Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-18
WHOLE
County Will Be
Covered.
Rural Delivery Service
Almost at Hand.
Routes Laid Out to Reach All
Farmers.

Summit county farmers are to enjoy
the greatest benent that has ever been
granted the agricultural class by the
government If plans now being drafted
are indorsed by the postal department
This benefit is delivery Of mail over |
the entire county The county is rare |
In the thiokly populated portions of the |
union that has no rural delivery OF |
mail, but there are few counties as yet |
that have all parts covered. 1t Is |
such a system that Is now being !
planned for this county.
AS is we'll known, rural delivery of |
mail is comparatively modern In |
stitution. But 1t has come into such
great popularity with the farmers that
the postal department is overwhelmed
with applications for the service and
petitions from all parts of the country
have been in for over year that have
not been granted. They are allowed
as fast as the government appropria
tions and the circumstances in the in
dividual cases will allow. 1t often hap
pens that where several routes have
been established 1t is hard to get any
more allowed because there are so
many towns with outlying districts
that have none Mt all. and are just as
much entitled to them as those that
have.
In Summit county there is TO be no
discrimination If the recommendations
of Mr.. A. d. George, the government
agent now here, are approved
Mr.. George came to this county in
October and has spent much of the
time since then in thoroughly canvass
ing the county, drafting n map of the
county, with every farm house and
public road indicated, and outlining
complete system of rural delivery
OF mail. 1t represents prodigious
amount Of work, and Mr.. George, Wed.
nesday afternoon, with the aid of a
stenographer, completed a description
of the last route planned.
1t will require the establishment of
81 routes to cover Summit county. Mr..
George sage that he believes that no
farmer who lives on public road will
be more than half mile from route:
This certainly means a thorough cover
ing Of the county when the service is
once established. .r...... o.
The routes of course vary In length,
but about 21 miles will be the average
length, with the average number of
square miles about IL, and the popu-
lation served about $50 to each route.
Mr.. George would not state what
towns the routes would radate from,
but they will be from the most advan-
tageous points. A few fourth class
offices will in time he abolished, but
the government never abolishes any
money order offices.
Three towns, West Richfield, Darrow-
vile and Inland will be given two mails
q day, and some carriers will carry
mail from one postofilce to another,
and deliver mail from house to house
az they go over the route twice a
day. Most of the carriers will make
the trip but once day, leaving as
soon as the morning mails are dlstri-
buted. At various points where diff
ferent routes join United States coli
lection boxes will be located, so that
mail can be carried from one place
to another address in the county.
For each route there will be one
carrier and one substitute carrier.
Each carrier must furnish his own
horse and wagon, and will receive 5000
per year Thirty-seven routes means
the distribution Of $4,000 annually by
the government In salaries to the car
rers.
An examination to choose carriers
and substitutes will be held at the
Court House next Saturday, beginning
at $50 o'clock. There will be nearly
100 applicants, and they will be ex-
aminsd under civil service rules prin-
cipally In reading and writing.
One Of the requirements of rural
mail service is good roads. Mr.. George
stated that in some parts of the county
he found the roads rough, other places
they are fair, but everywhere there is
room for Improvement He stated
that he never worked where he was
treated more courteously, the country
people and the postoffice authorities
here alike being very pleasant. He
said that the people throughout the
county are very anxious for the new
S service TO begin. The endeavor will
be to improve the postal service every,
where throughout the county, and
3& nowhere will 1t be made worse
Mr.. George has not made his repor,
to the government yet, and 1t has first
70 be approved and acted upon before
the new service will go into effect Il
W Is a safe venture to say that that date
IVA will not occur much before April l
Fl 1908. Farmers will have to provide
themselves with mail boxes that have
been approved by the government
When farmers have once enjoyed the
rural service, they will not do without
II under any consideration.
FOils Deadly Attack.