North Park union., 1901-07-12
RurH, Free Dellverv.

Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith describes the new system of
rural free mail delivery MS follows:
1--WE are now carrying the postoffice
to the door of 31,OO0,OOO of people
massed in towns and cities. The task
before us is the postoffice to the door
of about 21,O0O,OOO, 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 60
5O,S87 square miles, France 204,O92,
and Germany 2O8,s3O. We are al
ready covering with rural delivery a
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 $1,000, 600 to be
served. What has already been sub
stantially accomplished is certainly
capable of skiold EXPANSION.
"On the LIST Of July, 1900, there were
s91 rural delivery routes in operation.
Within the fiscal year, under an appro-
priation Of $4,000 this number was
increased to 1924. On the 1st of July,
1900. the appropriation Of $1,75O, 600,
became available, and on November
10Th 2,614 routes had been located and
established, 81, 1879 miles In aggregate
length, covering 66,842 square miles,
divided among forty-four states and
territories, and serving a population
of 1901, ,5A. The number Of applica-
tions pending at that date and await
Ing action or under Investigation was
more than 2,1OO-nearly enough to
double the existing service-and every
day brings more. hTe close of the
OroRont AOra1 war xui1J o<<N ho,,x A 1nO
routes in operation, carrying the mail
daily to the doors Of not less than g.
100000 residents Of the rural dis
tricts." .4, E1.
To get rural delivery 100 families
have to agree to certain conditions and
put up suitable boxes to receive mail,
In Colorado, six routes were estab-
lished prior to May i, 1900, when the
western division was organized,
1wenty-seven have been established
since and petitions for eighteen are
now pending awaiting favorable
weather for their examination. Wyou,-
ing has four routes in operation and
only one application pending. The
great mass Of applications for rural
free mail routes come from the states
y Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota,
Texas and California. OF the 1000
Eases waiting to be passed upon, more
han 100 are in these states.
In May. 1900. the United States was
divided into four divisions with Den
ger as headquarters for the western.
which takes in all the states west Of
The Mississippi with the exception of
Missouri and Louisiana. William q.
Amin is the special agent in charge
with nine agents in the field under the
direction of the department. Mr.. An
nin Is well-known newspaper man
OF me East and has had large ex-
?erience with men and affairs. He IL
thoroughly business like in his meth
DDS Of work and his division demands
great executive ability as It 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 ramlfied
mall service the United States will as
simulate 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