examined to see that no mail is left therein.

Sec. 412. Mail stopping overnight.-When the mail stops overnight where there is a post-office, it must be kept in the post-office, except at points where otherwise ordered by the Department.

CHAPTER TEN.

SUPERINTENDENTS OF MAILS AT POST-OFFICES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CLASS.

Sec.

413. Appointment of Superintendents of Mails. 414. General duties of Superintendents of Mails. 415. Record and report of errors in distribution.

Sec.

416. Examination of slips.

417. Postmasters to be furnished with the record.

Sec. 413. Appointment of Superintendent of Mails.-The General Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service of the Post-Office Department shall designate post-offices of the first and second classes at which clerks shall be appointed to superintend the distribution of mails, and to be known by the title of "Superintendent of Mails," who shall be appointed upon the nomination of said General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service, approved by the Postmaster-General.

Sec. 414. General Duties of Superintendents of Mails.-Where superintendents of mails are designated, they will have entire charge of the distribution and dispatch of all mails at such post-offices. They will see that the distribution of the post-office is done in accordance with the latest official schemes; that such schemes are kept corrected to date, as per changes issued by Division Superintendents; that case examinations of distributing clerks on the official schemes of distribution are kept up.

Sec. 415. Record and Report of Errors in Distribution.-Superintendents of mails will keep a record of the errors made by each distributing clerk in a post.office and report the same to the postmaster at the end of each month, or oftener, if he desires. He will also report all case examinations had in like manner.

Sec. 416. Examination of Slips.-Superintendents of mails will examine the slips on which errors in distribution have been noted, returned to the post-office by the Division Superintendent, and will, after making a record of the same, return them to the clerks by whom the distribution was made.

Sec. 417. Postmasters to be Furnished With the Record of Errors.-The superintendent of mails must work in harmony with the other departments of the post-office at which he is designated, and endeavor by every means to promote its efficiency as well as that of the service. He will also keep the postmaster advised of the record both of errors in distribution and of the result of case examinations, as well as the general efficiency of each clerk under his supervision.

Sec. 418. Case Examinations of Distributing Clerks. With the view of having distributing clerks become familiar with schemes of distribution, and thereby increase their knowledge of the distribution as well as the efficiency of the service, postmasters at first and second class post-offices will require distributing clerks in their post-offices to be examined from time to time on schemes of such States as are required to be distributed at their post-offices.

Sec. 419. Nature of Case Examinations.-These examinations will consist of the distribution, from memory, and into a case for that purpose, of cards, representing the counties or post-offices of any State of which distribution is made, and in accordance with the official schemes. After the cards have been distributed they must be examined by some person thoroughly acquainted with the distribution of such State. Sec. 420. Verbal Examination of Clerks.-Clerks should also be sharply questioned as to the proper routes to which mails are dispatched from their post-offices after they are made up, and also respecting such orders relating to the making up and dispatch of mails as may have, from time to time, been given them.

Sec. 421. Postmasters' Order-Book.-Postmasters at first and second class post-offices will keep an order-book, in which all orders relating to the making up and dispatch of mails at their post-offices, all official changes in schemes which are received from Division Superintendent, are to be inserted by record or otherwise, and require distributing clerks to examine the same daily.

Sec. 422. Orders to be Signed by Clerks.-Each order should be signed by all the distributing clerks as an indication that it has been examined.

Sec. 423. Slips with Errors noted to be Compared with Schemes.—All slips on which errors are noted which have been returned to the postmaster by the Division Superintendent must be carefully compared with the schemes and orders by which the distribution was made and a record kept of the same, the slips being returned to the clerk making such distribution.

Sec. 424. Monthly Reports of Case Examinations.-A report must be made at the end of each month to the General Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service for the information of the Department, of the result of all case examinations and the record of errors of each distributing-clerk in the post-office.

Sec. 425. Incompetent Distributing-clerks to be Removed. When the record of case examinations and errors made in the distribution and forwarding of the mails by any clerk in the post-office is below what is required for the correct performance of such duties, such clerk must not be continued in that position, but a more competent person must be assigned to the place.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

RECEIVING AND DISPATCHING MAILS AT CATCHER POST-OFFICES.

Sec. 426. Cranes and Catcher-Pouchers.-For the purpose of exchanging mails at certain way and flag stations between the post-offices at these places and the railway offices, without an abatement or loss of speed of the train, the Post-Office Department has introduced the use of a "mail-catcher," causing the erection at each of such stations of a "crane" on which the pouch to be exchanged by the postmasters is to be hung, and has furnished a supply of canvas pouches with rings attached to both top and bottom, and strap with buckle attached to the center; these pouches to be used only in making such exchanges.

A

S

Sec. 427. How to Prepare Pouches and Hang them on the Crane.-1st. The pouch or mail-bag should be prepared in the following manner. If only a small mail is to be sent let it remain in the bottom of the pouch, but if a large mail is to be sent divide it, put part in the top, but most in the bottom, Buckle the strap around the center of pouch M. In case the strap is gone, tie the middle of the pouch, as seen in the diagram. It is worse than useless to hang up a bag crammed full like a bag of grain.

2d. Hang the bottom of the pouch on the upper iron S of the crane A, turn all directly to the track, then lift lower arm B and place the iron S in the ring of the pouch, slip the socket down the stem until there is sufficient strain on the pouch to hold it from blowing down. If a strong wind is blowing, tie the pouch to the two irons S, by the rings, with one strand of ordinary post-office twine. Hang the pouch lock end down.

B

M

3d. When the service occurs in the night, or between sunset and sunrise, hang a light on or near the crane. This is important.

Sec. 428. Catcher-pouches to be Used for no other Purpose.-These canvas