Arizona republican., 1892-03-13
THE STAR ROUTE SERVICE.

Privations 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 jogs 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 man who buys up many routes from the government-frequen has more money than he knows what to do with. At least, other persons, es- pecially the humble mail carrier, some times thinks so. However, the profit in this business is not what it once was, by a good deal, for competition. that leveler of incomes, is now close.
 The contract lasts four years, begin ming with July 1. Every route must be 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 one man or one firm gets several hun dred of the contracts. The contractor then sublets the routes to men who agree to carry it for so much per year. There is generally vast difference be. tween his idea of what it costs to carry the mail and the governments.
 It is said that some carriers, who have to work every day, do not make fifty cents per diem. Besides, they have to furnish their own conveyance. It is generally carried on horseback, though buggy, bus or stage may be used. This, in fact, is the distinctive charac. teristic of Star route as different from other forms of mail service. The gov ernment does not specify how it shall be carried
 The hardships 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 SO low that cattle freeze in the field, but the mail carrier is supposed to be invul- nerable for the pay of fifty cents day. He has to catch trains on pain of losing his contract, and thereby forfeiting his bond, when tho roads are little less than beds of quicksand. He has to feed his horse, feed himself and family, not to ,lAth,nrr or1 thn nf keeping his vehicle in order, if he uses one, for fifty cents day. They must be wonders of economy, these mail car. riers.
 In some portions of the state, espe. cially in the southeastern part, the mail carrier has to go only once week. There are places not fifty miles from Louisville where mail is received only three times week. The carrier, how. ever, has one thing to compensate for his small pay, where mail is delivered only once week. He is very i'm. portant parsonage there, outranking the country squire, except when the exam ming 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 bend in the country road, is village sensation, the greatest probably since he made his last trip. Ir 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 and stretches his limbs he is quickly the cen ter of crowd of eager inquirers. Thus his small pay and many privations are not without their reward.-Louisville Courier-Journal.