The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-01-25
Rural Free Delivery in
Blue Earth County.

''fast mall set out across country on
its daily run on snappy Friday morn
ing.
The fast mail light sleigh, was
propelled by "Tommie' and Ben
ME, - as tough, enduring and uncom-
planning a pair of mules as were ever
pressed into government service
Urged on by the indefatigable Bur-
CESS, who is made of even sterner stuff
than his team, these mules have COW
cred the twenty light miles of the Cir
cult, OF part thereof, every day, save
Sundays. since the establishment OF
the route, May IA, having made in all
2O3 trips without miss.
The reporter, who had been walk
ing around Minneapolis the day before
without his overcoat, was i'll pre-
pared to withstand the icy blast which
swept in across the southern Mime
sofa prairies. He would hardly hav 9
survived the ordeal, in spite of Mr..
Burgess solicitude in his behalf had
not one of the firm of johnson Bros,
Amboy, kindly rendered him the use
of buffalo coat. Snugly encased in
this great coat, with a cap pulled
down tightly over his ears, he manag-
ed to Withstand the ''hard, dull bitter
ness of cold for nine long hours, but
before the day was done he sorely re-
GREETED having neglected properly to
protect his feet.
Burgess threw into the sleigh bulg-
ing mail pouch stuffed full of letters,
papers, magazines and miscellaneous
postal matter for all the countryside,
gave each mule an admonitory Jab
with his brad ''just to wake 'em
up" and they were off at a. m. At
the sharp prick of the brad, Tommie
and Bennie tiattened their ears, drew
their tails we'll down between their
legs and went out of town on the dead
run.
Burgess kept them on the jump all
day Without thing to eat or drink
during that time they raced into
Amboy in the evening none the worse
for wear, with no gins of lather and
as fresh as when they
started. These mules have been up
against that kind of game for eight
months, and are growing fat on work
that would kill the average horse in a
week.
With reference to their staying
qualities, the bad condition of the
roads must be taken into consideration.
There is too much snow in Blue Earth
county for wheeling and too little
for sleighing. Where the snow has
drifted the runners would glide along
enough, but its entire absence
at times made very poor goi ng.
Bonnie and Tommie had to hump
themselves and do some tall hustling
to drag the screeching runners~over
the bare stretches, but not bray
betray ed their inward emotion.
The condition of the roads led Bur-
CESS to remark as we logged along
that free rural service had been an
aid to the good roads movement. The
condition of the route at
certain points last year resulted in de-
lays which at times prevented him
from delivering all of his mail. In
making out his monthly report, for
to the Washington
authorities the carrier made note of
the fact that owing to high water and
the absence of bridge over the Blue
Earth river he was unable to reach
some of the patrons of the route. The
postal officials at once took the matter
up with the Blue Earth county COM
missioners. They reminded the COM
missioners that their Indifference to
the public veal could alone explain the
absence of a bridge across the river
in such rich county. The govern
ment mail route, it was pointed out,
encountered the river at point where
bridge was supposed to exist. I'm
less such structure should be forth
coming, the county could not hope to
secure satisfactory rural service by
delaying United States mail. -
Having had taste of the free SER
vice, the farmers could not do without
it. Fearing that they might be cut off
entirely if such state of affairs was
long continued, they brought such
pressure to bear on the commissioners
that in the dead of winter workmen
were busy building approaches to a
handsome bridge which is to span the
river by next summer. During the
summer months the commissioners
kept men busy mending the roads
throughout the country, and their &C
tivity is directly traceable to the in
stances of agricultural consti tuents
that everything should be done to
facilitate the delivery of mail and get
it to its destination on time.
We encountered the first United
States mail box short distance out
of town. The boxes were substantial
tin receptacles with slide covers bear
ing, in addition to the familiar in