The times., 1899-04-23
DELIVERING mail.
TO THE FARMERS
The Westminster Expert
ment" in Maryland.
The PostOfliee on Wheels Declared
to Be a Success.
Advantages to Residents of Rural
Districts-Letters Collected and
Money Orders Issued.


and smooth limestone roads around the
Maryland town named a rural postal wa
gon rolls. Mail is collected from Govern
ment boxes by the wayside, at the cross
roads and at all the little settlements
along the route Mail is deposited in pri-
vate boxes at farm gates and fence cor
ners.
The only men who sturdily oppose the
innovation are said TO be the fourth class
postmasters whose postal incomes depend
on the postage stamps they cancel, p,o-
vided the sum of cancellation doss not ex-
ceed $1,000 year.
II is said at the Postoffice Department
that the experiment is success and it is
said that the extension of rural free de-
livery Will proceed rapidly and syste-
matically with the result that many thous-
and fourth-class postoffices will be discon-
tinued
The new wagon made its inaugural trip
on Easter Monday. The first delivery con-
sisted of 2SS ordinary letters, 6 postal cards.
26l newspapers and circulars, and pack
ages. The wagon collected Sc letters, 4
postal cards, 2 registered receipts, received
1 application for money order. 2 registered
letters. and collected and delivered let
ters along its route
The type of wagon employed on this
route was built after designs by Edwin
w Shriver, of Westminster, and if at the
end of a reasonable probationary period,
it performs its work satisfactorily it will
be the type adopted for rural free delivery
b. the Postoffice Department The wagon
has been variously dubbed the .-postofiice
on wheels or the travelling postoffice"
The territory covered by this route Is
about twenty square miles and its service
extends TO three hundred families. The
wagon is fitted up with all the usual ap-
pliances for handling mail matter. The
postal clerk inside the vehicle may do his
work with practically the degree of come
fort enjoyed by mail clerk in a postal
car. The Postoffice authorities base their
belief as to the success of the proposition
on the following grounds: The logic of
the system, reports of department agents
and personal letters commencing the SER
vice
Milton Sehaeffer. postmaster at West
. minister, writes as follows:
The opinion as 10 the benefits Of The service
Is favorable There are other communities in
this vicinity that desire the establishment Of rural
free delivery. Mail matter has perceptibly in
creased The aggregate for the fiscal year COM
ineacing Juy i. 1897 and @nding June 80 Isqs
was se202- and for July and August Is9s Is
s5i- There has been increase in the number
of newspapers delivered
No other branch of the public service affords
more acceptable daily benefit than does this
frec-deilyery service. After being for some time
accustomed 10 1t, our people, or at least ma
gorty Of them, would object 10 discontinuance
ei u, unless by some other method the same or
qrnn fnftlr.7 .7ar7F
John 7. Cassell, one of the leading citi
zens Of Carroll county, has sent the fol-
lowing letter to the Postmaster General:
Much as ! appreciate the service, / have been
all the while in doubt as 10 whether or NOT a
ooii.n,Iaree Is 1usifable in consideration of the
cost The scope OF the delivery is covered mainly
by iiFe or six main roads leading from West
munster, on which dairJInen (persons Of good
character and standingl travel regularly and
asils' nave done so for many years, and will con-
TIME 10 90 so for indefinite time, and by giving
them the business the service would be rendered
al $50 each or thereabouts making total cost
OF $50. instead Of the 81, 600 per year now maid
VI ne eltizens embraced IN the present deliT-
cry but few would be left ont by the changed
method herein suggested. And also the delivery
would be earlier in the day, and more regular
as to the heur than by the present carriers.
Westminster is not the only place where
rural free delivery is being carried on. but
II is there that the regulation rural de-
livery wagon is in operation. Congress.
in making appropriation for the postal
service Of the United States for the fiscal
year ls97-'es included this provision:
For experimental rural free delivery. including
pay Of carriers, horse hire allowance snpplies
and mechanical appliances sl50,OOo.
This was an increase of 100000 oyer
the appropriation for the same purpose for
haf far-s1 -ff.s.-
al report of the First Assistant Postmaster
General, 1t is said that in the course of the
debate in the House OF Representatives
preceding the appropriation for the current
fiscal year. there wag indicated desire to
remove rural free delivery from the ex-
perimental category and to place it within
the lines of the regular service. with
larger appropriation, namely, $500, 900,
than that eventually provided
In the conference between the House and
Senate the experimental was restored
and the Pcstoffice Department was left
Tree 10 devise and to put in force the best
means Of installing the service and main
tanning it in efficiency when established.
Method of Securing the Service.
With a view TO obtaining the best results
from the appropriation and for the purpose
OF extending II over as wide an area as
practicable, circular was sent throughout
the country setting forth the method TO
be pursued by citizens desiring the. cstab-
lishment OF the system As preliminary
10 the establishment of the service, Il was
required that the citizens of the district
should forward, through their Represen-
tatiTes in Congress. a petition, setting
forth the nature of the country, whether it
is thickiy or sparsely populated, the lead
ing aToeations of the people, the character
OF the roads. whether good or bad, and the
distance which the petitioner has to travel
or send under existing circumstances to
receive his mails
II the member of Congress representing
that district or The United States Senator
residing therein, familiar with local condi-
TONS, should forward this petition TO the
Postoftice Department with a favorable en-
dorsement, a special agent is then sent out
TO look over the ground. to map out a suit
able route or routes, to select carriers for
appointment, and to recommend the es-
tablishrnent OF the service, il in his judg-
fnent IL can be successfully and econorui-
cally carried out.
Rural free delivery service is now in
operation on more than I50 routes Ala
baina. Arizona, Arkansas. California, Col
orado Connecticut, Delaware Florida,
Georgia. Illinois. Indiana, Iowa. Kansas.
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland.
Massachusetts. Michigan. Minnesota. Mis-
souri,. Nebraska. New Hampshire, New Jer-
sey. New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Ore
gon. Pennsylvania. Rhode Island, Tennes-
see. Vermont, Virginia. Washington, West
Virginia and Wisconsin. The States uu-
represented as yet in rural free delivery
are: Idaho, Mississippi. Montana, Nevada, |
South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, |