The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-09-05
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
How it Can BE- Secured in Country
Communities.


The following instructions, which
embody Department orders and regu-
lations up to date. are issued for gen
eral information:
HOW TO OBTAIN RURAL FREE DELIVERY
Present petition addressed to the
First Assistant Postmaster General
signed hy those who desire the SER
vice. This petition should be signed
only 10y heads of families, and should
mention the number in each family
over 16 years Of age. 1t should set
forth The nature of the country where
the delivery is desired, whether
densely or sparsely populated, the
principal avocations Of the people.
the character of the roads, and the
distance, under existing conditions.
each person has to travel to receive
his mail. and should be accompanied
by map or plat indicating the route
or routes proposed.
The petition should read something
like this:
To the First Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, Washington. ID. c.:
The undersigned heads of families, re-
siding in ........-........ county, State OF
.................., respectfully ask that the
rural free delivery service be extended to
them, the delivery to start from. ...............
pOStOfhce, county .............
State, or such other points as the officers
of the eDepartmentmay deem best adapted
for the service. A map or rough sketch
OF the proposed route is herewith en-
closed. Your petitioners are mostly
(here state avocations, such as farmers,
truck gardeners, dairymen, cattle raisers,
people may be). The roads over the pro-
gravelled or otherwise). There are no
unbridged creeks and the roads are pas
sable at all seasons ofsthe year.
Following should be three column
headed respectively: Name of head of
family; number over Is years of age; dis
tance in miles from nearest postoffice
This petition, when properly sign
ed, should be sent to the Represent ta-
tive in Congress. or to one of the
Senators, with the request that he
endorse thereon his recommendation
of the service asked, and forward the
petition TO the Department.
When a rural free delivery route
has been uniformly equipped with
boxes of any of the above named
description the Department will con-
slider these boxes as entitled to the
protection of the United States, which
provides severe penalties for willful
or malicious injury to them or inter
ference with their contents.
Rural carriers are not required to
deliver mail to houses standing back
from the main road, except in the
case of registered mail, special deliv-
cry and pension letters. The patrons
are expected to meet the Department
half way by affording the carriers
every facility for the performance OF
their duties, by keeping the roads
clear after heavy snow falls, and
using their influence to maintain the
condition of the roads in all weather
up to the standard required by the
Department.
Rural carriers are permitted to
deliver non-mailable packages, pro-
yided their doing so does not inter-
fere with the prompt handling of the
mails, which must be made the first
consideration.
Rural carriers are required to take
with them OF their trips, for the ac-
commodation of their patrons, suffi-
cient supply of stamps, stamped en-
velops and postal cards. Postmasters
may, if they choose, give credit to the
carrier for stamp supplies to the ex-
tent Of S5, to be accounted for each
dav, and the carriers bond being re-
sponsible therefor. If the carrier
finds an unstamped letter in a collec-
tion box, and the requisite amount of
money also deposited, they are in
structed to affix the necessary stamp.
They are empowered to register let
ters or packages and to deliver the
same, giving and taking receipt in
form provided. They are also author
lied to accept money for money
orders, giving their receipt therefor,
and if the patrons Of the delivery
desire to make the carrier their agent
for this purpose, the carrier may en-
close the order, when issued, in ad-
dressed envelops contided to his
charge and mail them without return