Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-26
#isesllauruas geading.
ROADS AND THE MAIL.
r. =. D. Service In the South Will
Be Extended.

Washington, February 22.-C0nndent
that the time is ripe" for more eff
cient postal service in the south, the
appeals of the people from below Ma
son and Dixon's line for increased ia
cilities Of that character will not go
unheeded by Uncle Sam. Plans now
being formulated by officials Of the
postoffice department contemplate the
establishment during the present year
of a greater number Of new rural free
delivery routes in the southern states
than in any other section Of the coun-
try.
1t has only been within recent years
that the people Of the south have come
to realize the great benefits to be de-
rived from the rural free delivery SER
vice. The failure to appreciate what
vast at that time regarded as some
what Of an experiment" was not con-
fined to the south altogether by any
means, as other sections were not
awakened to a realization Of the good
effects of that service.
A new spirit now, however, has
come over the south and the people
Of that part Of the country are appre-
ciating to the fullest degree Of benef-
icent results Of the rural fire delivery
system. Overcoming what the post
Office department regarded as natural
barriers to an extension Of the rural
free delivery service in many sections
of the south the way Is now clear for
establishing hundreds Of new routes In
various southern states.
1t is one of the requirements Of the
department in the establishment OF
new routes that the roads shall be
kept in good condition. Although the
postoffice department has been as len
lent as possible in the enforcement OF
this regulation in the south, owing to
natural obstacles nearly half Of the
petitions for additional routes in the
past have been rejected Now, how
ever, that the good roads infection
is sweeping over the south. the OBJ
stacles to increase postal facilities are
rapidly being removed with consequent
beneficial results In that respect. One
Of the most potent factors In bringing
about better system on highways in
the south has been the Inauguration Of
the rural delivery service.
The south will share to a larger ex-
tent than in any other section Of the
country in the proposed distribution Of
rural free delivery service during the
present year. More than 500 new
routes are to be established in various
southern states. which is nearly so
per cent of those for the entire country.
There are now in operation In the
southern states 9,874 rural routes, or
about "a per cent Of the total num-
ber Of routes in operation, which cover
237, ,469 miles Of roads. These routes
which cost the government a total OF
s8,549,218 per annum to maintain, are
divided among the states as follows:
Alabama 879, Arkansas 344, Florida
14O, Georgia 1888, Louisiana lis, Mis-
sissippi 625, North Carolina i,245, South
Carolina 7O9, Tennessee 1,571, Texas
Las, Virginia $50. In these states ru-
raj delivery has been organized on q
full country basis, in SO counties and
Is contemplated in other counties as
soon as it can be arranged.
The rural free delivery service Is
under the Jurisdiction Of Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General DeGraw
under whose administration that
branch Of the service has witnessed an
enormous growth. In an interview with
representative Of the Associated
Press, Mr.. DeGraw furnished some
interesting facts and figures on the
subject Of the extension Of rural de-
livery in the south.
"The first rural delivery service es-
tablished In the United States was on
October /, 1885," said Gen. DeGraw,
"The first rural delivery service es-
tabllshed In the south was on october
10, 1895, at Clarksville, Johnson coun-
ty, Ark, when three routes were put
into. operation, and during that fiscal
year several experimental rural routes
were established in nearly all OF the
other southern states.
But, as In all sections Of the coun-
try, the people Of the south did not
awaken to a realization OF the bene-
fits Of rural delivery until about 1902,
when the department was literally
service from nearly every quarter OF that
section, accompanied by demands, ex-
pressed individually and through SEN
ators and representatives in congress
that the service be established at once.
These requests were acceded to wher-
ever practicable, and as rapidly as the
necessary investigations and detailed
work would permit.
while, in establishing rural deliv-
cry in the southern states, the depart
ment has been as lenient as possible
in the enforcement Of its requirements
that roads on which rural routes are
laid out shall be maintained In condi-
ton to be travelled with ease and safe
ty at all seasons Of the year, II has
been found necessary to reject nearly 30
per cent Of the petitions which have
been presented owing, in the majority
of cases, to the bad condition Of roads,
unbridged streams and the obstructions
of roads by ordinary gates or bars. The
department has fully appreciated the
fact that the physical characteristics
of the southern states, nearly all or
which are comprised in the South At
lantic and gulf water sheds and inter-
sected by numerous streams which
are subjected to periodical overflow,
have rendered II impossible 10
maintain the roads in the same condi-
ton as in those states where such OBJ
stacles do not exist, and for this rea-
son has been as lenient as possible
consistent with the good Of the SER
vice in the road requirements.
lowing to the fact that the people
of some Of the southern states were
slow to realize the benefits OF rural
delivery and to petition for 1t, there
are probably a larger number of petit
tions for the service unacted up
on in these states than In others.
This circumstance accounts for the
fact that out Of total Of about
LOO routes which the department pro-
posed to establish throughout the
country between now and June 80. 1903,
521 of the routes, or nearly so per cent
will be in the southern above indi-
Gated.
Another thing that has contributed
to the increased number Of routes to
be established in the southern states"
continued Mr.. DeGraw, us the fact
that in cases where petitions for the
service heretofore submitted have been
rejected on account Of the bad roads
and gates across the roads, the roads
have been put in good state Of repair
and the gates removed. In the south,
as elsewhere throughout the country,
the introduction of rural delivery has
been a most -ntent factor In engen-
daring iptarest in good roads and the