Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-29
Thayer Tells of His Experience
and Draws Some Conclusions
Therefrom
THEIR USEFULNESS DOUBTFUL
All Kinds Are Found in tho Country
But as a Rule They Arc of Little
Value, is His concIusion-one Far
mer's Life understanding About
Rural Routes-Thayers Letter.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican
Eldora, March 29.-The recent APP
pointing of a dog catcher in MARSHALL
town suggests the fact that there must
be a good many people who own dogs
which are not valuable enough to pay
the tax upon. They let them run at
large, and If caught, all right. In the
country every farmer has one, and
many, If they are poor enough, have
half a dozen, but of their usefulness
nothing much can be said. In driving
into mans yard last fall at Tama l
was set upon by big black dog, who
when spoken to flew under the porch.
When the lady came to the door I re-
marked, That's a brave dog of yours"
She smiled and said, Yes, he banks
at everybody and everything, but that's
all. A few nights ago someone drove
in here and backed up to our chicken
house and took 200 of my chickens.
OF course the dog barked, but he would
do just the same thing if team should
pass the house" why do you keep
him?" l asked. well, he was given
to US as pup, and we have always had
him, is the only reason l guess" 1t is
thus with 50 per cent of all dogs. They
have no real value.
A farmer at Toledo would not agree
with me IL l should say all dogs were
bad dogs, and here Is the reason: This
farmer was blessed with two farms,
one where he lived and another about
TWO miles distant. On the second farm
ne was feeding some cattle, and he
made 1t rule after doing the chores at
home to take his dinner and go up to
the other farm and stay all day, re-
turning at night. On one cold day DUR
ing this winter he took dinner and dog
as usual and started for his days work.
but when he approached the house
there he was stricken with apoplexy
and fell just outside the door. On re-
gaining consciousness he managed to
crawl into the house, and upon the
margin of newspaper wrote the word
'heip" and putting 1t In an empty to-
bacco sack, fastened it to the dog and
sent him home. The dog, upon arriv-
ing nome, insisted on being let in the
mousse, when the sack was found, The
man was brought home and recovered.
But Tor his dog he would have frozen
TO death II is needless to add this man
thinks some dogs are valuable.
y r
have been asked many times during
the last week whether the government
was disseminating any rural routes,
and If carrier, or postmaster could
stop route. In the first place the
government wishes to make the rural
routes self-sustaining. From records
kept by the carriers, it is shown that
great many routes are carrying less
mail than they did year ago, and
that they carried less mail last year
than two years ago. Now if this con-
tinues, their will come a time when
the routes will be discontinued. Every
patron can find out how his route is
doing by asking his carrier. In some
locations, in fact most every route, has
less patrons than five years ago, be-
cause of the decrease in population.
Then on some routes, such as one in
Greene county, where the farmers took
of various daily newspapers a total
VI SCScHly pei ddS, lllCIC olc INV Uul
seventeen, which makes a big falling
off in the amount Of mail handled.
While I do not advocate taking daily
paper solely to insure the continuance
of mail route, they are great help
in keeping them up, as the number of
letters written and received is not
enough to justify the expense Of runs
ming daily service. In few in
stances where business did not justify
expenses, an ery-other- day service
has been inaugurated, but this is very
unsatisfactory to the patrons. Rural
routes never have been discontinued
save for two reasons, lack of apprecia-
tion and bad roads. Carriers and post
masters have nothing to do with rural
rontes. except the work. If your car
rier tells you, you are liable to lose
vo,r route. look up your amount of
mail and the condition of roads, and
Won can tell as we'll as anyone whether
you will lose your route or not.