The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-03-02
IN BEHALF OF
DELIVERY BOYS
An Interesting Public Letter 10
Written to the Times BY q
Prominent Housewife
GIVE THEM HELPING HAND
instead Of Finding Fault-tiave
Many Cares and Out In All
Sorts Of Weather

Many newspaper and magazine
articles appear from time to time
in defense of telephone operators
who are blamed for everything
that goes wrong with the subscrib
ers.
For instance: 'Phone out of
order," Line Busy; II can't hear
a word: "They don't Answer"
and hundreds of things for which
the operator is not responsible. 1t
is not my intention to offend the
operators at this time but instead
will try to enlist the sympathy of
housewives and matrons in be-
half of the three young boys
whose daily tasks it is to deliver
the loads and loaCk of provisions
from the various meat markets
and grocery stores. When one
stops to consider the hundreds of
pounds of meat, butter, sugar,
flour, boxes of soap, apples, Or
anges-canned good. such as corn
peas, string beans, canned fruits
etc.
Besides hundreds of minor ar
ticles that these boys must handle
over and over during the day and
every day throughout the bitter
cold through rain and in sun
shine, one must conclue this posi-
tion is not an enviable one and
that he's more to be pittied than
censured.
The boy who has the northwest
rout in this city has hundred
and seventy customers, besides
six deliveries at the Indian School !;
/ say six, since he delivers at
the school proper, the mess hall,
the hospital, the laundry, the shop
and at the superintendent's resi-
dence. Then he has four similar
deliveries to make at the s. 8. 8.
THE majority Of these stops are
made every day and often two or
three times day.
It is not unusual to see the
boys on bitter cold morning
wading through drifts knee deep
carrying a sack Of flour and box
containing several other articles.
Coming to the door Of a residence
and finding il locked, he must
wait there. the pleasure of maid
or matron to unlock and kick
loose one or more doors to let
them in. Then he thinks himself
lucky if he can set them down be-
fore they have to make room for
him to set them down. Often upon
arriving later than they had ex-
pected he would, they greet him
with "well did you finally get here
or. well this is a late hour To
bring my meat .,r dinner" not
thinking that had they plloned for
their meat the afternoon before,
or before the $3.50 delivery they
would be sure to have it in COM
pletion for an early dinner. If the
orders are i'm on the afternoon be-
fore, or the first delivery in the
morning, there will be no cause
for sarcastic greetings for the
boys as there is no better delivery
service to be found than we have
in ENTHUSIASTICALLY when W"
consiCfr that three boys do all the
delivering which was formerly
done by eight-or a delivery boy
for each of the stores and meat
markets.
Kindly order your goods for the
day at one time and help make
their Saturdays work lighter ny
little forethought of things
needed that can be ordered on Fri
day and say something pleasant
or not at all, when he is doing his
best to serve the customers faith
fully.
Here's to the Boys-may they
live long.