The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-11-25
LETTERS j!
The Free Delivery.
Something Of It's History as Relates
to Salt Lake City.

ton of $4,000 is entitled to have his
letters conveyed from the postoffice
to his door free of charge. There is
a general law of Congress which
makes it obligatory upon the gov
eminent to perform this little ser
vice in cities of the requisite popu-
latiOn, and the extra expense is
included in the postage stamp which
usually adorns the left hand corner
of the envelope received by the
sendee. Residents of cities having
a population OF 20. 900 may also have
the postman call st their thresholds
if the Honorable the Postmaster
General can be induced to SO favor
| them; but mau unfortunate
enough to be resident of a city
of less than 10000 people might
as we'll be located in the heart of
the Dark Continent, SO far as deriv-
ing any of the benefits of the letter
carrier system from the government
of the United States of America is
concerned. This being in effect, the
law, as soon as the system is put in
practical operation IN a town, the
citizens quite naturally begin to feel
that they are residing in place of
some Importance. And SO they are {;
for the establishment of the free
delivery system any where in the
confines Of our gigantic republic is
unmistakable evidence of the
greatness Of that place and settles
hey ond dispute its right and
title TO the proud distinction of the
term "City.'
There is nothing astonishing
therefore in the feet that Salt Lake
City, whose population by the CEN
sus of 1890 was 2O,76S, should be
talking steps to acquire the benefits
lOf this system OF mail delivery,
particularly in view of the further
truth that its population has in
creased with such rapidity since
the census was taken that it is now
believed to approximate towards
10000 souls.
1t was about nine or ten months
ago that the City Council of this
city awOke TO the realization
that the people they rep; esent were
entitled as much as the people Of
many other cities of the Union to
the benefit Of the free postal de-
livery, and accordingly a memorial
was prepared and forwarded posl
haste to Hon. John L. Game, who
was then in Washington, with the
request that he present the same
as soon as convenient to the Post>
master General. This memorial
recited the facts Tt our popuIa-
ton numbered over 10000, that our
City was constantly growing. not
iOnly In the number of its inhsbit-
ants but IN commercial imports
ance, through the advent OF new
railroads, the increase of manu-.
factories, the development of
great natural resources, with
which it is surrounded, ETC.: that
the convenience of trade and the
accommodation of so large num-
Der of people demanded tina every
facility vouchsafed by the parent
government for the benefit jof its
citizens should be enjoyed every
where in its dominion at the earliest
practicable date and asked. in con-
slderation Of the OyerwheIming
claims which entitled the citizens
of Salt Lake to favorable consider
alton, that the letter carrier. or free
delivery system, be established here
without unnecessary delay.
Upon the return of our
Delegate from Washington last
sizing it was ascertained that
the memorial was duly presented TO
the proper authority and that later
In the year an agent would be sent
out to investigate the validity of
the claims Of certain cities to he
syetem and that SAIL Lake CITY
would De among the number.
Agreeable to this promise. in the
month OF June last a government
agent dropped upon us one sunny
afte. noon, rode around the city with
Postmaster Lynch aud left bv the
train for Los Angeles.
another of the cities ad, |
vancing claims for free delivery. A |
day or tive following the departure |
Of the swift-wine ed emissary Mr..
Lynch apprized Meyer Jennings OF
bis visit and also of the intelliee ace
that by reason of the vast amount
Of territory embraced in our cors
2orate limits, it Wonld be vain to
nope that the system could extend
20 the entire city at the present time
md that the agent aforesaid had
prescribed a limit which he
recommended to be called and
Known as the "Free Delivery Dis
riot" in which the gratuitous dis.
ribution might be inaugurated,
That portion of the city which
he postal agent seemed
moved to smile upon may be
'riefy described and bounded as
All that district of country
ounded on the east by
Eighth East street, south by
eventh South street, west
y Seventh West street and North
y Third North and Wall streets.
his district, it will be observed,
lcludes two blocks on the north.
rest corner of the First ward; three
locks on the north end of the Sec
nd, Third, Fourth and Fifth wards:
inc blocks on the east side of the 7
lxth ward all of the Seventh; all f
the Eighth; all of the Ninth: the l