The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-22
HOW TO HELP THE CARRIER.
Keep the Roadways in Good Condition
and Shovel Snow Away From
the Boxes.
From Fridays Daily.

kato pOstOffice. On some of the ruotes
from one to three mailbags packed full,
or from two hundred to five hundred
pieces of mail pass out each day. These
same routes send in from twenty-five to
seventy five letters, cards, and circu-
lars.
The largest number of boxes on any
route at this time is is. The writer OBJ
serves that the number are not general
~ used. 1t is hoped that every pat
ron of rural delivery will insist on hav-
ing his mail addressed to his box num-
bered as well as his route number.
1t is not difficult to see that where
rural delivery is appreciated the most,
the patrons keep the roads in best con-
dition. On one route this fall, more
than twelve men with several teams
put one bad hill in passible condition,
and did it at the simple request of the
mail carrier. There should be more hear
ty cooperation than there has been, be
tween patrons and carrier. Often a SIM
pie suggestion from the carrier Will
cause some weeds to be moved or some
brush to be cut and thereby much bad
drifting of snow be avoided. Some farm
ers of advance ideas and with a COM
mendable public spirit follow the prac-
tice of narrowing the roads just as they
are drying up. This helps the roads
more, perhaps, than any other one thing.
Patrons realize that they are not max
ing good roads simply for the mail car
rier. They patronize the creamery. They
have more business than ever before.
The rural classes attend more conven-
tions, lectures and social functions be-
cause they can keep in touch with af-
fairs in the city through the daily pa
pers Too much real interest cannot
be manifested in the cause of good roads
OH the part of the carrier. He must
travel $50 miles a week, making almost
5000 miles year. During the past
year much of the time the roads have
been hard to travel. Patrons should
consider it an imperative duty to i'm
prove the roads. In the months wheT
snowdrifts the track full, farmers should
see to it that the carrier gets through
They have time to break track. The
department regulations strongly insist
that it is not the duty of the carrier ste
break roads"
Another important thing is that Of
keeping the box shoveled out. The car
rier is not in any way required to gel
out of his rig or endanger his horse tc
put mail in a box. Some patrons have
left three to four feet of snow around
their boxes for a rod out for several
days.
OF course carriers will always be
bothered with fumbling around in the
bottom of the mailbox for pennies to
pay for the stamp on letter. This can
be stopped only when such abuse of
privileges is actually forbidden. 1t is
an abominable practice and should be
stopped. The carrier, riding twenty five
miles in the cold and unwrapping to put
mail in over a hundred boxes gets cold
enough without Fishing pennies out of
the snow in from ten to twenty boxes
every day. The boys like to accommo-
date the patrons, but they do not want
to freeze their fingers when it is en-
tirely unnecessary. How unreasonable
it is for a man who sells 1000 bushels of
wheat in year to leave two pennies
and an unstamped letter in the box, and
never keep a stamp on hand! The rules
say that, "this privilege shall not be
abused"
The writer suggests that each family
should keep a stationery box well sup
piled with all writing materials, includ-
ing stamps or stamped envelopes. Pat
rons can buy in larger quantities, and
when writing letter, stamp it in one
second.
Each carrier is supplied with at least
five dollars worth of stamps and other
material, including cards, stamped en-
velopes, stamp books, paper wrappers,
and one cent, two cent, and five cent
stamps. When a piece of mail, having
due stamp on it, is placed in a box it
is the patrons duty to settle with the
carrier the following day. The carrier
pays for the due stamp in order to avoid
delay. Sometimes, through the over
sight of the patron he loses the price of
the stamps.
Few patrons seem to know that a
money order cannot be issued before
an application blank has been filled out.
1t is the carriers duty to instruct the
patrons and also to keep them supplied
with blanks.
Often difficulty arises in finding par
ties TO whom registered mail is address