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318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
124
If
a
stranger
were
allowed
to
travel
in
one
of
these
carriages,
the
first
thing
that
would
probably
take
his
notice
would
be
the
brilliant
light
which
fills
the
interior;
and
the
necessity
for
a
good
light
to
enable
men,
standing
on
a
vibrating
and
oscillating
floor,
to
read
quickly
all
sorts
of
manuscript
addresses,
will
be
understood
by
whoever
has
attempted
to
peruse
writing
by
the
light
derived
from
the
ordinary
oil-lamps
of
a
railway
carriage.
Yet
for
years
the
light
supplied
in
the
Travelling
Post-office
has
been
given
by
improved
oil-lamps,
though
more
recently
gas
has
been
introduced
in
some
of
the
carriages.
The
next
thing
he
would
notice
would
likely
be
the
long
series
of
pigeon-holes
occupying
the
whole
of
one
side
of
the
vehicle,
divided
into
groups--each
box
having
a
name
upon
it
or
a
number,
and
a
narrow
table
running
along
in
front
of
the
boxes,
bearing
a
burden
of
letters
which
the
sorters
are
busily
disposing
of
by
putting
each
one
in
its
proper
place--that
is,
in
the
pigeon-hole,
from
which
it
will
afterwards
be
despatched.
Then
hanging
on
the
walls
or
lying
under
the
table
will
be
seen
canvas
bags
and
canvas
sacks,
each
having
its
name
stencilled
in
bold
letters
on
its
side;
and
somewhere
about
the
floor
great
rolls
of
black
leather,
with
enormously
strong
straps
and
buckles--the
expanse
of
leather
in
each
roll
being
almost
sufficient
to
cover
an
ox.
The
use
of
these
hides
of
leather
will
be
described
further
on.
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