Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-31
IS A MAIL BOX TRUST
NOW N FORMATION?
LOOKS AS If THERE WAS 4 RAKE
OFF IN FREE
DELIVERY PLAN
FOR A FORMULATED TRUST
of Mail Box Mnpufncturcrs-Mhti
Delivered Oniy to Those Who
Have Boxes of Certain Specified
Mnke-Capt plain Inter
viewed ON the Subject.

Arrangements are now in progress
by United States officials for the estab-
llshment of five free rural delivery
mail routes in the immediate vicinity
of Wheeling. and as Hon. b. b. Dow
ener, our representative in Congress is
taking active interest in the establish
ment of these routes, a representative
of the Register called upon him yester-
day evening at the Mcclure House and
asked him for Information as to where
these routes would be located and other
particulars concerning them. Captain
Dovener said preliminary work in con-
neetion with establishing five routes
was now going forward. That there
would be one probably between Wheel
ing and West Liberty, daily each way;
one between Wheeling and Cameron al
so daily both ways; Il from Elm
Grove as a center. one likewise from
Triadelphia. and one from Dallas.
There are 80 of these routes in oper-
alton September list. in the State OF
West Virginia, and a total Of 4.7S3 of
these in As States and territories. The
average number of families being f05,
would make a grand total of 502 ,215
families supplied by the rural free de-
livery. Iowa with 453 has the largest
number and Oklahoma is the smallest.
None have as yet been established in
Montana or Nevada
Each person along the route of the
free rural deliveries is compelled in
order to receive the benefit of this free
delivery, to provide one of IA styles
of mail boxes, at his expense, in
which the mail can be deposited by the
carrier. Prior to March 2Sth the per
son served by the carrier on their
routes could provide any old kind of a
receptacle, from an old boot to a
cracker box, for their mail. but now
only one of the Ia referred to can be
used.
Anent this matter of special boxes. a
special correspondent of the Detroit
Tribune says:
One of the most astonishing trust
fostering pieces of business ever trans
acted by the government has manate
from the postoffice department in con-
nection with the rural free delivery OF
mail. The department has selected
fourteen styles of mail boxs made by
as many different concerns about the
country, and has ordered that no far
mer can have his mail delivered free
unl-~.a box from one of these
fourteen concerns. No other box Will
answer, and If he hangs out any other
box the mail carrier must pass him by.
As there are already 4.7S3 rural free
delivery routes in the United States,
serving 500, 215 families. it will be seen
that the fourteen favored factories have
q most elegant snap, especially when 1t
Is remembered that the rural free de-
livery is still in its infancy. 1t can be
imagined what their profits will be
when in a few years the country real
ICES President MeKinley's prediction
that more than 20.00D, 900 people are to
be served by the rural free delivery.
But it was not to be expected that
the IA factories enjoying this mono
poly would set out to cut each others
threats. They had too good g thing.
For sometime it has been limited that
they had a "~gentleman's agreement
for the purpose of keeping up prices,
and now pretty definite information
comes to hand that active steps are
being taken to combine the IA into a
trust. The postofiice department de.
MES any knowledge of this, but the in
formation is here just the same. The
IA factories are at present located as
follows:
Postal Improvement Co. Norris
town, Pa; Bates Hawley Postal
Signal Box, Joliet. H.; A. l.. Henry
American Box, Ladoga. Ind; Century
Post Co., Adrain. Mich; Bond Steel
Co.. Adrain, Mich; Century Rural
Mail Box Co., Detroit. Mich: Corbin
Cabinet Lock Co, New Britain, Conn;
y. b.. Englar Box Co.. T~aneytown, Md;
c. G. Folsom, South Bend. Ind; John
H. Forney (~Enterprise) Box, Burling-