The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1909-04-28
TradesviIle'S Mail Facilities

A Patron of ROHte No. Z Presents
the Other Side Of the Question
The Old and the New Sys-
TENS COntrasted.
Editor The News.
There appeared in last Wed
nesday's News a communication
from Tradesville which de-
nounced the postoffice depart
ment as an institution which
cared only for the wishes and
needs of those who had inherited
the swell end of influence and
money and insinuated that the
present mail service was about
as bad or worse than none at all.
Such squibble is not only unjust
to the department but is an in
suit to the patrons of r. F. D.
No. 2 who signed the petition
praying the department for the
establishment of the service.
Therefore beg leave for reply
to the communication in question.
Steve" tells you that we once
enjoyed the advantages of a
good mail system. Let's COM
pare. Take a glimpse at the SER
vice under the old star route
system.
Those who have lived in the
country can never forget the in
adequacy of such a system. and
right here I.may add that 95 per
cent OF the patrons of the Trades
vile office lived in the country,
or we might say, all of them.
Well, the star route beginning at
Tradesville went via O. K, New
Cut and Creek to Lancaster, a
distance of 18 miles, the carrier
making the round trip daily ex-
cept Sunday. He was scheduled
to leave Tradesville, if | mistake
not, at 6 a. m. and to return at
z p. m. Of course when the
days were short and the roads
bad it would often be 8 or 8
o'clock in the night when the
mail arrived at Tradesville. 1t
was often sundown when it ar
rived at New Cut, after dark
when it arrived at O. K. and if
everybody were not in. bed asleep
when it arrived at Tradesville,
they ought to have been.
Then if the carrier left next
morning on schedule time he
would be gone before any letters
could be called for, read and
answered, So you see a person
posting a''letter at Lancaster on
Monday morning 70 patron of
the Tradesville c ce would not
he apt to get a repry before We'd
nesday. He can easily get a
hearing from Tradesville by mail
IN that time now, and the Trades
vile people now get their mail
by A o'clock same day it leaves
Lancaster. Under the old sys-
tenn the service was simply RI
diculous to those who lived from
one to three miles from a post
office or off the route. Now we
not only get a better grade of
service, but as the carrier does
not go and come the same way,
more than twice as many people
are convenienced than before.
The postmasters of the old dis
continued offices of TradesvilIe.
o. K. and New Cut loved and
honored their positions. They
loved their work as all honest
men or women should and natur-
ally they were loath to give it
up, but aside from the postmas-
tiers, | am sure that 95 per cent
would much rather have the
resent service than the old star
If the Tradesville peo-
pie desire and need postoffice
we certainly have no objection
to their getting one. We are
their friends and wish them well,
but we think Steve's" trouble
is largely imaginary. AS to why
the office at Tradesville was dis
continued. it was doubtless for
the same reasons that the Offices
of New Cut, O. K. and Creek
were abolished. They were no
longer needed, as the rural car
rier passed by and around them
daily delivering and collecting
the mail, carrying postage and
postal supplies, receipting for
mail, money orders,
etc. All the former patrons of
the Tradesville office can still get