The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-02
GROWTH OF RURAL
FREE DELIVERY
Can No Longer be Considered in
Light Of an Experiment.
AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS.
Has Increased Postal Receipts. Caused
Advancement in Value of Farm
Lands and Improved Condition
of Roads Used by Carriers
AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS.
Especial Dispatch 10 The Timcs.)


WASHINGTON, D. c., September l.
There has been nothing in the history Of
the postal service of the United States SO
remarkable as tie growth CT the rural
free delivery system. Within the past
two years, largely by aid of the peo-
pie themselves, who in appreciation
of the helping hand which the Govern
ment extended to them Fave met these
advances half way, it has implanted 1t
self so firmly upon the postal auInlnls-
traticn that il can no longer be considered
in the light of an experiment. but has to
be dealt with as an established agency Of
rcgresS, awaiting only the action of Con-
gress tc determine how rapidly it shall be
developed.
The free delivery of mails in rural COM
nrnitieS can be extended with great bene-
fit to The people and with little cost to the
revenue. Whenever the system has been
Judiciously inaugurated. it has increased
postal receipts: it has caused the advance
.1ient of The vslre of farms reached by the
rural free delivery: it has caused a gene
raj Improvement Of the roads traNersed by
The rural carrier. especially in the Western
States, whore the construction Of Socd
roads has been a prerequisite to the es-
Enlistment Of rural free delivery service;
Il has been TIE means of obtaining better
prices for the farm products, the Droduc-
Is itciifS iIpuSitIF INTO CatiS #1Oucu Win
the STAG Of the markets. thus being able
10 take advantage OF information hereto
fore unattainable. and il is has promoted
educational benefits by giving the farmers
ready access 70 wholesome literature which
keeps them fully Informed as to the stir
ring events Of tnn day.
TRIALS TO BE MET.
Yet the service has had its trials to
overcome. II was condemned by the House
,1-,1if+ on .pain
Of the Fifty-taird Congress dion. John S.
Henderson, Of North Carolina. chairman
as q scheme impossible Of execution. which
would require an appropriation Of at least
sHNao1.fH3 TO inaugucate.
Postmaster-General William s. Bissell
was also OF the opinion clat the depart
Iaent could not be warranted in burdening
the people with such expense, and declined
TO expend the small appropriation of $4,000
10 test the feasibility of The scheme In
1883, when Congress Increased the appro-
prfation for q test to $4,000, Postmaster
General William l. Wilson also thought
that the plan of establishing rural free de-
livery was wholly impracticable. He
agreed however. 20 put the experiment
ordered TO test by the best methods he
could devise. This he did in 1896. when
Congress wade available $4,000
ESTABLISHED ROUTES.
ihe forty-four routes selected by Post
Inasfer-General Wilson were located in
'"entv-nine States. In order Of their
establishment they were as follows:
October /. 1896. Halltown. Uvilla and
charlessown, W. va: October IS. 1885,
Hartsrillc ard Hope, Ind. Coilinsville
DarrtoHri. Eiha and Somerviile, Ohio:
Westminster. Md: and Cairo Mo- Octo-
har ~ 1896. GAINESVILLE. Ark: October Q.
1896. PALMYRA, Va: October %. 1896. China
Grove. G: October &c. 1896. Bonner
Springs. Kansas: November l. 1896 Thilbe-
deaur. I.a-:Noven,ber Z. 1896. Tecumseh.
Neo.: November 10. 1896 Love1and Colo..
and Morning Sun. 1owa: November Is.
1886. Sun Prairie. Iowa: ,-vemhar o. 1906.
Gorhar1, Naples and ssbago Lake, Me-
and Orange Mass: November q, 1896.
New Stanton and Runsdale. Pa. and
Tempe. Ar9z.; November Is. 1896. North
Deering. Ne; December /. 1926. South
Deerdeh. Mass; December 3. 1885, Climax.
1neh., December 7. 1886, opelika. Ala. and