The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-05-30
THE BUSY N1ZSSOULA POSTOFFICE

be looked forward to as another day
of rest for the postofficc force Nine
holidays and 10 days of vacation is
the sum total of time granted with
pay. The Is days are exclusive of
holidays and Sundays. Substitute en-
ployes are not granted vacation with
pay; rather they have too much
vacation without pay. They get 80
cents an hour for the time employed.
Free Delivery.
City free delivery was established
April l. 1899. Two carriers served the
city at that time. Another carrier
was appointed in 1901, and fourth
one September /, 1903. On the latter
date the first delivery was made in
South Missoula. This section then
included scarcely half as many peo-
pie as at the present time. In March
1906 the fifth carrier was appointed
and the sixth was put to work the
18th of last July. These constitute
the present delivery force Of Missoula
proper. Practically every person with
In the city limits receives mail at
least once a day. In no part even in
the busiest sections, are there more
than two deliveries per day. owing
to the extent Of territory covered by
the carriers, it is impossible for them
to reach more than one-half their
patrons ON a second delivery within
the time limit of eight hours Those
living in the remotest parts Of the
city are as much entitled to two
daily mails as those next door to the
postoffice. But the department says,
mo! Serve the nearest ones first;
then, II you have time, go to the
next" Special stress is laid on the
rule that business sections should
have the promptest service. The car
rier force is inadequate to serve such
scattered population satisfactorily.
Free delivery service has not been in
creased proportionately with the in
crease of business in the postoffice,
nor yet with the growth in popula-
ton of the city. Two additional car
riers would greatly relieve the pres
ent needs of the service Should the
department. have seen fit to allow the
extra help asked for from time to
time, the work of free delivery would
have been quite efficient.
Carrier Routes.
The six carriers cover approximate-
" rs miles per day, or 22,5OO miles
per year of 300 delivery days; and
over this intricate mileage, they dis
tribute 10000 pounds of mail, or rs
tons. This means that an average of
about 20 pounds Of mail is delivered
to every man, woman, and child to
whom mail Is carried. And STILL the
carriers work is not fully itemized.
More than 500 registered letters and
packages must be carefully delivered
and receipts received for the same. A |
directory of the names and
addresses of all persons on his route
must be kept. All changes must be
noted, and new names carefully en-
cred daily.
No. ! Is entirely too heavy for one
'arrier. 1t covers 144 blocks in a |
Nel-settled section, and serves fully |
1000 people.
Rural Delivery
The first rural free delivery out of |
was granted in July 1904
Since then two other routes have |
Deen established.
X. f. ID. No | covers Lows addi- |
ion adjoining South Missoua, the
Orchard Homes; parallels the Bitter
Root river four miles southwark, and |
,nds in the suburbs of South Mis-
'oula. Originally it included the uni
fersity, but this portion now has city |
delivery, This route is "a miles in
ength, and has daily average of
IS pounds Of mail. For the past two
1ears it has been served faithfully |
md very efficiently, by Il lady car
Ter. It pays $50 per month.
r. r. ID. No includes the outskirts
# West Missoula and the farming
ection Of Grass Valley. Although it
S thirty-tMo mile route, the mail is
light Salary SIS.
r. +. D. No. 8 supplies the settle
nent on the Rattlesnake north of Mis-
oula. This neighborhood is well-set-
led, and receives good, average
nail. Being a short route, 16 miles
n length, it pays only $3.50 per
month.
Pioneer customs of delivering the
nails to the scattered settlements are
asst vanishing, even from the Rocky
fountain states. Modern Missoula