The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-03-24
FREE RURAL DELIVERY.
Some Account OF The Work Done in Es-
tablishing It-Fine Map OF the County
Made-POpulatl0n OF Westminster
and Carroll County-Interest-
ing Notes.

The free rural delivery system in Carroll is
in good working order, and Capt. E. Fl. Hath
away, who is in charge of the work, will prob
ably leave Westminster in about two weeks.
great amount of labor has been necessary
to get the new system TO its present efficiency,
and Capt. Hathaway has had from five to
seven persons employed in the Office here
since the new system was put in operation,
and has also had some assistants from the
Postohice Department, Washington. 1t was
necessary to have the names of the people in
the county. Letters were written to postmas-
tiers for the names of heads of families who
were patrons of their respective Offices. On
the wagon and carrier routes inspectors were
sent out to list the heads of families. When
this work was completed the heads of fami-
lies were written TO for list of the names of
the family and also of any person living with
Them On the wagon and carrier routes let
ters were written to 1850 persons. To these
3,098 replies were received, and contained the
names of IA, Ill. To those at postoifices g.
S14 letters were sent. Fourteen hundred and
one replies were received, giving the names of
8, 686 persons. HThe names were type written
and the postal clerks in the wagons and the
carriers were gwen the names on their re-
spective routes to verify them and to add to
the lists any persons who were omitted.
After veri6cation lists of the persons ON each
wagon and carrier route were typewriter, put
in springback canvass cases and given to the
postal clerks and carriers. The clerks and
carriers are required to note all changes of
residence and report them, when the lists are
corrected. Duplicates of all lists are retained
in the Office here.
This work required the writing of over six
thousand letters, much labor in asserting the
letters and a large amount of type-writing
Maps of all wagon and carrier routes were made
for the inspectors, and Mr.. Edwin W. Shriver
is now finishing large map of the county. 1t
is fine piece of work-as handsome as any
professional draughtsman could have done.
The map includes parts of Baltimore, How
ard, Montgomery and Frederick counties in
Maryland and York and Adams counties in
Pennsylvania, because some of the carrier
routes extend into these counties. The map
shows the railroads, county roads, streams,
churches, schoolhouses, mills, residences,
mile-stones on pixies, the continued and
abolished postofiices, the substations and the
location OF the 269 collection boxes. The
wagon routes are shown and also the carrier
routes, which are marked in large figures.
The discontinued star routes are also indi-
Gated. The map is for the Postmaster-Gen-
eral for use in the department. \
SOME NOTES.
Capt Hathaway had list of the inhabitants
of Westminster made, and the population was
ascertained to be 3,451. The population of
the county was not accurately ascertained, as
some persons neglected to give names of chill
dren. There are 1873 heads of families, and
the population is estimated to be about 49,,
000
r In establishing the new system 80 star
routes and 6I postoffices were abolished.
Two thousand, four hundred and thirty
HOY mt nm h0YaS
their mail OF these 2044 are regarded as
good and substantial and 393 Indifferent.
The number of people in Carroll who get
their mail at offices out of the county is 42O,
of whom 102 are heads of families.
The number of miles travelled by the four
wagons daily is 1l24; by carriers 1889. There
are wagons and 80 carriers.
A daily record is kept of all mail matter
handled by each postal clerk and carrier. A
great increase is shown in the matter sent and
received. The average number of pieces
handled daily in January was $3.50 and in
March, up to the 10th, 8, 151-an increase of
about 1000.
IA carrier route has been established be-
route is soon to be established, from Harvey
10 Littlestown. II is probable this beginning
in Pennsylvania may result in establishing
free rural delivery throughout Adams county.
Capt Hathaway on Wednesday issued an or
der to carriers, clerks and postmasters" in
Carroll, in which he directs that Wagons A. b.
c and, D and Carriers |, 2, s, 4, 5, 6, 7, Is.
81, %, %, 25, &c, 81, %, 20, SO, So and 81
shall have their headquarters at Westminster,
which is considered their postoffice. From it
they will receive instructions and supplies.
The other carriers will have their headquart-
ers aid report as follows: 8, TO- 80 and 38 to
Mt. Airy; IL to Morgan; II and ID to Sykes.
vile; II to Middlebnrg; Is, 10, 20 and "a to
Taneytown; "a to Hampstead; 16 and-36 to
York Road; s, 81 and 80 to New Windsori 80
to Woodbine; IA to Union Bridge.