El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-26
HANDLING MAIL.
IN texas STATE
Some Ancient History and
Modern Statistics of
Live Interest.


Dallas. Texas. Sept 26.-The Texas
Business Mems association, aided Dy
postal authorities at Washington, has
compiled Information dealing with the
handling of United States mail IN Texas
showing that the $500 pOstoffices IN
Texas-l6 first class, 50 second class,
31S third and 2171 fourth class-eTn-
pIoy $500 persons and have an annual
payroll Of S5,046,O00.
The annual receipts OF the Texas
pOstoffices is approximately Sl,OOO,OOO
while five years ago the aggregate in
come was but S5,465,00O.
"A Thousand New Jobs,
The present administration has ap-
pointed 1920 postmasters IN Texas, fill
ing nearly one-half OF the offices in
the state. OF this number SIG were at
offices filled by presidential appoint
ment and 7O4 were fourth class offices.
One hundred and seventy-One, or II
percent Of the positions filled by the
current administration have been re-
appointments. Of the 10 first class
pOstoffiees in Texas, appointments
have only been made by the Wilson
administration at Austin. Fort Worth,
Galveston, Houston. Paris and san An
tonic.
The Dallas postmaster Is the h1ghesE
salaried postal official in Texas; his
annual compensation is $4,000. New
York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston
and St Louis are the highest paid
postmasters in the United States and
each receives $4,000 per year
Early Texas Mail History.
Texas became a state bv joint res
olutiOn Of congress December %, 1919,
and the first postal census was taken
June 80, 1S47. At that time there were
III postoffices in the state
The first important route in Texas
was established July I, 1857, between
san Antonio and San Diego, Cal, oy
way Of FL Paso- The schedule re
Ouired that the contractor leave each
terminus on the first day Of each
month and arrive at the other terminus
on the last day Of the month The mail
was carried by stage, overland, and
the annual compensation was $l49, 500.
Other Mail Routes
Service was inaugurated between Fl
PasO and Fit Fillmore, y ", on July
?. 1857, but St Louis, Mo, and TT
Yuma, Cal, were later made the term
finals OF this route In September,
1858, Texas secured another important
postal rOute-the one from St Louis 10
san Francisco. Sherman and Fl Paso
were the principal Texas points on this
First Postal Officials.
The first postmaster general was
Benjamin Franklin The first superin-
tendenL Of mail service IN Texas was
Daniel J. Toler, who was appointed
Immediately following the act Of May ]
%. 1876, to put the new routes in Op-
GRAFTON and superintend the mail ser (
vice of Texas generally. About this {
time the first contract to carry mail TO !
and from Texas points by steamer was /
let An agreement was made with /
Charles Morgan TO transport the mails |
from Galveston TO New Orleans once i
every five days. The Galveston and 4
the New York were the first shlps en-
gagged in this work and the New YORK 4
was the first ship 10 be sunk while 4
carrying Texas mail
There are now 9Os,55O patrons /
served by rural routes IN Texas anu i
approximately one-third Of the farm I
is reached with regular free /
delivery mail service. The annual cost !
Of this service is approximately -
10000. The combined length OF the
rural routes Of Texas is 4S,43S and
zoos carriers travel 14,627,015 miles an
nually delivering this mail The longest
route in Texas Is known as route No
, out Of Colorado, Texas II is "a miles
long and serves $50 people with a Only
delivery.
Free City Delivery Service.
Freen city delivery service was first
IN The United States July l, |
1868. but was not adopted in Texas
until November 1, 1873. Dallas, Cal !
weston and Houston were the first cities
IN this state to inaugurate this plan
Free delivery service is in operation
IN 49 cities in Texas and Is Of them
nave established this feature during
,
with free city delivery are; Abilene,
Amarillo, Austin, Ballinger, Beaumont,
Bolton. Bonham, Brennan, Brownsville, !
Cleburne, Corpus Christi, /
COrsicanas Cueros Dallas Denlsons Den
on, FL PasO, Ennis, Fort Worths ]
Galveston, Georgetown,
zreenviIle, HilsbOros Houston, Laredo, /
lOngvieW, Mckinney, Marlin, Marshall 1
Orange, Palestine Paris, Port Arthur,
san Angelo, san Antonio, san Marcos,
p a. F7.r
Terrell Tyler, Victoria, Waco, Waxa-
lachie, WeatherIord and Wichita Falls
Federal Buildings in Texas.
There are Sc buildings IN Texas
Jwned by the federal government ana
Is Of them are occupied by pOstoffices- I
These buildings are valued al approx
nately S7,200,O0O and are located IN |
Abilene, Austin, Beaumont, Bonham,
Cleburne. COrsicana, Dali
as, DenisOn, Eagle Pass, FL PasO, Fort
Worth, Gainesville, Galveston, Con
.aIes, Greenville, Houston, Jefferson !
saredO, Mckinney, Mineral Wells, Pal :
slime, Paris, Port Arthur, San Antonio, I
an Angelo. san Marcos, Sherman, Sui { !
hur Springs, Temple, Terrell, Tyler,
-ictOria- Waco, Waxahachie and Nich-
Ia Falls a
Fraudulent Schemes. ?
The federal government employs $50
whose duties are TO main n
ain a general watch over the handling | n
{ United States mail There were 10 =.
ersOns arrested for fraudulent schemes u
q connection with the handling OF ] q
nited States mail in Texas during I y
913, and L OF them were indicted. OF u
MS number seven have been convicted ! G.
nd five are awaiting trial. m
Postal Savings Banks.
There are 552 postal savings depOs- / "
cries in Texas The total deposits Of I c;
lese institutions on March 1, 1914, was -,
546.1O4 p
The railway mail service in Texas eI
nploys 5S6 men. who receive $780, 900
nnually in salaries and wages. Mail /
carried on 1858 miles Of the rail- III