The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-12-20
RURAL NAIL ROUTES
Sixty Thousand Petitions for This
Service Now on File.
How the Delivery Districts Are Laid
Out and Organized-Great Help
to the Good Roads
Movement.
Especial Washington letter.


<(THERE are more than 5000
rural free delivery routes
now in operation" says the
first assistant postmaster general,
''and there are upwards of 10000 petit
tions on file for this service. They
come from all parts of the country.
''Did you say 10000 applications %
"Yes, upwards Of that number; and
petitions are coming in every day, and
by every mail. The people have read
of this innovation for the benefit OF
the farm jewellers, and they are deter
mined to take advantage of it. Farm
ers for many years have reasoned that
as citizens of this republic they are as
much entitled to have their mail de-
livered at their residences as are the
citizens who dwell in towns and cities.
"Of course, at first there were very
few farmers who reasoned that way;
but their number increased gradually
until their views compelled recogni-
ton. When this service began, six
years ago, it was undertaken in half
hearted manner. But when Perry
Heath took it up in 1897, with char
acteristic energy, the service soon be-
gan to become practical as well as
practicable.
eve first had an appropriation, of
$4,000. Then we got 100000. Then
we asked for more and more, until last
year we had $1.75O,OOO for the work.
But during the present fiscal year we
have $3,5OOOOO This enables us to go
ahead with considera BILE alacrity in
the work; but for the next fiscal year
we should have not less than S. ,000,-
900; and we hope to secure appropria-
tions for $10,OOO,OOO and that will en-
able us to do business on a bigger scale
than we have been able to work hither-
to. Of course, this work has been ex
detrimental for several years, but now
it is beyond that stage, and is in prac-
teal operation. Therefore it must be
maintained"
One of the special agents who has
been engaged in the establishment of
these routes explained the manner of
work in an interesting manner. He
said: "When a petition is received by
the department, it is jacketed, indexed,
and referred to its proper field divi-
sion. For example, suppose petition
comes in from any state west of the
Mississippi river. 1t would belong to
the western division, which has head
quarters at Denver, Col. The special
agent in charge of that vast division
is William E. Amin, veteran news
paper man, who was for number of
years Washington correspondent of
some leading newspapers.
''WeH, when case is thus received
at division headquarters, it is proper
ly filed, and then referred to a special
agent in the field. 1 have just been
hard at work in the Seventh congress
sional district of Iowa, and will tell
you how the work has been done. In
the first place, there were exactly so
cases for that district. The congress
man, Mr.. Hull, had Endorsed every
petition. Without his Endorsement
nothing would have been done in any
case.
"These cases were divided off into
counties, and I devoted myself to a
county at a time. The city of Des
Moines is in Polk county, and took
that county first. I attended to the