The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-10
Mil CHRT 1T CHHnFoRD sVILLE. lsoIaNH.
VARIOUS METHODS OF. RURAL MAIL DELIVERY.

delivery. For the current fiscal year
the appropriation was doubled.
OF late the popularity of the free de-
! livery system has increased by leaps
and bounds. By the 1st of October
| four months after the last named APP
preparation became available, the
popular demand for the establishment
of new routes was such that it had
been entirely appropriated. BY the 1st
of November 3SS separate services were
/ in operation and the requests for new
services. which multiply like an end
! less chain, were in the proportion of
| four to one for every route established.
AT present Idaho, Montana, Missis-
sippi and Wyoming are the only states
/ of the union in which at least one
satisfactory free delivery route has not
! been established. 1t is noteworthy that
complaints concerning the establish
ment of the routes come from none of
their patrons. while requests for new
routes are pouring in from all sides.
The number of routes established has
not been proportional to the population
of the various states but has followed
the requests for extension of the sys-
tenn. Thus Rhode Island has five routes
in successful operation and Texas has
two: South Carolina has twenty-one
routes in operation and Ohio has forty
nine as against fifteen for Pennsyl-
vania and twenty for New York.
Under requirements of the postoffice
department no routes are now estab-
lished where the. roads are in other
than passable conditions at all seasons
of the year. This is necessary because
in most instances the daily route ex-
ceeds in length twenty-five miles. 1t
is further required that not less than
100 families be within easy reach of the
route
Two Girl Mail Carriers.
The rural carriers are under the
supervision of the second, third or
fouth class postmaster from whose
Office they start daily. The pay of the
rural carried is by no means large. He
receives $4C0 per annum and is required
to furnish himself out of this with a
horse and vehicle as well, if one is
required. While the remuneration for
this hard and sometimes dangerous
work is not great no difficulty has been
experienced on the part of the post
office department in obtaining efficient
and faithful carriers. In two instances
girls have qualified for this arduous
position, and it is stated that they are
as faithful and unfiagging in the per-
Torrance of their duties and as devoted
to the service as the men.
AS an additional accommodation to
residents along the routes, carriers are
allowed 70 deliver orders at the stores
in town, and to bring out and deliver
small parcels under four pounds weight.
For this work a reasonable sum is
charged by the carrier, and q small
additional source of revenue is thus
afforded him. Carriers are also allowed
to deliver kilograms upon which 2
cent stamp has been placed. 1t has
been suggested that the government
allow the carriers To act in the capacity
as well of local road inspectors. For
this they would receive additional COM
pensation from local sources for a duty
which would not interfere with their
daily routine.
The method of rural delivery of mails
by carriers is simple in the extreme.
The carrier starts after morning mail
has been opened. The majority of his
letters are addressed to the postoffice.
and an additional marking designated
Rural Route No. - aids him in
asserting his mail from that which will
be called for at the postoffice, or Which
belongs to other carriers.
Along this route and at convenient
intervals are placed the improvised
mail boxes of the patrons. In some
instances these boxes are much more
picturesque than suitable but it is ex-
pected that the government will shortly
adopt a standard type of box. From
this wayside- postoffice the carrier COL
lects any letters that have been depos-
tied, and in it places the mail for, the
owner. Then. blowing his whistle or
horn to attract the attention of his
patron, he drives bIiskly on. As a rule
the rural delivery route is laid cit so
that the, carrier finds himself within