The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-08
BETTER MAIL SERVICE
FOR RURAL DISTRICT
Residents of the Eight Mile Section
Making Move for Improved
! Service.

C. e. Jones was in from Eight
Mile on Monday taking the initial
steps toward getting a rural mail
route established between Heppner
and his part of the country.
Since the disorgani2ation Of much
of the mail service going out from
Heppner, the residents of Eight Mile
and other parts of the county as well,
have been up against it for any sort
of decent mail delivery. AS natur-
al consequence they are being arous
ed to the point of making demands
on the department for the restoration
of their rights in this respect. In
discussing the proposition 1t has been
very properly decided that nothing
short of rural route will meet the
requirements, and to this end petit
tions are being prerared and will be
circulated right away, asking that a
route be established from Heppner.
The petition will call for service
three times week. The proposed
route will accomodate at least 120
families and will not be a difficult
one to get over. Starting from Hepp-
ner it will go in a southwesterly di-
rection far enough to take in the
residents of the Hale Ridge section,
thence north and northwest, crossing
Rhea creek at the Lum Rhea place
and Clarks Canyon at the Eph Eskel-
son ranch and on back to Heppner
via the II. F. Blahm place on Willow
creek. 1T will be seen from this that
a large section Of country will be
served, and should the contractor so
desire the trip could be easily made
in day by the use of fresh team.
Should it require two days 1t can be
done and the tri-weekly service
maintained.
The matter Of getting rural route
established, or at least of getting a
restoration of the former mail SER
vice enjoyed by the Eight Mile peo
pie was taken up by Mr.. Jones and
lie wrote the following letter to
Representative Sinnott:
Eight Mile, Ore, Sept l, 1914.
Hon. N. J. Sinnott,
Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir:
The postal authorities have seen
iit to discontinue the Star mail route
from Heppner to Lone Rock except
to Eight Mile, thereby leaving about
35 families without mail facilities
without going from 5 to Is miles
a distance seldom travelled by any of
them except to go after the mail.
Why are we Disseminated against
this way? Our mail service was
poor enough before, i. e. three times
a week, now we have no service at
all. If the Postal authorities wanted
to cut expenses and make good
showing, why didn't they cut Port
land to a tri-weekly mail and save
millions instead of jumping on peo-
pie who are helpless in the matter
to save six bits, and set us back 80
years. Now we are going to try for
rural route out from Heppner that
will be about so miles for the circuit
being a two-day route tri-weekly and
taking in about 10 heads of famil-
les; eliminate the Eight Mile post
office and throw all other revenue in
to the Postal exchequer. We think
this arrangement would cost no more
than the present inefficient service
and serve at least SO families that
now have to 60 long distances for
their mail. But we are informed that
there is some kind of ruling or
precedent or something that will not
allow a rural route over q miles
long whether it would be to the best
interest of every one concerned OF
not.
We would be very grateful if you
would take this matter up with the
Postal authorities and see If they
wanted to deal square with us, or is
it their purpose to make life as hard
as possible for the poor farmer ~
miles from the railroad trying tc
build a home in the far west. We
have a map of this route and If nee
essary will send it.
Thanking you for whatever assist
ance you may give US, / am
Yours truly,
C. E. JONES.
To this letter Mr.. Jones has re-
ceived the following reply from oul
representative in Congress.
House of Representatives, U. S.
Washington, d. c.
September 10, 1914.
Mr.. G. e. Jones,
Eight Mile, Oregon.
My Dear Sir:
I beg to acknowledge receipt o1
yours of September 1st. On receipt
of your letter l personally called al
the Office of the Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General and also took ul
the matter with Mr.. Woods of the
Division of Rural Mails. He sale
that there was no rule of the Depart
ment excluding the allowance Of {
rural route over 27 miles but indi
Gated tentative opinion that a rura
route of SO miles from Heppnel
would hardly be feasible. but added