The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-24

journey was always incOnvenient
and sometimes impracticable. Con
sequently, they sent for their mails
only at infrequeht intervals, neg,
lected their correspondence, became
estranged from relatives and friends
at distance, subscribed to no daily
newspapers and lost interest in the
dOings of the outside world. Rural
Free Delivery has given them new
interest in life.
The rural carrier provides his own
usually a buggy or light
wagon-and has his horse or horses
(two horses to be used alternate days
are often necessary, and drives, On
an average, from twenty to twenty
five miles a day, over a circuitOus
route, so arranged that he does not
traverse the same road twice on the
same day. He leaves the distribut-
ing Office Immediately after the ar
rival of the principal mail the day,
returning in time to turn in his col
lectiOns for dispatch by the evening
trains. He prepares a list of the
heads of families on the line of his
delivery. Each of these is required
to put up box by the roadside,
mounted on post, at such convent
ent height that the carrier can reach
it to deposit his mail without alight-
ing. The carrier does not leave the
main, road nor enter dooryards to
hand in his mails. The country for
a mile or so on each side of his route
is tributary to him. People living
quite distance back from the road
which the carrier traverses find it
much more convenient to come or
send to meet him (knowing the time
at which he passes daily, and thus
to collect their mail, than to drive
several miles to the village pOstOtfice
on the off chance that there might
be some mail there for them. If,
taking advantage of the facilities
which rural delivery affords, they
subscribe for daily newspaper and
a weekly or monthly magazine, they
know that there is something always
awaiting them, and that each trip to
the family letter box at the cross
roads corner will result in something
of interest.
Each rural pOstman carries with
him for sale a supply of stamps,
stamped envelopes and postal cards.
He is authorized to receipt for money
orders and to deliver registered let
ters, proper forms of receipt being
provided. He is practically a travel
ing postoffice, and is under bond to
the government for the faithful per
fOrmance of his duties.
STRENGTHENING OUT THE TANGLE OF
THE SERVICE.
The methods of installation of the
service have been simplified and sys-
tematized as the service has in
creased. When experimental rural
free delivery was started on October
1, 1896, the Postoffice Department
arbitrarily selected the localities
where it should be applied, and in
some instances imposed it upon COM
munities which did not need it and
did not desire it. It is now made a
prerequisite that those who wish the
service shall petition for it, present
ing their petitions through their
Representative in Congress, and
with their favorable Endorsement.
Each rural route, before it is ordered
established, is carefully investigated
by special agent of Rural Free De-
livery. He drives over the ground,
prepares a map on which he care
fully notes the number of residences
which can be served (Which must
never be less than one hundred to
each carrier), and distinctly outlines
the route the carrier is to follow. A
copy of this map is left with the
postmaster, so that there shall be no
excuse for applications, after service
has been ordered, for trivial changes
in the direction of the route to ae-
commodate particular persons.
I think the future of rural free de
livery is bright with promise, not
only for the farmers whom it direct
ly benefits, but for the. country at
large. Wherever it has gone it has
brought good roads. These, in fact,
are made prerequisite of the estab
lishrnent of the service. It is caus-
ING a revolution almost as marked in