The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-01-29
THE STAR ROUTE SERVICE.
Privations Undergone by Mounted Ma

IriVatlohs Undergone by Mounted Mail
Carriers of the Rural South.
The Star route mail service of this
country has made many men rich and
kept many men poor. The mail carrier
who joys along the muddy country roads
in this state generally has not an extra
coat to his back and few extra dollars in
his pocket. The big contractor, on the
other hand-the ma3 who buys up many
routes from the acknowledgement
has more money than he knows what to
do with. At least, other persons, es.
pecially the humble mail carrier, some.
times thinks 80. However, the profit in
this business is not what it once was, by
a good deal, for competition, that levclel
Of incomes, is now close.
The contract lasts four years, begin
ming with July 1. Every route must he
bid for separately and a separate bond
given for each. The government is very
particular in this respect. The bids are
made according to the weight of the
mail to be carried, the distance of the
route and the number of times per week
it has to be carried. In few if any cases
does the man who makes the successful
bid carry the mail himself, for generally
Il man or n firm gets several hun
dred of the contracts. The contractor
then subjects the routes to men who
agree to carry it for so much per year.
There is generally a vast difference be-
tween his idea of what it costs to carry
the mail and the governments.
1t is said that some carriers, who have
to work every day, do not make City
cents per diem. Besides, they hs7e to
furnish their own conveyance. 1t is
generally carried on horseback, though
a buggy, a bus OF Il stage may be used.
This, in fact, is tho distinctive charac-
teristic Of a Star route as different from
other forms Of mail service. The gov
eminent docs not specify how it shall be
carried.
The hardslips of the street car driver
are nothing compared with the suffering
that some Of the mail carriers in this
state have to undergo. In rain, snow,
sleet or hail they have to take their long
daily rides. The thermometer may get
sc low that cattle freeze in the field, but
the mail carrier is supposed to be invul-
nerable for the pay of fifty cents Il day.
He has to catch trains o. pain Of losing
his contract, and thereby FORGETTING his
bond, when the roads are little less than
beds of quicksand. He has to feed his
horse, feed himself and family, not t.
mention clothing and the expense Of
keeping his vehicle in order, if he uses
one, for fifty cents a day. They must
be wonders Of economy, these mail car.
riers.
In some portions of the state. cspe.
cially in the southeastern part, the mai,
carrier has to go only once a week.
There are places not fifty miles from
Louisville where mail is received only
three times a week. The carrier, how.
ever, has n thing to compensate for
his small pay, where mail is delivered
) only once a week. He is IL very iii.
portant parsonage there, outranking the
country squire, except when the exam.
lining trial Of a murderer is to be held.
An eager crowd, who have not heard
from the outer world for six days, await
his arrival. The first sight of him, as
his horse turns a bend in the country
road, is a village sensation, the creates
probably since he made his last trip. Il
addition to the mail he carries the gos.
sip of other neighborhoods and the News
from the entire outer world.
When he alights from his horse AMI
stretches his limbs he is quickly the cen.
ter of II crowd Of eager inuuirers. Thus
his small pay and many %privations ara
not without their rewurl.-Louisville
COurier-JOurnal,