Daily Tribune, Volume 17, Number 21, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 21 December 1902 — Page 11

$2.48

$1

$

ir

1,

.98 For choice of 25 styles of Ladies' Fine Shoes, all leather, including patent Corona and patent calf, all $3.00 grades

BE VERSATILE

s.tifodiMV:'!'

UCfci IS EXPECTED OF RURAL '••"'F'R'EE DELIVERY AGENTS

R\.

TO .ADJUST DIFFICULTIES

ti "s

..iQjonfronted With Many Perplexing ProbfeWfifWhose Solution Requires -o-** .*b arid Diplomacy.

"10?

TO if jS«T? v' A ".Task* of all trades" is both the ap(^priate and comprehensive description 'tlus fitral free delivery mail carrier, a equired by the nature of his duties know much and perform many feats, an vial and mental, undreamed of by e.,urbanite letter carriers. His horse cl' Y'agfo.n are the least- of his cares, djfnotwithstanding that he is handy ougfe to repair the one and shoe the her.in case of necessity, the rural postin rmtist be passingly bright mentally, "te to read and write, of course, and, in jdition, shrewd, minus inquisitiveness polite without frills, for the farmer his sole constituent and critic. The )0E«fjoir'imrium paid him for the services ^f, 'hoTi&, and wagon are, to say the

St "tfoltiscifeiftiously earnad. 5uvii io '^iueh is required of the rural

SSiS

YOB

Ladies' Shoes

$2.98 for Ladies' patent kid or French patent calf Shoes. New style high millitary and full French heels. $3.50 and 14.00 grades

$2.98

or ad or on a vi id a dongola, heavy and light soles. Swellest creation known. Shoes that look like and wear like $3.50 shoes $2.48

$1.98

Special lot of Ladies' Fine Shoes 1.50 to $2 50 grade

98c, $1.25

a"l

BOYS' SHOES

$1.48

Enamel calf, patent leather, and box calf. Mannish style.

The variety of work performed by the special agent requires more than ordinary ability, besides patience, judgment, and forbearance, for. notwithstanding the rapidity with which rural routes have been established, not more than one-half of the 24,000 petitions for rural mail services have been granted or even examined, hence the incessant demand in rural communities for the visit of the special agent, upon whose report rtiaps, eac., the establishment of the route demands.

The special rural free delivery agent is the most-sought-for employe of the postal service.

His work is directly with the people, therefore he is very popular with them. In his work he has to display great diplomacy conflicting interests or imaginary conflicts have to be handled with groat tact. Postmasters of rival towns •re frequently the cause of much contention, and the country people often find themselves drawn into such disputes,

98c

J. B. WALSH SHOE GO.

carrier for the compensation named, the better paid special agents are naturally »\ipposed to develop qualifications of a higher order. There are five grades of special agent in the field, the salaries being $1,200, $1,300, $1,400, $1,600 and $1,600 per annum, the latter amount for the highest field grade. These agents are in the classified service,, and no account of their versitility deserve more than a passing notice.

Terre Haute's Greatest Shoe Store. 420 Wabash Avenue.

if

Infants Shoes

Infants Patent Leather Shoes

Infants 75c Shoes

Childrens $1.00 Shoes

Girls $1.25 Shoes

Girls $1.50 Shoes

Boys $1.25 Shoes

although their direct interests are with neither of the rival towns. In smoothing over there differences and at the same time protecting the interests of the service by making a sensible division of the territory, special agents find their most difficult task. As the-service spreads or grows.more extensive this ta-sy becomes greater. The influence brought to bear by postmasters and others directly interested to prevent a recommendation for the discontinuance of some insigniflcent post office paying possibly $50 or $6 a year is as great as that exercised to secure a first-class appointment.

The secret of the small postmaster's anxiety to prevent the establishment of the free delivery service lies in the fact that he is the general storekeeper of the village and the farmers' coming to the postofiice for mail patronjze the aforesaid store for their supplies. The special agent has to convince the postmaster that the abolition of his office will not injure his trade. This is a difficult undertaking, but it Has been successfully accomplished in some twelve hundred cases which speaks well for the persuasive powers of the special agent.

Besides the tact and diplomacy the spccial agent demonstrates in his line, he must have ability to draft a map of the neighborhood or localiar in which he examines territory for th# establishment of rural delivery. He gathers data showing the location of the roads and

THE SUNDAY TRIBUNE: TERRE HAUTE, FND*" SUNDAY DECEMBER 21,1902.

,r

Our Christmas favors are extended to all in the shape of Lowest Prices in Terre Haute. We've bought the entire sample lines of 3 large wholesale $ concerns at 661c on the dollar.

Boys $1.50 Shoes 98C

their connection, the houses-located along the proposed route, school houses, churches, streams and an outline of the hamlet, or villages through which the route win pass. On this sketch he must also indicate existing service, such as star routes, postofRces, and messenger service. The sketch of the route and the data he sends in to headquarters with his report. Here a complete map is made copies of which are sent to the postmaster and the division headquarters, the original being retained on the fMes at Washington.

