The Delta independent., 1901-07-05
Rural Free Delivery.

Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith describes the rev system or
rural free mail delivery rs follows:
I'VE are now carrying the postotfice
to the door of 3l.OOo.OO of people
massed in towns and cities. The task
before us is the postoffice to the door
of about 2l.OOO.oO0. scattered over l.
100000 square miles of territory. Its
magnitude is not TO be underestimated.
England, France and Germany make
rural free delivery, their postmen GO
ng on foot. But England contains
SS6I square miles. France 2O4,W2,
md Germany 2OS.SS0. We are al
teady covering with rural delivery a
larger area than England, all effected
within the past two years. BY the
md OF the current fiscal year we shall
reach ,one-sixih of the 21.o0o,oo0 to he
served. What has already been sub
stantially accomplished is certainly
capable of skiold expansion.
"On the 1st OF July. 1899. there were
91 rural delivery routes in operation.
Within the fiscal year. under an appro-
2riation of SI5O,ooO. this number WAS
increased to 1,21i. On the LIST of July,
1900. the appropriation Of S1.iO,00O,
became available. and on November
10Th 2,614 routes had been located and
established. 81 .9T9 miles in aggregate
iength. covering 66.S42 square miles.
divided among forty-four states and
territories, and serving a population
If 1.SO1, ,524. The number Of applica-
ions pending at that date and await
ng action or under investigation was
more than 2.lOo-nearly enough to
iouble the existing service-and every
lay brings more. hTc close of the
present fiscal year will see about 1890
,outes in operation. carrying the mail
Tally to the doors of not less than B.
10000 residents q the rural dis
ricts"
To get rural delivery 100 families
Inve TO agree to certain conditions and
Jut up suitable boxes to receive mail.
IN Colorado. six routes We're estab-
ished prior to May l, 1900, when the
western division was organized.
rwenty-seven have been established
dnce and petitions for eighteen are
low pending awaiting favorable
weather for their examination. Wyom-
ng has four routes in operation and
,nly one application pending. The
srent mass OF applications for rural
roe mail routes come from the states
" Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska. Minnesota,
Texas and California. or the 1000
,ases waiting 10 be passed upon, more
.hnn 1.7OO are In these states.
In May. 1900. the United States was
iividcd into four divisions with Den
,er as headquarters for the western,
which takes In all the states west OF
he Mississippi with the exception OF
Missouri and Louisiana. William 4.
Amin IL the special agent in charge
with nine agents in the field under the
direction Of the department. Mr.. An
lin Is a well-known newspaper man
" the East and has had large ex-
erlence with men and affairs. He Is
thoroughly business like In his meth
,tls OF work and his division demands
great executive ability as II covers
more than half OF the United States.
When even the isolated parts of the
country are brought In such close con-
act with Washington by this ramified
nail service the United States will as
its foreign populations even
more rapidly than 1t is doing 1t now.
making the Inhabitants from Maine to
California kin In many senses Of the
word.