Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-01-29
RURAL MAIL ROUTES.

Up to the present attempts to- get the
people of this vicinity Interested in the
establishing of free delivery mail
routes in this county, have not been at
tended with any success although a con-
siderable number of routes have. been
established all over the state and wher-
ever put in the people have shown them
selves enthusiastic over the service.
The conditions ON which the government
establishes free rural mail delivery
route are not such but what the service
could be made practical on one or pos
sibly two routes out of Langdon. Any
point having daily railway mail service
can be made the starting out point and
the route will be duly established where
the petition shows that about one hun
bred persons get their mail along the
route, where it is twenty-five miles in
length. 1t is also provided that where
the required number of patrons for a
daily route cannot be had petitions can
be made for two routes, with view of
having them supplied by one carrier,
with an every other day service for each.
About sixty to sixty five patrons to each
of such routes is all that is required.
People living one or two miles from a
route may become patrons of the same
! if they desire by placing boxes along the
line of the route.
Now is the time of the year when it
ought to be possible to successfully
| agitate the matter and get the necessary
petitions in circulation so as to have the
route or routes established this summer
! 1t would be an easy matter to map out
a proposed route either east or north
from Langdon on which the necessary
| number of parties live to fill out the
required petition. and the Importance OF
having daily mail delivered right at
their own door without any expense on
their part ought to suggest itself ia.
yorably to nearly everyone who at the
present time has to travel from two t.
seven miles once or twice week year ir
and year out in order to get their mail
Blank petitions and printed matte,
which will outline what is required car
he obtained from Washington through
Congressman Thos. Marshall who has
taken up this matter on the part of his
constituents over the state and no doub
the earlier the petition is gotten out ant
sent in 10 Washington the greater viii
be the probability Of getting the serNic,
established during the present year as i
is understood tina, Congressman Mar
shall is arranging to have the govern
ment send out I; special agent tc inspec
the proposed new routes in this state a.
early as possible in the spring.
The personnel of the service is one O
its most interesting features. In TIN
selection of men to cover the variou
routes wise provision has been made
that only persons who have lived at leas
one year within the territory covered b,
a route are eligible for appointment a
carriers on the route in question. Thi
naturally limits the force to residents o
the rural districts and the towns which
form the terminals of each route The,
are required to pass an examination
which tests their ability to read ant
write, their knowledge of mathematics
indicates their familiarity with tn
neighborhood, and their physical con
dition. They must also be in position
to furnish suitable vehicle. drawn b.
one or two horses as becomes necessary
| A salary Of $500 a year is paid to serv
routes OF 20 miles and over $500 for l
to 20 miles, varying from these sums
$3.50 for shorter distances.