The post office and its story an interesting account of the activities of a great government department

The mail bags for delivery are enclosed in a leather pouch for protection against concussion, and to keep them in a fairly square position when suspended. Affixed to the pouch is a thick strap about ten inches long, known as a “drop strap,” and at one end of this there is an eyelet which, when the arm is drawn into the carriage, is passed on to a pin forming a portion of the head or box of the arm, which is protected by a spring cover. The carriage net has to be lowered and the pouches put out for delivery some distance before the roadside apparatus is reached, and in order to perform these operations properly an officer has to be well acquainted with the different landmarks along the permanent way. All sorts of immovable marks serve for this purpose— houses, churches, bridges, gates, and clumps of trees. There is a tale told of a white horse which was seen so regularly every day in a field beside the railway that the animal became a mark for the official working the apparatus. One day the horse died, and there were then several bag failures at the particular station. Photos by Herbert Lazenby. THE TRAVELLING POST OFFICE. (1) The official placing the suspended pouch in position to be taken up by the passing train. (2) The pouch suspended and the net open to receive the pouch from the approaching train. (3) The pouch has been received into the travelling post office by means of the net attached to it, while the one received from the train is seen in the wayside net.