The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-12-30
THE FREE DELIVERY.
Some Talk With the Special Agents in
Charge of the Service.

Since the Rural Delivery service has been
instituted in Carroll county there have been
several Postoffice Special Agents here occu-
pied in adjusting the various matters con,
| nected with the service which has been neces-
sarily somewhat disarranged by the change in
| systems.
These men are Special Agents A. B. Smith,
! one of the oldest men in the service of Rural
| Delivery and who has worked at it in almost
every State of the Union; another is (. II.
Hathaway who has had wide experience in
various parts of the country. and who is lately
/ from the Western Division, which has its
! headquarters in indianapolis, Ind. Special
! Agent NJ. S. Plummer is also detailed TO this
] locality and is one of the old and experienced
| employees of the department and a Maryland
! man.
| These men are here to perfect the Rural
| Mail delivery system. and will likely be oc-
/ cuped at it for some time. In conversation
with them We have learned some things with
reference to Rural service which viii doubtless
be of interest to our readers. They say their
! attention has been repeatedly called to the
] fact that the residents here are many of them
under the impression that this is the first eN
pertinent and that delivery of mails to the
country people has not heretofore been tried
to any extent in other parts of our country.
This is an error anG only those who are not
regular readers 81 the daily papers could be
in ignorance of the facts.
The Rural mail delivery system Is ia oper-
alton successfully. in almost every State
only three or four have no routes. Ii IS work
ing in about 400 different cities aud towns, 10
connection with their postoticeS, aud more
than $50 different routes are in operation.
Wherever the system has had fair trial 1t
has become exceedingly popular. 50 much so
IL. I J. 1 J. Il
states the cali Is 50 urgent that pc pile cannot
be supplied.
Wherever the system is introduced il almost
Immediately becomes popular, and opposi-
ton, which at the commencement sometimes
shows itself, soon completely disappears aud
tarus to tavoriug IT,
The only essential difference between the
service as established In other parts Of the
country, aud that now ia operation here ls
that here wagons are being used for centres
of distribution and aS postnllices, travelling
over given routes daily, whereas ln other
places certain postoficcs are used for main
distributing points. Il is also trHe that IN nn
other entire county has the free delivery been
attempted on the scale and magnitude pro
posed In Carroll county. This IS not 20 be
construed as indicating that broad schemes
sre not being operated IN other localities.
Ia San Jose. California, aud from that pos,
obce, II routes with their respective carriers
orc delivering mail To- several Thousand pee
pie 20 their great delight aud profit.
Ia Washington, Pennsylvania. u routes
operating aud petitions Tor - mere on file.
ready to begin operations Vhsn ordered TO do
so. Petitions ia for service throughout the
county, also.
Mo0rstovn. New jersey. routes Con
cord, New Hampshire, y carriers worsluC
and making daily delivery, With the greatest
success and entire sympathy of patrons
Those people not served IN the nelghborhoad
of Concord have sent IN numerous petitions
for other routes 20 he laid DAT. covering al
diiional territory In Dubuque, lova. iast
October the Oranges ia State Convention en-.
dursed Rural Delivery and passed yesolHtlsu
unanimously, calling on ConEreSsuen 81 vote .
for the appropriations Of funds necessary g.
make The system universal. 10 that residents 10
rural communities msy b. NO longer isolated
from and consequently out g touch wiih ihc
world ~ large as has been iao much ihe case
heretofore.
The Sale Grange Of New Hampshire, q frs
DAYS since passed q siinilRr rcssiatiaH. and o.
farucl specifically % the Concord. y. II. ser.
YIee. The resolution was abe first one ia iHeir
platform as adopted by the conventioH.
Cogg~essnsrn in 80 parts af tba caauiry r".
part there ia an rlorsnUas demand fgr ,he
AsHEt NUEfaN. .l.HsH tanfE
triets. such a universal call u.s. caupat Ire x
uared. and vii make i3 comparatively easg %
obtain a favorable au3 Immediate consider
toe 81 ass measure calculated 60 satisfy cen
sjiiacuc5es. Hendricks % petitions are on Sic
Iu the Department, aua thsy have been laRvs
ligaied aud reported 1u fsyurahir hy Special
AEeuJs; the petItionrTs are impa'ieutiy await.
ing the tins whca Ihcsf desires may he granted,
ihis cannot BE done ti}i Congress Apptaprlaics
funds i1g the balance at the yeSF. the $50,
90 sai nsi3c for fhc WORK having been ap-
PuEuaued uIiilH three -n1nihs aiirr che con-
uyuccmsu; 90 the pyv.eu; h,gal year.
As Izs; remarked, She GTaugr - aRzlte5Ably
iu i&sor - ta5s service. All neatly az ias
agricultural and farmers papers are aockips
for It's extension, and Illustrated ARTICLES have
bren recently pubis-hed the most jaaaeuila.
amoug them, setting forth 90 advantages iar
farmers. over the old method OF goiHs o. ghc
post Gf5ce Cace or twice a aeek-
TIE advocates 0f Rural Nail delivery are
working FOR III adoption because fhey se~ yu
IL almost tbc first attempt o. aEsng the farmer
90 10 the level 0i advantages ia regard % hls
mail facilities ao~, and Tor years en}ogrd hy
pasrouz sbo hive close tD the so-l oit.ces, For
= long time Is has BEEN char-ed ihai ciilys aud
large communities, Sbcrr there j. ssEre.
saiiaa uf yapitul and Of snoaje3 Interests.
have ronopoi,Eed al l1e privilege, 20 tae
iHisfy % the agricultural OF base element 1i
our population Rural Free Delivery OF
mails IS an effort to DO asay With portion at
this well founded feeling On the pari q Que
Of the must important classes gong a. make
o. the nation power and strength
As this just naw IS qaestloa, ioeai as Wa.E
a. national aud one Of yitai interest ts lhEs
county, We asked Messrs, Smitb. Hathaway
aad Plummeg ~bAi l. being done 20 remedy
4 a. ID
mail. uow being experienced IN vaFioas parts
Of the county.
As has been said, these gentlemen are here
10 take up this matter and TO personally iu-
vestgate cases and propose remedies tor faults,
to look iui0 she details AMI 4oi.uN up the
matter I'LL every person in the county is salts
FED wigh tue system. a. Tar as il is possible
or reasonable 10 expect such state 81 things.
Ia the hrsi place we haye been assured by
them that they are glad % hear % any dltn-
Guilty patrSus may have. and hope aud ex'
peci to be informed promptly aud frankly
what faults there are aud where they are
located, no matter What may be the causes
contributing 10 them.
Oniy in this way can they be agprised Of
and attend 10 the proper correction q! errors
aud the remedyiug Of irregularities.
Parties and communities who are apparent
ly left without service or who are mol served
as well as may he possible are invited 10 send
III a description Of the difficulties encountered
Only make the letters A. brief and as much "a
the point IS possible. They may be directed
to either OF them in care Of the postmaster al
I Westminster, Nd.
Investigations are daily being made. aud
new routes are being laid on, TO extend the
service TO people now neglected. Routes
we're yesterday mapped out for wha, is known
as "BackvocdS, north OF Bachmaa' MI
aud between there aud Weniz postoiice.
This route viii supply 100 families.
One has h-cn laid out around Louisville
which viii give the service TO : large number
of parties not nov served. This work viii
continue till the county Is IS nearly covered
with the delivery as may be reasonably ex-
pecied.
A Gala Day.