The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-22

VI O14VOtA 9UGklO OAAnVO Ax1O6s
H. Carter and Postmaster Capt. l.. F.
Bacbock. At present there is no rural
free mail delivery in Montana and it
is believed that Yellowstone county
will have the honor of establishing
the first one in the state.
The route proposed will cover an
area of 25 miles west from Billings
and will serve 100 families, which
means about 500 people. It is sug-
gested in the petitions that in case
the delivery is established, the carrier
out over the upper bench road to a
point about two miles west of the
Hesper farm, thence south to the
lower road along side the Northern
Pacific track and return to town by
this road, thus being enabled Il make
a trip each day.
In order to show what is necessary
do in order to secur a rural free
mail delivery, the following from a
circular of the postoffice department.
is published:
A petition must be presented to the
first assistant postmaster general,
signed by those who desire the service.
This petition should be signed only
by heads of families, and should men,
ton the number in each family. It
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
distances which, under existing con-
ditions each patron has to travel to re-
ceive his mail, and should be accom-
panied, wherever possible, by a rough
map indicating the route or routes
proposed.
This petition, when properly signed,
should be sent to your representative
in congress, or to one of your senators,
with a request that he endorse thereon
his recommendation OF the service
asked, and forward the petition to the
department.
It must be borne in mind that the
intention of congress in authorizing
the free delivery of mails in rural
districts was not to grant a suburban
delivery to cities included in the free
delivery service. nor to establish a
village free delivery. The purpose of
the rural free delivery system is to
give postal facilities to those who
have none; to carry the mails daily to
remote rural communities, the resi-
dents of which would otherwise have
to travel from two to ~ miles to re-
ceive their letters and newspapers.
The roads must be good. This is
an essential prerequisite to any in
vestigation.
No route can be established that is
less than from 20 to 25 miles in
length, or which serves less than 100
families.
The route should be so arranged
that the carrier will not be required
to travel over the same ground twice
on the same day.
Those desiring the delivery must be
prepared to pat up, at their own ex-
pense, at some convenient location
which can be reached by the carrier
without dismounting from his buggy,
appropriate and secure boxes for the
reception of the United States mails.
Rural carriers are not required to
deliver mail to houses standing back
from the main road. The service is
one of mutual accommodation, and
the patrons are expected to meet the
department half way in affording ia
~cilities for it's establishments.
Upon receipt of a petition, forward
ed and endorsed after the above model,
a special agent is detailed by the de-
partment to visit the location indicat-
ed, to map out a route or routes, and
to select rural carriers, to be appointed
by the department. In all such cases
the advice of the representative in con-
gress, and also of the postmaster from
whose office it is proposed that the
rural free delivery should start, is
sought and obtained.
Rural carriers give bond in the sum
of $500, with two sureties. Each
bond requires a 50-cent revenue stamp
to be affixed thereto.
Carriers are paid by warrants, di-
1ectly issued by the treasury depart
ment upon certificates forwarded by
the postmaster. Their rate of pay is
fixed by the department, and includes
horse hire, but not necessary tolls or
ferriage, for which a separate account
must be rendered.
One or more substitute carriers
should be provided in each case, who
must give bond in the same sum as
the regular carrier and who alone are
permitted to carry the mails in the
absence or disability of the regular
carrier.
Accounts for service must be rem
dered in the name of the regular
carrier, and he must pay his substitute
a proper pro rata for the service rem
dered.
All rural carriers are under the con
troll Of the postmaster from whose
Office the service is established, and it
ic his 1ntv tn ranOrt anv d~ara1ictioOS