The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-08

RESIDENTS OF BUTTE ASKED
TO PAY FOR MAIL RE-
CEPTAClES.
Agents for Mail Boxes Attempt to
Persuade Butte Residents That They
Must Buy Mail Boxes and Put
Them in Place to Comply
With the Postal Laws-The
Scheme Is an Old One.

Butte householders have within the
past two or three days been served with
small handbills, headed Important no.
tice," purporting to be official notifica-
lions that all who have their mail deliv-
cred here in the city must have mail
boxes put up at their doors.
The notice begin as a dispatch from
Washington, dated February /, 1890, and
quotes the following paragraphs from the
United States Official Postal Guide, sup
porting the story set forth. 1t is as fol-
lows:
Postmaster-General Wilson has re-af-
firmed the order of Postmaster General
Wanamaker, directing postmasters, pos
tai clerks and carriers to recommend and
urge upon householders the use of mail
repositories.
/. The householder must, for his own
convenience and advantage, and at his
own expense, provide suitable box.
2. Postmasters are instructed to give
information about the boxes and encour-
age householders to put them up. mas
much as the general use Of the boxes will
increase the safety and speed Of the mail,
all clerks and carriers are ordered to rec
ommend and facilitate their adoption.
That much of the story is true, for
postal regulations. In the interest Of
quick and sure delivery of mail, the
postal department has long argued that
mail boxes should be erected. There
are points in the following part of the
Circular however, which are not built
on so good a foundation. The remain
der of the circular is here given:
Every householder will now be pro-
vided with a mail receiving box, which
will be leased by the u. S. Standard
Letter Box and Plate company, at the
nominal rate of 10 cents per year. 1t Is
not rented for one year only for 10
cents, but is put up for term Of five
years for so cents. 1t will be your prop
erty during that time, and you may
take it with you from one house to an
other whenever you move.
BY having letter box attached to
your front or side doors, you will not
only assist in the more rapid work of
the department, but will also enable
every one to secure their mail earlier,
save yourself the annoyance to attend
the door bell at every ring, and insure
the safe delivery of letters when tenn
porarily absent. AS carriers are liable
to dismissal for putting letters under
doors, you cannot authorize them to
leave your mail any other place, than
the letter box attached to the property
These letter boxes are used and rec
ommendd by all the postoffice depart
ments of the large cities-New York
Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Bos-
ton, Columbus, Toledo and many Others
where they are in use. They are made
of solid iron and are very neat in ap-
pearance, especially adapted to nice
| private residences.
Tomorrow authorized parties will cal
upon you, so please be prepared to avail
yourself of this opportunity for so cents
to assist in your mail delivery, which
will be much appreciated by the post
office department.
Postmaster Irwin and his assistant
Barney Falk, were seen this afternoon
and authorized the following Statement
of the case:
"The government has never done more
than urge that letter boxes be put W