Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-01-13
RURAL MAlL Roures.
What tho United States Government Has
Done In South Carolina.

pvhe W SCUM carolina.
Washington, Jan. S.-There are
284 rural free delivery routes doing
business III the State Of South Caro-.
lima. On an average they deliver
mail to 600 people each. Ii will be
seen from this that about I75,OO0
people get the benefit of rural free
delivery in the State. 1t costs lust
about 5000 year to operate one of
these routes, and Uncle Sam is,
therefore, paying into the State of
South Carolina alone the tidy little
sum of $4,000 a year for service
that is entirely for the benefit of the
people. The average route is about
~ miles long, 80 that the rural car.
riers OF South Carolina travel in the
neighborhood of $500 miles every
day. Each route covers about
eighteen square miles of territory. 80
that the free delivery system of
South Carolina covers over 5000
square miles of territory.
The people of the State have asked
for 713 routes in all. Of these 2S4
have been granted and 283 have
been rejected. The other 146 are
still pending. 1t will be observed
from these figures that the people
are getting just about half as many
routes as they are aeking for. AT
the same ratio, when all the petitions
have been acted upon, there will be
S57 routes and as many carriers in
the State. The figures of the depart.
ment show many interesting things
In connection with rural free deliv-
cry In South Carolina. In the first
place they show that free delivery
seems to be the universal desiresin
some districts while, in others it
seems to enjoy little popularity.
The Third District, represented
by Wyatt Aiken, is the banner
district in the State in the number
OF rural routes. There are now in
operation within its borders 80 rural
routes. There are also 81 petitions
still pending and awaiting investiea.
tion by the department.. The depart.
ment has refused to grant So routes
asked for in the district. 1t will be
seen from this that the people of that
district have asked for 157 routes all
told and have gotten 80, more in
proportion than the State at large
The Fourth District comes second
In regard to the number of routes
established. This is the district rep.
resented by Mr.. Jobnson. There are
90 routes in operation in the district
There are 33 petitions still pending.
and there have been Cd reflections.
There have been more applications
rejected in this district than from
any other in the State. In all. the
people of the Greenville district
have asked for 157 routes, exactly
the number asked for by the people
OF the Third District, but they have
not gotten as much in proportion by
good deal as the people of the third.
The constituents of Mr.. Legare
have asked for So routes. They
have received 10, 35 of their petitions
have been turned down, and 13 are
awaiting action. The most of these
rejected were petitioned for under
the predecessor of Mr.. Legare.
Representative Croft has secured
10 routes for his constituents, has 21
petitions pending, and has had "a
petitions rejected. He has forwarded
to the department 63 petitions.
The Fifth District, represented by
Mr.. Finley, has 44 routes in opera
tion. There are 81 petitions still
pending and 81 have been rejected.
making in all 1O6 routes that have
been asked for by the people of that
district.
In Mr.. Scarborough's district there
are 30 routes in operations, 6 petit
tions are awaiting action, 33 have
been rejected in all, SO routes asked
for.
sMr. Legare has 40 routes in opera
ton in his district, 81 petitions pend
ing investigation, and there have
been Al reflections, making 1O5 petit
tions submitted from that district.
THE COURIER and the Atlanta Consti-
tuition and the Home and Farm one wear