The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-01-13
RURAL MAIL ROUTE.
Some Interesting Figures About the
Service in This State.

According to a special dispatch to
the Greenville News from Washing
ton there are 2S4 rural free delivery
routes doing business in the State OF
South Carolina. On an average they
deliver mail to 900 people each. 1t
will be seen from this that about
175, 900 people get the benefit OF rural
free delivery in the State. 1t costs
just about $500 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, so that the rural car
riers of South Carolina travel in the
neighborhood Of G, 800 miles every day.
Each route covers about eighteen
square miles of territory, so that the
free delivery system Of South Carolina
covers over 5000 square miles or ter
ritory.
The people of the State have asked
for 7l3 routes in all. OF these 2S4
have been granted and 2S3 have been
rejected. The other l46 are still
pending. 1t will be observed from
these figures that the people are get
ting just about half as many routes
as they are asking for. At the same
ratio. when all the petitions have been
acted upon, there will be 357I routes
and as many carriers in the State.
The figures OF the department show
many interesting things in connection
with rural free delivery in South Car
olina. In the first place they show
that free delivery seems to be the uni
yersal desire in some districts while in
others it seems to enjoy little popu.
larity.
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. 81 rural routes.
There are also 81 petitions still pend
ing and awaiting investigation by the
department. The department. has re-
fused to grant 81 routes asked for in
the district. 1t will beseen from this
that the people of that district have
asked for l57 routes all told and have
gotten 81, more in proportion than
the State at large.
The Fourth District comes second
in regard to the number Of routes eS-
tablished. This is the district rep
resented by Mr.. Johnson. There are
so routes in operation in the district.
There are 80 petitions still pending,
and there have been 64 rejections.
There have been more applications
rejected in this district than from
any other in the State. 1n all, the
people Of the Greenville district have
asked for l577 routes, exactly the num-
Der asked for by the people of the
Third District, but they have not got
ten as much in proportion by a good
deal as the people of the third.
The constituents Of Mr. Legare
have asked for So routes. They nave
received 10. 35 OF their petitions have
been turned down, and l3 are await
ing action. The most OF these reject
ed were petitioned for under the pre-
decesSor of Mr.. Legare.
Representative Croft has secured
lS routes for his constituents, has 81
petitions pending, and has had "a
petitions rejected. He has forwarded
to the department SO petitions.
The Fifth District, represented by
Mr.. Fiply, has II routes in OPERATION.
There are 81 petitions still pending
and 81 have been rejected, milking in
all lO6 routes that have been asked
for by the people of that district.
In Mr.. Searborough's district there
are 80 routes in operations, 5 petit
tions are awaiting action, 33 have
been rejected: in all, 50 routes asked
for.
Mr.. Lever has 10 routes in opera
tion in his district, 81 petitions pend
ing investigation, 2od there have
been A reflections, making $50 petit
tionS submitted from that district.