Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE RURAL LETTER CARRIER Some Glimpses of the Life and Service From the Stand* point of One Who is Engaged in the Business. The story appearing below w;ih written for the Columbia Stale by William Ii. Taylor, rural delivery car rier Oll I.am ens route No, _'; The rural Ictcr carrier is a traveler, but UOt ii tourist. 11?- t an so?' "sights ] ami never leave the domain of Iiis little circumscribed realm or circuit, Had currier No.2, from the l.aureus poslolllcc, stalled on a journey urouild tin- world When In- was U|i|'OilltCl! in this posit ion l!!l motltlis ago ami trav eit'd tin- same distoueo thai lo- has covered In this lime on his route, only I Hull ot the trip would now he in front of him. in other words, he has traveled approximately 22,fi0<) miles in a little over three years, ami lie lias neve been further than nine miles from the Us'iil poslolllcc with the mail carrier's outlll he uses. In covering iiiis distance only one permanent relay ol horses has I.n employed. The Mrs! one. already with three years' service in this line to his credit, was driven two-thirds of the distance, or time. If you please, when In* wns relieved by tho second animal pressed into the work. A mail carrier Is in position to appreciate a good horse ami he soon discovers de fects, it any Iber? he, for the daily trips on Ilm ttveragu road in this county, in all conditions ot vvealhei is a test ami strain I hat tries th,- hest Of them, llui lo revert to horse No I. IP- was What might he termed a "specially." This means, in Iiis ease, thai la- would work to nothing hut a buggy, ii single buggy at that. Hut l.e did this well, ami Inn lor his some what advanced age he would yet be the property of carrier No, 2. He was well trained in the service for he (amid ami del. as regularly as (he day's rounds were made maintain an unvarying schedule, barring acci dents; he knew all the regular stops and at each ol these, unless guided straight ahead, always drew up with (Oliveuietil ami remarkable precision \ml what of ill" carrier himself? ?\fter an experience running through four summers ami three winters, brav ing the elements peculiar to the sen Bons in this section, encountering floods, freezes, rainstorms, dust ami mud; undergoing the dlscomforta ol winter ami sweltering through tin heat of summer, William L. Taylor carrier No. 2 as he is oltlcially known. deposes and stt.Vs that 1 he Job iuvolves a physical test not lo be obtained in an) other school, perhaps. Ii is open an. country life all right, from -i\ to Se\e|| hours pet day Monotonous? Ves and no I til I it Is no lllol'C so than any other tegular employment in which on,- is Interested, Driving ov,-t the same obi road every ui hours, always In tin- in me direction; seeing the saute people houses, I'llrIDS day in and dav out beholding at long in tervals unchanged ami unchanging landscapes; collecting ami distributing daily tibuilt He- same amount of mail mutter; looking only to the etui ol the mouth or pa> day. is one picture that can he drawn, a view admittedly not especially attractive. .lust so with many other occupations ami vocn t ion.-,. Now turn Ibis little picture to tin wall ami follow. If yon please, carrier No. 2 ns he goes forth in the morning, fairly well eipiipped, witli .'" to Hi pounds of mail matter carefully rout ed ami conveniently placed in a regu lation rural delivery satchel, to be distributed to i-'- lo 1.70 patrons, white ami colored, It is a tine day (and there are mote of these than (tie other kiinii. the w.-atiier is bracing ami In vigorating, The rate of travel is about lour mile, an hour. The dis Iributioti of tin- ,lav s assortment of mail begins as doc? the collection from patrons' hose? of all out-going mailer. The budget for distribution may consist of daily, semi-weekly and weekly newspapers, monthly period icals of many kind-, registered letters, first ami second class letters, special delivery letters, ami packages of va tious sixes up to lour pounds. This simple traii.