New Box Numbering System for Rural Routes
In the cities of the country the streets are named and the houses are numbered by the authorities. The Department uses these numbers and street names in its mail deliveries. A letter to be properly addressed to a person or a firm needs only the number of the house or building and the name of the street. This method is very simple and the mail is speedily and successfully handled.
In the country districts there are four systems in use by the Department, the railroads, and the express companies. The first system is where patrons erect boxes at their places of residence for the collection and delivery of mail. The letter or parcel is simply addressed to the post office, to the patron and the rural route is given. The second is where a letter or parcel is addressed to the patron at a post office, with the number of the route, the box number, the side of the road, and the miles from the office being embodied in the box number. The third is where a letter or parcel is addressed to a patron at a post office giving the route number and the number of the patron’s box. The fourth system is where mail is addressed to the patron at an office giving the section and township where the patron lives. This latter system is used by the railroads relative to freight and express matter and definitely locates a person in any part of the United States. The addition of the rural route number and box makes the most complete designation possible.
There has been an ingenious plan suggested (if it can be practically employed), a newer and more complete method of numbering the boxes along rural delivery routes indicating and locating the patrons thereon which will identify the patron with his place of residence, simplify assorting, and afford in many ways advantages not offered or included in the old method.
The Present Method
The Suggested New Method
The diagram on the following page, which is intended to illustrate the suggested new plan, shows that in any given three numbers, such as 111, the first figure at the left would be the route number, the second figure the number of the box, the third the distance from the supplying office.
Explanation: The first figure as indicated denotes the rural route number, the second figure denotes the box and its location on the mile, the third or more figures denotes the miles from the supplying post office. Each mile is divided into four quarters for box designation, those on the right have the odd figures 1, 3, 5, 7, and those on the left even figures 2, 4, 6, and 8. If there is more than one box in a quarter, the other boxes are given the first box number in that quarter with the addition of a small letter a, b, c, d, etc., after the mile figure or figures. The patron if he lived at the first quarter of a mile would be addressed—John Williams, Rayville, Ill., Rural Delivery 111. This would show that John Williams lives on rural route number one, at the first quarter mile on the delivery part of the route, and that it is the first box on the first mile. If he lived on the second mile at the third quarter he would be addressed Rural Delivery 152, and his box would be so numbered. If he lived on the second mile at the second quarter, and on the left-hand side of the road, his box number would be 142. Where automobile routes are established a capital letter can be used instead of the first figure. If it is desired, the section number can be used instead of the miles figure or figures, and would then show where the patron lived in the township.