The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-05-29
'OF HOOSTER ORIGIN
An Indianian Made Rural Delivery
Permanent Part of the Postal
Service.
4 THOUSAND ROUTES IN INDIANA

4 THOUSAND ROUTES IN INDIANA
viii Be in Operation Soon After the
Beginning of the Next Fiscal Year
The Service Has Enjoyed Exception
al Popularity in Indiana-Its Rapid
Development.
Before the close of the coming sum-
mer more than 1000 rural carriers will
be distributing mail over Indiana
routes, equaling in aggregate length
the circumference of the globe. 1t is
a point OF special interest to Indian
ians that the father of this most
striking new development in the con-
tinued and rapid growth of the postal
service" was a Hoosier, Perry S.
Heath, who as first assistant post
master general, found the service in
the earliest experimental stage and
made it, before the close of his adj
ministration, a vital part of the work
of the postoffice department. The ap-
preparations made by congress in 1894,
1895 and 1896 for experimentation in
service originally suggested by Post
master General Wanamaker, were rem
dered futile by the skepticism with
which Postmasters General Bissell
and Wilson regarded the innovation.
With the administration of Mr.. Gary
and Mr.. Heath a new attitude toward
the plan for extending daily mail ia
cilities to the farmer was assumed by
the department. AS result nearly
10000 routes are in operation at this
time, while the liberal appropriations
for the service made by the present
congress insure increased activity in
the establishment of routes after the
beginning of the next fiscal year.
The Service in Indiana.
From the beginning Indiana led in
the number of routes, and is the pio-
neer state in the matter of rural free
delivery. From Indianapolis is direct
ed the work of extending the service
In one-third of the states of the Union
In number of routes established Indi-
ana has been in the front rank, not
only because of. the disposition of
General Heath, in the earlier stages of
the development of the service to ia
vor his own state and the activity of
her members of congress, but because
Indiana is blessed with an unusually
intelligent and progressive rural pop
ulation. Indiana is state of good
roads, of schoolhouses, libraries, news
papers and magazines. Her people
write and receive as many letters per
capita as those of any other state in
the Union. In the number and quality
Of her newspapers she surpasses most
of her sister states. All these things
have combined to make rural free de-
livery popular institution in Indiana.
as shown by the number of petitions
for additional service now pending in
the division Offices at Indianapolis.
Extent of the Service.
In the last report of the postmaster
SeucTdl dlc lOunu oOhO
facts concerning the rural service. At
this time nearly 100000 persons liv-
ing on farms are favored with daily
mail delivery. More than one-fourth
of the eligible territory and population
are now covered by the service. 1t is
estimated that within less than four
years mail can be delivered at every
door in the United States except in
the most inaccessible localities or in
villages where the postoffice is near
at hand to every resident. Applica-
tons are now on file in the department
sufficient to more than double the ex-
tent of the service, and despite in
creased facilities for the investigation
OF routes the demand for the location
IF routes far surpasses the possibili-
ties of immediate favorable action.
With the increased appropriation soon
to become available, it is expected that
the work of investigation will be push
ed with unprecedented rapfdity, and
localities where the installation of the
service has been long delayed, Will
soon be favored.
The Farmer Favored.
The argument that the farmer is the
least favored by legislation Of any
factor in American citizenship no
longer holds good. In the matter of
postal facilities he has been given
during the past five years. more than
it seemed at all probable he would
receive within a generation-certain-
" more than he could have expected to
obtain within that time had the postal
policy prevail;ne in 1896 been contin-
ued. Rising value for the land the
farmer GYMS increased prices for all
that he has 20 SELL growth in the mar
ket value of livestock on American
farms alone during the past five years
sufficient TO pay the national debt,
department of agriculture active be-
yond precedent in the development Of
American agricultural interests, and
the widening of markets for products
of American agriculture abroad, dis
charge of mortgage indebtedness on
American farms far greater than has
ever before been known within SIM
liar perio~ ami. along yi'h all this.
the inaugu-at'on Of a movement look
ing to dailv ~aile for practically every
rural resident. would seem to indicate
that the American farmer is at last
coming into his own.
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