Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-02-11

PrivRtteNs UndsrEoWs by the MeWnted
Natl Carriers er the Rursl south,

i
MRn Carriers er the Rarel south,
The Star Route Mail Service OF this
country has made many men rich. aud
kept many men poor The mail carrier
who jogs along the muddy country roads
/ in this State generally has not au extta
coat GO his back aud few extra dollars ia
l his pocket The big contractor. on the
+ other hand-the man who buys up many
I routes from the vornment-frequentl
/ has more money than he knows what 90
do with. At least. other persons. espe-
cislly the humble mail carrier, sometimes
think So However, tile profit in this
business is not what IL once was hy a
great deSi for competition. .tlat great
ieyeler OF incomes, is now close
Every four years The contracts for Star
Routes are let for kentucky, North
Carolina renne see. Mississippi. Alabama.
Florida, Georgia and South CuTolms.
and, in fact. all other States Of the I'm
ion. Every route must bs hid for sepa-
rately and separate bond given for each.
The Government is very particular in
this respect. The bids are made accord
ing 20 the weight OF the mail 20 bo car
ried, the distance OF the route, and the
number Of times per week il has to be
carried. La few, il any cases does the
man who makes the successful bid carry
the msil himself, for generally one man
or one firm gets several hundred of the
contracts The contractor then sublets
the routes to men who agree to carry 1t
for so much per year. There is generally
vast difference between his idea Of
what it costs 10 carry the mail aud the
Governments 1t is said that some car
rlers, who have to work every day, do
not make fifty cents per diem Besides.
they have to furnish their own convey.
ance. 1t is generally carried on horse.
back, though buggy, bus. OF a stage
may be used This, in fact, is the dis
tinctivs characteristic of Star Route a.
different from other forms Of mail sery-
ice The Government 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 the State
have to undergo. In rain, snow, slest. or
hail, they have 10 take their long daily
rides. The thermometer may get so low
that cattle freeze in the field. but tina
mail carrier is supposed 10 be eiuvulnerable
for the-psy Of so cents day. He has to
catch trains, on pain OF losing his CON
tract and thereby forfeiting his bond,
when the roads are little less than beds OF
quicksand. He has to feed his horse.
feed himself aud family, not to mention
clothing and the expense Of keeping his
vehicle in order. II he uses one. for 81
cents day. They must be wonders Of
economy, these mail carriers. In some
/ portions Of the State especially in the
southern part. the mail carrier has to 20
only once week. There are places met
90 miles from Louisville where mail is
received only three times week The
carrier however. has one thing O'com-
pensate for his small pay, where mail is
delivered only once week lie j. very
important parsonage there, outrankink
ths ,ountry Squire. except when the ex
amining trial of murderer Is 10 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 tis
: horse turns bend III the country road.
SAY illase sensation, the greatest Proba-
bly, since lie made his last trip. In addi-
tion 10 the mail, he carries the gossip Of
other neighboTIloods aud the news from,
the entire outer world When he aliglits
from his horse and stretches his limbs.
he is quickly the center OF crowd of
eager inquirers. Thus his small pay and
many privations are not without their re-
ward. Louisville Courier Journal