The Newtown bee., 1905-03-10
THE HOME CIRCLE. SOME R. F. D. HISTORY. WRITTEN FOR THE BEE BY A CON
 TRIBUTOR.

The inauguration of Rural Free De. livery is a splendid illustration of the efficiency of the U. s. postoff1ce depart ment. It is great boon to the busy farmer to be able to get his mail regu- iarly once a day in all weather without visiting the postoffice.
 In one report of the assistant post master general a case is cited of a farmer, who calculated that in the past 15 years he had driven IF, 900 miles to and from the postof1ice. Every farmer not served by R. F. D. goes at least once or twice a week to town for his mail. Frequently he spends one- third of a working day on the road each trip. In the busiest farming season, if the value of time was esti- mated at only !5O cents per head the actual loss to agricultural interests would amount to millions of dollars.
 When spared long, hard drive to the postofflce letters are more often answered and more frequently written when the children can post them in the box by the gate. In fact to the rural citizen the arrival of the mail carrier is the event of the day and toll Is lighter after hearing the news from the outside world.
 The experiment. of rural free deliv- cry was first made in 1898 and in three years its operations covered 40 states and one territory, but its inauguration met with serious obstacles. It was once condemned as an impossible scheme requiring an appropriation of at least S20, coo, GOO. The department thought that the people would not be burdened with such a great expense. Ten years ago when Congress made an appropriation of 10000, for a test of R. F. D., Postmaster General W. L. W lson declared the project wholly impracticable. Congress at last raised the sum to S40,0 900 and in '96 Postmas- ter General Wilson, with many ex- pressed misgivings, tried the experi- ment. The results soon exceeded all expectations. In three years time over 5000 miles of route has been es- tablished and something over 5000, 900 pieces of mail were distributed.
 The extraordinary increase of appli- cations for the extension of R. F. D. made rules for the service necessary. Increased appropriations of Congress were the order of the day. All R. F. D. routes originate in petitions presented by the people desiring them, through representatives in Congress or sen- ators. AS rule when good roads per- init, no routes are less than 25 miles in length and there are not fewer than 100 families within easy reach of each route. Except in extraordinary cases only one daily delivery is made.
 When . new order Is issued for the establishment of a rural route, the postmaster of the place is advised of the length and boundaries of the route, which the carrier must follow. The carriers pay is s400 per annum, which includes horse-hire but not actual tolls and ferriages. This sum is payable in monthly installments. The govern. ment stipulates the patrons of the R. F. D. shall provide suitable boxes and place them conveniently so that all mail can be deposited and collected without alighting from the vehicle.
 The carriers task is not an easy one. Often when travelling snow-blocked mountain roads he meets the widest blizzards. Spring floods and freshets and the dust and heat of summer are part of the discomforts of the road, but as general rule the carrier rarely fails in his daily duty and wins the re- spect of the farmer community whom he serves.-[A Contributor.