Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-11-01
GIRLS SERVE MAIL ROUTE
RAIN OR SHINE, THEY CARRY LETTERS
OVER TWENTY SIX MILES.

RAIN OR SHINE, THEY CARRY LETTERS
OVER TWENTY SIX MILES
Although the East and Wet are
now in comparatively close ccmmu.
nion, yet there is much in the oondi-
tions of life In the West that We have
little or no practical appreciation OF
here in the East. The West net only
generates strong men. but hardy and
persevering women also, whose daily
life calls upon them to confront con-
ditions and surmount obstacles that
many men would shrink from.
Miss Lettie G. Dillon and hef sister,
Miss Pearl Dillon, of Keota. Iowa, are
samples of sturdy, practical Western
womanhOod. The former is the official
mail carrier of rural delivery route No.
4, and the latter acts as her substitute
when needed. There two young wo.
men look after route No so we'll that
it enjoys the reputation of being the
est-served route in that part Of the
country.
Miss Dillon was appointed 10 the
route in June, 1904, which ct that time
covered 25 miles. In January, 1905, it
was changed and increased TO IS miles
ln May, 1907. it was cut to rs miles.
The magnitude of Uncle Sam s service
is we'll known, but it was largely in
creased by the institution of the rural
delivery. In many of the Western
State the conditions of travelling are
such that rural delivery route is by
no means to be regarded as a pleasure
trip; it is too much like hard work.
But Uncle Sam has found both men
and women to deliver the mails regul-
arly, and no matter how difficult the
roads may be the route must be cover
ed if is humanly possible. So that
many of the dwellers in lonely places.
who were obliged to depend on the
fortunate accident of nelgbor passing
their way or else wait for weeks until
they themselves had occasion to go to
the nearest mall station, now have
their letters brought regularly to the
door.
Miss Dillon has had many narrow
escapes from accident by storm or
flood, but le has pioneer blood in her,
so she always manages to push on.
She makes it rule always to drive
good horses. and as she has been fami-
liar with them all her life she knows
how to get the most out of them, ar
she has never yet had a runaway.
When from any cause she is unable to
serve the route her sister, Miss Pearl,
Serves for her; and this young lady
also serves for other carriers while |
they take their vacations.
Miss Dillon usually goes over the |
route with horse and buggy, using a |
storm shield in bad weather. But |
Iowa billiards and spring freshets fre.
quently work such havoc with the
roads that they become impossible |
with the buggy and she has to make |
her 26 mile trip on horseback. She
sticks to the work, however, because
she likes to think she can "hOld the
job down She takes personal in.
terest in keeping up the good reputa.
tion that she has already earned for
route and sees to it that all her
patrons are satisfied. 1t is largely ow
ing to this interest in her work that it |
has frequently happened that this |
perseverlng young lady has served |
her route when the men in charge of |
the other routes have failed to do so.
These two young women have Iived
all their lives in Keota. Iowa, here
they are well known and highly es.eem
ed. They are types of that free, strong
American womanhood which has
shown that it can work on an equal
footing with men If necessary. They
are the descendants of those women
who tramped side by side with their
husbands and shared the burdez and
heat of the day with.the hardy pioneers
in the frontier life of three gerenatione
ago;-Pittsbur e Dispatch.