-action proceeds until the eieuit is completed, Interspersed with Hie writing of an occasional money order or registration receipt, making necessary change. Helling potal sup plies aiei mi on. Hut this is not all by tiny means thai attaches to lire day's lourfiey. Witness, if yoU Will, the glee little Patty exhibits ttS she meets the ear Her at papa'- l,o\ and receives a beautiful postcard, may he. from one of her dear city or country cousins; tlien note her older sister as ^h>- tim idly presents to the carrier o neatly wrapped package, With ihe caution "Don't Crush" written thereon, ami inquires what (he postage is. \e\t Farmer A is at his box waiting for n special letter, an important business letter. He is in a hurry bill he stops to express gratification, inquires after the health Of the carrier ami that of bis family, not merely as a matter of fOrm but in sincere regard for ami interest in his mail Carrier, Likewise the occasion presents itself for a greeting In kind by the carrier. Thus these little exchanges go on around the <? ii<"iiit. Dm before the trip Is finished it will l,i- an nil day" it I lie* carrier is not |irovhlei| with some sen souuble refreshments, choice fruits or vegetables, or nresented with a col lection of fine roses for the currier's little niris who tire personally Known tu many of tin- patrons' girls ami hoys. These Incidents ami courtesies banish all thoughts of "monotony" ami lend lo tin* day s round many of tin- elements of human Interest ami kindness not lo he experienced in some other more pretentious voon lions Harvest time ? on ami ihe lields of rapidly opening cotton, corn ahont ready to be gathered, a real rows oi stacks of freshly mowed hay. with here ami there a "goober" puteh, new turnips growing all this appeals to one who sees ii daily, pleases ami in terests him as ii does every one else The hrighl skies oi' today dispel Ihe recollection of yesterday's experience plodding along under lowering clouds ami frequent showers; Ihe landscapes enchant as never before und nil na ture conspires lo make I lit* journey delightful and inspiring. Finally the carrier can take pride in the tact that he has discharged his duties III it It I'll I - ly; he has carried to its destination a hti.-r pertaining lo business, mis sives of love and affection, tidings oi joy ami sorrow . papers containing lull and thrilling accounts of current events, periodicals on farming, cut tic raising, gardening ami domestic lite These Illings ihe rural resident en joyed before tree delivery was estab lished, hut in a limited measure, ami tiiey were not delivered til his door every day hi ihe week. So the car rier. hacked by "I'ncle Sam is doing something. If he gels tired of ihe joh he tan resign today; another man is ready lo supply Ihe vacancy at the same price, I.aureus route No. - Ira versus I wo townships, in part, I.aureus ami Seuf lletown. The route is ollicialiy Iii! miles in length. tin it reside about HU families, nearly i?e per ceiti of them being colored. In round num bers fjO.OOO pieces of mail matter are handled on this rilole annually. The money order ami register business compares favornbl> with other ronies. The receipts grow steadily ami the circulation of newspapers is noticeably larger from month to month. There are a number of Ihe best farmers the county affords re siding on No _'. sixty per cenl ol the white residents are laud owners, while less than i her cent of Ihe no gl'OeS hold II title deed lO llll.V leal estate Put practically every colored farmer has a buggy ami one or more dogs. Urn- of these fellows has a new rubber tired vehicle which he shell.-is on the trout porch of his dwelling. The average colored fur nier is optimistic if nothing more. II. is making a line crop; going to "pay out" and have moeny in tin- "hank." Ilm there is om- Illing he Is doing w.-ii on Nu. '2 he is sending his children to school every day that tin school in his district runs, mi mailer what the season is or how pressing the farm work may he. In a general way ihe same can he said of the white eili/cliK in this particular instance, hut nothing less is expected as ihey hnve many advantages, There are a half dozen schools for each race pa troui/.ed by tin- people on this route Tin- facilities lire reasonably satlsfae lory, the only drawback being the abbreviated school lerm, As lo the churches Ihey are very well divided and conveniently located along tin way. Strange as it may appear there is not a physician or a minister located on Ihe entire route. There are. how ever two count > officers, Coroner It o Mansion ami Magistrate I \V. I>?m II.in of Seiiflletown And another thing Probably tin- largest land owner in the county. Martin I! ,1'oole, nominally resides on No. 2, His realty possessions aggregate ."