Final answer:
Conductors on the Underground Railroad secretly moved freedom seekers to safety, often at night, utilizing stations as safe havens. The postal-station system was a similar historical network, serving official mail transmission across empires.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the responsibilities of conductors in the historical context of the Underground Railroad. Conductors were tasked with secretly transporting enslaved individuals seeking freedom from one safe location to another, known as 'stations'. These conductors sometimes took significant risks, such as pretending to be slaves themselves to enter plantations and guide freedom seekers northward. Movement was typically done under the cloak of night, spanning distances of 10 to 20 miles to reach each station.
The postal-station system mentioned reflects the structure in empires for the official transmission of mail, set up along major routes every 20 miles with provisions for travelers. Both the Underground Railroad and the postal-station systems share the concept of stations serving as pivotal points for their respective networks.