Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-02-18
THE STAR ROUTE SERVICE.

HE STAR ROUTE SERVICE.
FriVations Undergone by Mounted Mail
Carriers of the Rural South.
Inc Star route mail service Of this
country has made many men rich and
Kept many men poor The mail carrier
VINO joys along the muddy country roads
IN TINS 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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
has more money than he knows what TO
do with AT least, other persons, es-
peclally the humble mail carrier, some
/ tunes thinks so, However, the profit in
this business is not what it once was, BY
a good deal, for competition, that leYeler
OF incomes, is now close
The contract lasts four years, begin
ming with July l. Every route must be
bid for separately and 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
1T 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 snblets 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 fifty
cents per diem. Besides, they have to
furnish their own conveyance. 1t is
generally carried on horseback, though
a 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
eminent 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 OF 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-
nerabie for the pay Of fifty cents a day.
He has to catch trains on pain of losing
his contract, and thereby FORGETTING his
bond, when the roads are little less than
beds Of quicksapd He has to feed his
horse, feed himself and family, not TO
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, espe,
cially in the southeastern part, the mail
carrier has to 60 only once a week
There are places not fifty miles from
Louisville where mail is received only
three times Is week. The carrier, how
ever, has one thing to compensate for
his small pay, where mail is delivered
only once week. He is a very inn
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 a bend in the country
road, is a village sensation, the greatest
probably since he made his last trip. In
addition to the mail he carries the Cos
sip of other neighborhoods and the news
from the entire outer world.
When be 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.