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UPRR Mailbags.
Two Union Pacific Railroad Mailbags.
The 1st Mailbag is large and has Brass plate with
U.P.R.R. 1504 engraved on it at the top.
U.P.R.R. is stamped on each side in Big black letters.
It is made of heavy-duty canvas with a full leather bottom and leather top as well as top flap.
The leather straps buckle to the canvas mailbag for securing the contents.
Leather binding was applied over the seams.
A strap is riveted down the front as well as the back of the bag with what
looks like copper flathead brads.
It also has two canvas plates riveted to front just under each of the buckles.
This bag also has a leather strap with brass ring that is attached to the inside
of the bag. It hangs down after top flap is secured, not sure what it would
have been used for but it definitely adds interest! (Maybe for mail pickup?)
Measurements: Bag itself: 34” tall and 23” wide.
Leather bottom: 16" x
24"
Leather top: 9” wide and 22” long
Buckles: 2-1/2” x
2”
Leather straps: 15” long and
1” wide.
Brass
plate: 2-1/2”x
5-1/4”
The 2nd mailbag is smaller than the other one. It is from the "OMAHA" Route
and has the same heavy-duty canvas with leather bound seams.
There’s an ID window slot trimmed with leather and snap to secure contents.
Inside is a metal plate with a label that reads:
Mr. M G. MarDer, Mech. Supt.-East, Union Pacific HR Co., 121 West 15th Street,
Cheyenne, Wyoming 820—
Part of the address is also written on the back of the bag.
The top of the bag is leather and the flap is secured by 4 brass/gold colored squared loops for the leather strap to slip through and be secured in the back by another metal loop (loop has plate attached to it) for a lock. There is a chain attached to secure the contents, but I don’t believe it is as old as the bag.
This bag appears to have been really worked hard and some of the leather binding is coming away from the seams although the seams themselves are still intact.
Measurements:
Mailbag: 15-1/2”long 12-1/2” wide and 6-1/2” thick
The 4 brass rectangular belt loops for belt closure at
top of bag are 1-1/4” each.
Leather strap: 1” wide and 19” long thread through the loops and
fold around the back into yet another lock based loop for closure.
ID Window: 3-1/4" x 5-1/2".
Images and descriptions courtesy Alicia Reese.