Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-02


GRAFTON.
Special to the Register
Washington, December IA large
portion of the annual report of First
Assistant Postmaster General Heath is
devoted to the rural free delivery sys-
TEN, which was established Tor the
first time in various localities in Yves,
Virginia during the past year. A num-
Der of letters commendatory of the op-
Grafton of the system have been re-
ceived from postmasters and others
in West Virginia. These are embodied
in an appendix to the report of Mr..
Heath.
Postmaster Getzendanner, at Charles
Town, writes that he finds people very
much in favor of rural free delivery
and DESTROYS of having it continued.
He says that the total number Of
pieces of mail collected and delivered
during the fiscal year was 4S,125.
Postmaster Eyster, at Halltown, JEFF
ferSon county, reports:
People are well satisfied with rural
free delivery and desire a continuance.
Along the Shenandoah river and a To-
cation called Zoar there are commune
ties that desire an extension of the
service. There has been a small in
crease in the number of newspapers de-
livered"
Emanuel Schaefer, of the same place,
expresses the opinion that the service
fully meets the end for which it is
intended
One of the most interesting of the
letters is from David A. Beard, of Mar
tinsburg, chairman of the executive
committee of the State Grange, who
writes:
1T affords me great pleasure to GER
tify to the efficiency of free rural mail
delivery in my county, Berkeley, w. Va.
Free rural delivery has been advocated
by the Grange organization, which /
have the honor to represent as chair
man of the executive committee of the
State Grange of West Virginia, and
we congratulate ourselves that we have
gained this victory by persistent effort.
1t makes rural life more desirable, in
creases the value of our farms along
the different routes. and affords our
families the pleasure of fresh news,
and nationally brings our people, re-
CARELESS of their occupations, nearer
together. We realize that free rural
mail delivery has come to stay, re-
gardless of the efforts Of some who
seem to be prejudiced against the sys-
tenn, for we have studied the question
carefully and honestly and have been
unable to see any reason, after the
short experience we have had, why it
should not be extended to any and all
the States of the Union"
Postmaster Clohan, of Martinsburg,
says: 1.-The sentiment of the people
along the routes is strongly in favor
of it's continuance. We have at least
one other section which is urging its
claim for this service"
Postmaster Derr, of Uvilla, reports
that 1.-The general sentiment is very
much in favor of the continuance of
rural free delivery. There has been
considerable increase in the number of
letters, etc, delivered and collected
During the fiscal year 1898 the number
of pieces was S,512; during the first
two months of this year, July and Au-
gust, the number was 1888. More
newspapers are received since this free
rural delivery was established"
R. v. Moler, j. c. Wilmington, f. w.
Athey and V. p. Hill, all residents of
Uvilla, testify to the merits of rural
free delivery, Mr. Moler saying, for ex-
ample: Il think our country folks are
as much entitled to free delivery as
city folks. ! think we pay as much
taxes and we ought to have some ben
eft. II ought to be continued and ex-
tended. 1t would be out of the ques-
ton to take daily paper in the coun
try without it,"
The appropriation for rural free de-
livery experiments for the last fiscal
year was 100000. Mr. Heath is desir-
Gus of extending the system and of Sc
curing a larger appropriation to meet
the expense.