Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-02-07
HAVE CARRIED THE
MAIL FOR ONE YEAR
February lst Marked the Beginn=
inE OF the Second Year OF Free
Carrier Service in This City.

The 1st day of Feb. 1907 marked the
first anniversary of the free delivery
of mail in Grand Rapids Among
the progressive features that have
materialized in our city during the
past few years, free city delivery is
but one, yet not the least appreciated.
To go back to the old way of every
body running to the p0stotfice for
their mail, would cause great dis
satisfaction generally, but the luxury
Of having free delivery would then be
appreciated to its fullest extent.
There are some persons though,
who, at times, do not act as though
they appreciated the luxury of having
their mail brought to their doors
part, but these persons are those who
have never given the matter a par
ticle of consideration. To the great
majority though, the sight of the
mail man brings forth joyful COM
ment and he is watched for daily,
sometimes anXiously. but generally
joyfully, for it is the mail man who
brings us tidings of joy and news Of
sorrow.
Since the advent of free delivery
it is noticeable that the people have
become cognizant of the dispatch in
the mail service, for now when d
letter which is expected is due to ar
rive, the party who is looking for it
halls the letter carrier even before he
arrives within half block of the
house and shouts, 'Hi There" Have
you letter for me?' People have
learned to figure on the length of
time required for letter to go or
come from distant places and are on
the watch at the expiration of the
allotted time.
City delivery is indeed boon to
residents in more ways than one, and
especially so in inclement weather.
Rain, snow, mud or hail does not pre-
cent your mail from arriving at your
door and again. if sickness prevents
you from leaving the house or for any
reason you are prevented from going
down town, your mail needs 10 con-
Germ as it will arrive just the same.
Sometimes there is little alterca-
tion between the patron and the
letter carrier but in nine cases out of
ten the fault lies with the patron.
The letter carrier is under a thou
sand rules and miles of red-tape, and
even though he stretches these to
their utmost in his endeavor to please,
he sometimes fails: yet, after all, the
mail man has in one short year come
to be regarded as necessity in our
midst, a looked forand gladly familiar,
daily, sight.
Now let US see what the carriers
have done i'm this one year to give you
this great accommodation. They de-
liver mail to about two thirds of the
population of the city, or four thou
sand people. During the one year of
service the four carriers have carried
over forty-four tons of mail matter.
Each carrier has walked over four thou
sand six hundred and eighty miles,
or farther than the distance from San
Francisco to New York and back
again to Chicago. Each carrier has
handled over ninety one thousand two
hundred and fifty letters. Consider
the amount when, if these letters
were placed in row, end to end, they
would reach around our race track
about ten times. The letters delivered
by the four carriers in the past year
would, if placed in rows end to end,
make four continuous strips from
this city to Nekoosa The foregoing
figures and estimates are very con-
servative and would, if figured out
accurately, prove less than actual
amounts.
A letter carrier has trials and
troubles enough to drive an ordinary