Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-10-20
MUCH MAIL is HANDLED
By the R. F. D. Carriers out Of
the Grand Rapids Post Office.

/, The last quarterly report of the
amount of mail handled by the rural
free delivery carriers out of the city OF
Grand Rapids in the surrounding
country has been prepared. A care
full noting Of the amount Of mail they
handle forms very good evidence of the
value OF this service to the farmers
and all who have the benefit of the
rural delivery. The number of miles
each individual would have to travel
for his mail were itnot for this SER
vice, and the delay that would accom-
pany the NAILS being delivered would
sum up too much inconvenience for
the farmers of Wood county.
This report is for the months of
July, August and September, and deals
only with the pieces of mail handled
by the rural carriers, exclusive of all
city mail. BY examination of the re-
port we discover tnat there were in
the three months named, SO, 4S3 pieces
of mail delivered by the six carriers.
In the same length Of time there were
Il, 307 pieces collected by the same
carriers. This makes total of 1890
pieces OF mail handled during the three
months. One can scarcely compre-
hend what this amount of mail means
unless he has seen it all to gether.
With all its force, the local Office could
not distribute this amount in two
days ready to have it all delivered at
once.
OF this total number of pieces
handled amounting to nearly $1,000
pieces, there we're 2S,36O letters, l6, ,63S
of which were delivered and 1l,722
collected. By comparing the number
taken up with the number delivered,
we conclude that nearly three fourths
of all letters are answered by the
parties to whom they were addressed.
Out OF the S3.045 newspapers that
were delivered in the six districts an
average of one out OF one hundred con-
tanned an article Of enough personal
Interest to some one else that the
paper was sent out to them. The
picture post card business has in
creased the work of the carrier some
what, as $3.50 cards were taken into
the country and 1857 were collected.
Many of those delivered were adver-
tising cards, but most of those taken
up were the picture cards.
The rest of the mail was made up OF
various objects, such as circulars
packages, etc. These figures are in
teresting in themselves, since they in
dicate the vast amount of travel the
rural service saves to the farmers, and
the Importance Of that service. In
order to deliver this mail, the several
carriers taken collectively had to trave]
a distance of II. .324 miles over all kinds
of roads, through the various kinds OF
weather in the last three months
through rain or shine; when one stops
to consider the conditions under which
this mail is delivered, andithe amount
that is handled in only three months
as indicated in the previously giver
figures, only then can one gather ar
idea of what the rural service means
to the farmer living ten or more mile,
from the post office, and yet haa hi'
mail delivered to his door every daJ
the same as though he we're in a large
city. The farmer has his daily news
papers, be has practically as direct
communication as has his city brother
and all OF this is through the rura
service. Most Of tue patrons of thi
service realize this fact and are doin,
all in their power to make the rura
mail service as prompt and efficient a.
possible, by keeping the roads owe
which the carriers have to 60 in hrs
class condition.
| AeaSesa Give Dance.