..nun acres stretching from Kiipree cotton mills to Tylersvllle ami from Khorec river to the Spnrtailburg railroad, a dis lance of several miles He is a VCl erau nt the Confederate army and on his premises live two ex Confederate soldiers who receive a pension from the stllfe. There 111*6 only two more survivors of the Lost Cause listed a-, palroiis of tin- route served by carrier No A nevvlv made mound at old Bethany church marks the resting place of Veteran .1 Warren I'dakcly. whose familiar personality ami many acts of kindness will be missed by this same carrier. That the patrons of route 2 fully appreciate Ihe Horvice is Indicated by such expressions as "I would move on another route if this one should he discontinued," "iio not heo how we could get along without it. nor how the service could be improved unless we were given two instead of one mail f| day." "Would he willing to pay a reasonable amount each year for the service! could not get .along without il now." These arc extracts from comments made by three pat tons relative to the benefits, convoiiii ueo, etc., ol lIn* free delivery service on It. l?\ I). No! - Man) others ol a like tenor could bo uiiol od The public roaib the loads ti-avi led by the rural rollte follows constitute a big (nie i ii?11. mid ii Is imprncilculilo in discuss i! hero. Sulllce ii tg say. that ti<c etirrii r can do liiueli ia huihl iii". tip a -"illinn-lit uiliong Iiis patrons for Improved highways, but ilie trun b|o in tills County aj III others, si-ii lliueiil" tloes hoi ilo Ihn work. The system of roail working bul iMirriei* L' has ho disposition to hi'illg an in ilb'tmeiil nvains' the platl. tho; agency n! i: or Iii?- executor of Hie system In Laureiis. There will be a elan ige: it mint coiiio in pass. liotioi rotiij mean.- 10 llie i nri'lei1 tl K(i\ log <>!' horse llesh, buggy *v< ar timi jean iiiui In him uiorirctiinl'urtnble ami ? ? icilitmu trips. be i ilesi Mill'; ei.CSTi; ) LOSS I V |N>| ICY "I- INSl'liANi K I may be lIii* means ? \" prcvciilinp; jp yOtir pi'i >iii lilrning inl ? > In 11 gj has been su in many ruse; . Ii i ; k< toil bail to In Iii? I Up a proli lilile ol 3 husincs anil then linVc il ruitieil beyond lipp'i of I'esliirin mi l'i.r kj t he lack til' in urance, ^ VVK'UK l! I A11. '!< > I you rieht now in one u cotnpaiiie in t lie w orl< I. word ami we'll i in- y it E.II.WILKES&SONI STOCKS. BONDS S .anrens. S. C m ( School Shoes 'M MB ? , ON l Iis ay.o we made contract with the liest Manufacturers I i y x to make our School Shoes. | Wo were not content with the excellent Shoes shown us, so we ^ red the specifications, chxinging a detail here ami there, until we | < re tire llrtl we had obtained the best Sc hool Shoes it was possible pr luce The cost of these Shoes to us it more, but the satisfaction ) to vou will he ?rr ?rater. I or <;irls V ill. liox Calf ami (mi . I '..it I?oi hi I. ice si \ les. '?? ?!' .I I'ppcrs ami S?des, 1! i/es .m?l w idth*. . J . I .', tO .'!.<>( ). For Boys Shoes of Hox, \'elour Calf and I Inn Metal Calf. I >??ul>h- Walei proof ed soles. I'ppiTs Waterproof Lace oi IMnchei cill All si/cs ami widths. Si.-*.",, 1.50, 1 75. 2.00, jb to [\.oi> I lie re mas l?e lower priced School Shoes than 1 ours, but they will be more expensive in the end. V\ c fit every School Shoe we sell to the Foot, and i J we sc.; that it fits correct Is . I'llO 1 I me M;i 11, I mil ens, S. C. Cm tonieis Shoe' Shiucd I'ree The ( )n<- Pi ice Shoe Store. 111 Tribi e Clothing Co. \ We arc looking for von, our slock is now complete, you can't \ ;ikh u? in style and cinaSity in Suits, Shoes, Underwear and (j general Eine for flcn and Boy's. ii 0 588 J ?>< m 5 % Pi Jn i Iii ir. show \<-ii what we have. That f;',.(mi Suil in.ell- in tin- latest stylt*, also Suit's li/om /,/,". ''? ?,'?, ,;-.:i". IO.OO, 1.7.50, I r|.on ;ill?l .'-yi?), .ill new. This > *. t < ?1 * - i . Mie home of Matt Sehaflnoi 6i Mai x Clolhim?. Shoes for Men, hoy's. Ladies' and Children. ^ Insl reeeiveil a new line ol Regal Shoes foi ^ Men ami Ladies' in 1 sizes, y\\t- Ms a look i> ;o. 1 K<lwin Chipp !>1inrs i<.1 M<-n j? 1 ;,<) :illil 6. ,<? s Stetson Hats \\ > 1 in how yon the most up-to-date line in ^ tow n in Soll in.I Still I lal.s. ^ . Boy's Clothinv: Suit II Olli X 1.1 ?0 up Tribble Clothing J Company | s The I 'p To I iatf ( hiie l'i i< e Clothier l.nno-ie. S. C. 3