The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-02-23
RURAL ROUTE NO. )
New Carrier Route for Farmers
South and West Of Meridian.
Postmaster Tells of Improvements
In Local Service.


Times, Postmaster ]. j. Caldwell has
prepared data to show the business
of the Meridian postoffice for the
past year. showing an increase of
$3.50 in receipts over the former
year, and also the vast amount of
rural carrier mail handled at this Of
flee. He also gives good news in re-
gard to the new rural route to be
established this spring. The COM
mnnication is as follows:
Editor Times: According to
promise. will give herein few
facts concerning the Meridian post
Office and the rural routes, which II
hope may be of interest to the pat
rons of the office.
When we took charge of the office
three years ago we found that a rll-
raj route from Boise came within 8
miles of us on the east and route
from Nampa within miles of us on
the west. We had two routes from
this office, No. / running north and
west and No. 2 running mostly south
and east.
According to actual count of the
which is made every three months,
they are among the heaviest in the
United States. This speaks well for
our rural patrons, especially when it
is known the class of literature
which they receive thru the mails.
They are writer's as we'll as readers.
During the month of January. the
carrier on Rt. / handled 1881
pieces of mail, carrier on Rt. 2.
1000 pieces. These were handled
twice, once in routing and once in
distributing. This is equal to hand
ling a total of 55,142 pieces on the
two routes.
Some time last summer the route
from Boise was changed to come
within miles of us on the east.This
change was made and ordered to
take effect at once which was the
first known of it either by the post
master at Boise or Meridian.
The patrons in the vicinity OF
McDermott, having poor rural ser
vica. petitioned the department in
D4comter to have Rt. extended 2
miles as follows: Leaving the for
mer route at the Valley store. going
south one mile to the BerE Lamm
corner, thence aust one mile to
McDermott, thence north one milo to
meet the former route. This change
was granted and took effect the 18th
instant. This change accommodates
more than dozen families and
makes Rt standard route which
was only 231s miles in length, It
now being 25h miles.
The people south and west of Mer-
idian have petitioned for route to
be known as Rt. 3. This petition was
signed by Ill heads OF families,
which is considered strong petition
for a daily route. We are informed
that the department has assigned an
inspector to go over this proposed
route and make a report, which Will
probably be done before the first OF
April Soon after that we hope to
have the mail going on Rt. 3 daily
In order to establish Rt. it is
necessary to take that part Of Rt. 2
which runs west of Meridian as q
nart of Rt. 8, and give Rt. addi-
tional territory. Petitions have gone
to the department asking that the
territory two miles east of Meridian
which was added to Boise Rt. 2 last
summer be given to Rt. 2 from Mer-
idian as il is close and the patrons
prefer to be on route from here
There are other changes proposed
for Rt. which If granted will &C
commodate large number of peo,
pie who have poor service.
When these changes are made an6
Rt. established, all the territory
near Meridian will be we'll served
by rural routes and the people neal
Meridian will get their mail through
this office.
The receipts of the office the pas
year are about $3.50 more than th'
year before. which is large In
crease for an Office OF this size. ThiI
is largely due to the increase in par
Gel posts mailed at this Office.
The postal savings department O
this office is also well patronized
Several changes have been mad,
along that line to the advantage o
the depositor. Any person may nov
deposit as much as $1,000 and with
draw any part of it at any time.
Hoping that these few facts ma!
prove of interest to the patrons o
the office.and assuring you that W,
shall endeavor to give the hest pos
sible service, We are yours, mos