Milford chronicle., 1926-05-21
FINE PROGRAM IN HONOR OF
FIRST RURAL DELIVERY

For the first time in the history Of
the Eastern Shore the human voice
may be broadcasted to the country
as ceremonies incident to the cele-
bIation of the establishment of the
first rural postal carrier service in
the nine Maryland counties are stag
ed at MillingtOn, Md, Decoration
Day, May 81. Efforts to that end are
now being made by a committee of
the Kent and Queen Anne's Counties
Rural Letter Carriers Association
which is sponsoring the affair.
Invitations have been extended to
the following prospective speakers,
whose addresses will probably be
sent over the air from Station WCAP
Hon. II. IL. Billany, Fourth Assis-
tant Postmaster General; Senator o.
E. Weller, Senator w. Cabell Bruce,
Wisdom D. Brown, editor R. f. D.
News, the official organ of the Ma
tional Rural Letter Carriers AssO-
citation; Hon T. Alan GoldsborOugh,
Congressman from the First Mary
land District which includes the Eas-
tern Shore; w. Irving Walker of
Queen Anne's county, who was in
strumental in securing the initial
rural service in the nine counties
and who is a former member of the
State Legislature; Walker A. Keown,
president National Rural Letter Car
riers' Association, of Rome. Georgia,
and Harvey J. Hill, Acting Vice pres
ident of the Del-Mar-Va Eastern
Shore Association. Among the Off
cial guests are expected J. X. Mar
shall. of ReisterstOwn, president,
Maryland Rural Letter Carriers AS
sociation, and Theodore G. Killer,
State Secretary.
In a day when railroad facilities
and postal service on the Del-Mar-
Va Eastern Shore where not as eff
ficient as now, simultaneous routes
where started from MillingtOn and
ChestertOwn, serving parts of Queen
Anne's and Kent counties. That was
on May /, 1900 and the innovation
was brought about largely through
the efforts of w. Irving Walker. of
Queen Anne's, one-time member of
the Maryland General Assembly. The
mail was taken from the train at
that place and the local carrier
transferred Chestertown rural mail
to that carrier at Saw Mill Woods,
place equidistant from both towns.
Hence AIillingtOn has been chosen as
the seat of the celebration, having, it
is said, been the point of the initial
rural service on the Eastern Shore.
Rural carriers from all parts of the
nine counties are expected to attend
the affair in large numbers, Decora-
ton Day, a holiday having been Sc
lected for that reason.
The interesting parley will begin
at 1870 p. m. with speech-making and
a get-together meeting Norman S.
Wallen of Alillington VINO was the
first rural carrier ever to operate on
the Shore, will speak of his quarter
century of service with Uncle Sam.
w. Irving Walker will be the histor-
ian of the meeting, recounting the
history of rural service on the PEN
insula. In the evening a banquet will
/ be held in Community Hall during
which it is thought probable the ad-
| dresses will be brOadcasted. The
program is being arranged by Fred
S. Russell, of Chestertown, chair
man of the arrangements committee
and former president of the Mary
land Rural Letter Carriers Associa-
ton.
At a preliminary meeting held re-
Gently in Centreville the following
committees were appointed, arrange
ments, Fred S. Russell, chairman
Chestertown w. Harry Jones, Sud
lersville, president of the local or
ganization; w. Lee Clough, Centre
vile; William c. Stevens. Queer
Anne; Banquet and entertainment
Norman S. Wallen. chairman; Jona
, than Jones. Paul Harrison, of Mill
ington, and Alan S. Walls, Sudlers
, Vile.