Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-08
JAMES BISHOP.

Mr.. President, ladies and gen,lsmen:
When your program committee rl-
duested me to write an article on Rursl
Free Delivery, l consented, thinking
perhaps speaking from experience 80
carrier, might bo able to say some.
thing helpful to both patron snu carrier,
tending to make their relations pleasant
and profitable. If 1 am successful
shall be well repaid for my trouble.
l will read a clipping from .he Herald
giving an extract from Government
report just issued:
"a report just issued by The gcye,1.-
ment regarding the rural route service
in operation in the third district of low
shows that 26 routes have been estal-
Iished in Delaware county. The great
est number in operation from any one
point are the seven routes out of Mar
chester. These 26 routes are trifle
over GIL miles in length and out of &, ,Olo
families living gu the reu;.ei 1918 Of
them are served every day with their
mail. During the month of August,
1904, which was the time the report
was compiled, the rural carr:us in Del
aware county handled S7,7s2 pieces of
mail. The average length Of the routes
in this congressional distric! was found
TO be % miles and while the average
number of daily papers takea per route
was found to be 30, the rumb,r Of
dailies taken in the district by farmers
on the routes reached 1914, 80 it will be
seen that the country people read come
thing besides green almanecs aid the
patent inside of their own l,csl . Ypers.
The sum of slS5o4 was paid TO the
carriers of this couaty last year"
The routes in Delaware county are
divided as follows: Manchester Z, Cog
gan 2, Edgewood 2, nopkinton 8. Earl
ville3, Ryan 8, Masonvilla 2, Delhi 9.
Greedy 8, Dundee l and Delaware 1.
This report shows how Rural Free De-
livery has become part of the daily
life of the people.
Carriers are required to be courteous
and obliging to their patrons and to be
prompt and regular in the discharge OF
their duties delivering the mail to and
collecting from boxes erected conyen-
isntly by the roadside. They are re-
quired to deliver mail directed to.
patrons farther along on their routes
without taking it to the post office.
They are required to observe absolute
secrecy in regard to mail passing
through their hands, which means that
they are not to give any information
IS to mail matter carried by them, or
official business transacted, to any per
SOD, other than the person to whom
such mail matter is addressed, or with
whom the business is transsc.ed: or to
exhibit any mail matter except TO whom
8 addressed.
\ They are required to register all mail
able matter when requested by patrons.
To take applications for moaey orders
and give official receipts therefor. Al:o
to take receipts for registered and
special delivery matter delivered.
Carriers are strictly forbidden 10 fur
nish lists of their patrons for pay or
favor.
The roads must be good; this is at
solutely essential. There must be NJ
unbridged creeks or streams aot for,i-
able at all times of the year.
Persons desiring rural free delivery
service must put up mail boxes ap-
proved by the government, end such
boxes come under the protection of that
provision of the appropriation sct up
proved April 81, 1903, which reads us
follows:
"Whoever shall hereafter wi!llullg OF
maliciously iDjure, tear down or de
stroy any letter box or other receptacle
established by order of the Postmaster
General or approved by him for the re-
ceipt or delivery of mail matter on any
rural free delivery route, or shall break
open the same, or wilfully or malicious
ly injure, deface, or destroy any mail
matter deposited therein, or shall will
fully take or steal such matter from OF
out of such letter box or other recep.
tacle, or shall willfully aid or assist in
any of The aforementioned olfensee
shall for every such ctfense be punished
by fine of not more than one thousand
dollars, or by imprisonment for moi
more than three years"
Continued or page 81