In addition to the foregoing duties, special agents are required since February 1, 1902, to conduct civil service examinations of applicAnts for the position of carrier,

A* soon as an agent has completed the work of investigation, he examines such applicants as may appear

for

^8M^. #98SB "-"a'' -5 v%^*v-*rft""

a wfm I gl

get the benefit. Read these prices and come with the understanding that only here you can find such prices,

Holiday Slippers

Ladies' dancing and evening Slippers, 2, 3, 4 and 7 strap Slippers at

48c, 75c, 98c, $1.48

Men's Slippers

Men's velvet embroidered fine kid, alligator and calf Slippers, in black, brown, wine and tan

39ct 4Bc. 75c. 98c. $1.48

examination

at the postoffice. He makes an investigation of the reputation of the different applicants and reports his findings to the centra! board of examination at Washington, to whom all papers are sent. The oxamination papers are reviewed and marked at Washington, and the highest eligible is certified to the appointment office of- the rural free delivery divflion as soon as the date is fixed for the establishment, of the service.

There are at present eight if ies designnte'd as rural free delivery divuions, the cities being located in harmony with

1 5C

39c

4dc

69c

89c

98c

•. 5C

J,*

the territorial extent of the country. An idea can be formed of the popularity of this service when it is Btated that on July 1, 1897, or abou± nine months after the enactment of the measure by congress, there were exactly forty-four rural carriers all told. In one year these figuKs more than tfeblcd, in 1898 these being 148 carriers in 1899, 351 in 1900, 1,276 in 1901, 4,301, and in 1902, 8,476. By November 1, 11,651, and by July 1, 1903, there will be 15,000 rural free delivery mail carriers.

The cost of the scrvice for the coming year is estimated at $12,000,000, and when completed it is estimated that about $26,000,000 annually will have tc be appropriated that the farmers may receive their mail at their domiciles. There -are at present on the pay rolls of this, the greatest division of the postoffice department, 11,651 carriers and 450 exclusive employes at headquarters, including clerks and superintendents. The salary of the chief special agent, or superintendent, Mr. H. Conquest Clark, is $3,000 per annum, the largest salary paid any employe of the department, exclusive of Mr. A. W. Machen, its head.

This enormously large division of the postoffice department has developed into its present mammoth proportionsunder the fosterinp care of Mr. A. M. Machen. the general superintendent. Whoever ltiay claim or is entitled to the crejlit of being the originator or founder of the

**k3U

$18

V' ,•* jrwv ff

.' f-f *%,£

A'

-A

4

$2.98 For Men's patent Corona vici kid and velour calf Shoes. Rugby, Harvard and American styles. Every conceiveable style shoe made up for city trade. -$3.50 and $4.00 grades

$2.98

$2.48 For Men's Shoes of patent calf, vici kid and box calf. Elegant styles. Newest conceptions for business or dress wear. Worth $3.50

$1.25

420 Wabash Ave.

rural free delivery service, there is no disputing or question of his title to being its preserver. To Mr. Machen is due its rapid extension and its thorough and efficient organization.

An illustration of the perfection and system to which he has solidified such a necessarily scattered and, disjointed division of over twelve thousand employes, may be found at a glance at the map suspended in his office. Pins are stuck in this map, locating the congressional district in which each special agent is operating. An itinerary for the coming week from each special agent, must reach the general superintendent's office every Saturday. The special agent, if compelled to change this itinerary in the congressional district in which he is located, by any local circumstances arising after sending in his report, can be communicated with by wire thus he is at all times within control of the general superintendent,.

Only Two Route# Discontinued. That the rural service is giving general satisfaction may be surmised from the fact that but two routes have been discontinued since its establishment, October 1, 1896. If the wishes of the small postmasters prevailed, however, there would be either a duplication of mail service, to the great cost of the department or the number of routes would be limited to the great inconvenient* and disgruntlement «f the rural population.

And it is here where the superior tal­

r^fcgy

$1.98 For choice of lot of Men's Chrome calf, velour and vici kid shoes. Blucher and* regular cut, including some very fancy

Men's dress and work Shoes, in Satinola calf, box grain and kid

vo!r.r

v*.

.S^SM .y.vriti

Waterproof'!

sv^"" r-fl-7

'Sol#

UNION MADE

Btyles for dress wear. $3.00 grades

98c

ents and persuasive powers-of the special agent shine conspicuously in demoustrri-. ting to the storekeeping\ cross-rbad post master that progress in ell branches human endeavor increases and never^destroys the utuities^pd- luxuries of minkind. When the protests of this class of postmaster^ fail—anil these protests bear the signatures of the postmaster's friends written by himself—h makes an active canvass of the proposed, route and warns the farmers that the new service is adding to his expenditures thj»t «veiy farmer must purchase, a ^aSJrJboK. the government, and that the?salaries' of-thte carriers will be added as a special tax: upoii the rural popluation. pf

Mr. Machen's spcial agents, however, are more than equal to the emergendy, and they begin by first convincing the farmer, 'and ultimately the ^postmaster, of their point error. Of course it will "be understood that the special agents d6 this missionary work only where petitions are sent into the office here by the farmers and rural communities desiring the service and after .the-same are passed upon and favorably considered by the general superintendent. It is perhaps proper to note that this rwral free delivery division, the largest under the postmaster general, has a general superinteirdnt instead of an assistant posknaster general for its head, the last session of congress having failed t» craate the of* fioe of 6th assistant postmaster general.