Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-08-25
RURAL MAIL BOXES
TO BE PAINTED GREEN
Government to Furnish Paint.
Carriers to Do the Work
Holidays for Carriers.


Grants Pass rural free delivery route
will be interested in the following
orders recently issued by the post.
master general, and the residents of
Louise creek and Jun p-off-Joe will
see the spectacle of their popular
mail carrier, Wm. Jewell, with the
added equipment of a bucket of green
paint and a brush giving st. Pat
rick's Day hue to their mail boxes;
Office of Postmaster General,
Washington, d. c., July 3, 1905.
Order No. .. Ordered that herelfter
service on all rural delivery routes
be suspended on New Years day
January u, Washington's birthday
February 22), Memorial or Decora-
tion day, May 30), Independence day
July A., first Monday in September,
known as Labor day, and such day
as the president may set apart as
Thanksgiving day in each calendar
year. George. Cortelyou,
Postmaster General
The r. f. d. News for August has
the following to say regarding orders
to be given by the postoliice depart
ment which will interest not only
rural free delivery carriers but the
people who are patrons of the rural
routes: "To facilitate more ac-
curate handling of the mail by rural
free delivery carriers the postoffice
department is arranging for the num-
bering of all rural letter boxes which,
under the regulations of the depart
ment, are entitled TO service, and
authorizing the delivery by rural
letter carriers of ordinary mail mat
| tsrs Of all classes addressed to boxes
by number alone, so long as improper
aud unlawful business is not con-
Quoted thereby, the same as is now
permitted in the case of postoffice
boxes.
Instructions will be sent to post
masters within a short time to assign
to boxes entitled to service consecutive
numbers beginning with the first box
reached by carrier after leaving the
postofiice, and a new box erected sub
sequent to the original numbering
will be assigned subsequent to the
next consecutive number in use on the
particular route,
Boxes on newly established routes
will not be numbered until 60 days
after the commencement of the SER
vice in order that ample time may be
allowed for all prospective patrons to
secure boxes.
"The postofiice department has in-
augurated a new policy in the matter
of painting the rurai letter boxes.
The rural letter carriers are now to
become knights of the paint brush,
and receive an additional compen-
sation for the extra work, which, by
the way, will not be compulsory.
"There are 5000, coo rural boxes in
the country, and before the close OF
the summer months these boxes will
be resplendent in a coat of brilliant
green paint, which paint will be
furnished by the department..
"Some days ago Postmaster General
Cortelyou asked the comptroller OF
the treasury if he could employ the
rural letter carriers to paint the rural
boxes. The comptroller decided that
the postmaster general could contract
with the carriers to paint these
boxes, provided it did not interfere
with the mail service aud the carriers
were willing to do the work. The
comptroller also suggested tnat il
would only be proper to see that the
work was done at a uniform price.
"In few days the rural carriers
will be informed by the department
that they will be allowed so mich pei
box-the price not being fixed by the
postmaster general-the department
furni shing the paint. "