The Lamar register., 1901-07-03
Rural Free Delivery.

Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith describes the new system or
rural free mail delivery ms follows:
1--WE are now carrying the postofhce
to the door of 31.OOO.OOO of people
massed In towns and cities. The TASK
before us is the postotiice to the door
IF about 21,OOO,OO0. scattered over l.
100000 square miles of territory. It's
magnitude is not to be underestimated.
England, France and Germany make
rrral free delivery, their postmen 60
ing on foot. But England contains
jO.S61 square miles. France 204,U92,
md Germany 2OS.S3O. We are al
ready covering with rural delivery n
larger area than England. all effected
within the past two years. BY the
end of the current fiscal year we shall
reach one-sixth of the 21.OOO,OOO to be
served. What has already been sub
stantiauy accomplished Is certainly
capable of skiold expansion.
ION the LIST of July. 1899. there were
,91 rural delivery routes in operation.
Within the fiscal year, under an appro-
oriation of S4JO.OOO this number was
increased to 1.214. On the LIST of July,
1900 the appropriation of Sl,IJO'oO
became available. and on November
18th 2,G14 routes had been located and
eStlDllSDtu, ol.ctD III hSSttt"'N
length. covering 66,Si2 square miles.
iivided among forty-four states and
territories. and serving n population
If 1,SO1 ,524. The number of applica-
ions pending Mt that date and await
ng action or under investigation was
more. than 21O0-nearly enough to
louble the existing service-and every
Law brings more. hTe close of the
present fiscal year will see about 1900
-outes in operation. carrying the mail
1aily to the doors of not less than g.
100000 residents Of the rural dis
ricts."
To get rural delivery 100 families
ave to agree to certain conditions and
nut up suitable boxes to receive mail.
IN Colorado, six routes We're estab-
ished prior to May 1, 1900, when the
western division was organized.
rwenty-seven have been established
since and petitions for eighteen are
now pending awaiting favorable
weather for their examination. Wyom-
ng has four routes in operation and
)nly one application pending. The
sreat mass of applications for rural
rec mail routes come from the states
" Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska. Minnesota,
Texas and California. OF the 1000
.ases waiting to be passed upon, more
.ntln l,tOp iTt tlltSe Stutts.
In May. 1900. the United States was
livided into four divisions with Den
yer as headquarters for the western.
which takes In all the states west of
he Mississippi with the exception of
Missouri and Louisiana. William Il.
Amin Is 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
If the East and has had a large eX-
,erience with men and affairs. He Is
thoroughly business like In his meth
IDS of work and his division demands
sreat executive ability as 1t 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
,imilate its foreign populations even
more rapidly thnn 1t is doing 1t now,
mixing the Inhabitants from Maine to
California kin in many senses of the
word.