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<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>February 19,
1909</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>MAIL BOXES AT THE PASSENGER STATION</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Chamber of Commerce Making an Effort to Have Them
Replaced--Wrongly Used in Past</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> There have been a great many complaints since
the mail boxes at the passenger station were removed and the chamber of commerce
has taken the matter up with the postoffice department, through Postmaster
Shott, in an effort to have them replaced. It is hoped that if they are
successful, the use of these boxes will not be abused as it has been in the
past, which was the cause of their removal. Such mail only should be put
in these boxes as is gotten ready for mailing after the mail for any given train
has been made up at the postoffice, as the mail is only removed from these boxes
by the railway postal clerks, who complained that more mail was put in them than
they had time to work.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> The traffic committee of the chamber of
commerce has also been requested to take up with the railway company the matter
of keeping a ticket agent at the depot at all reasonable hours of the day, in
order to avoid the rush for tickets and information at the ticket window a few
minutes before the departure of trains. The chamber of commerce should be
commended for taking these steps in the interest of the public, which it is
hoped may prove successful.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>In my early days in Roanoke I would frequently write a
letter in the evening to my mother in Bluefield and take the letter to the
Roanoke station to mail on No. 3 at about 7:50 P.M. If I were there
at train time, I would insert the letter in the mail slot on the side of the RPO
car. Otherwise, I would deposit it in the mail box on the platform.
In either case, she would receive the letter the next day.</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Script size=6>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>