Free Delivery In Small Cities

The town of Appleton, Wis., is singular among places of its gie in that it has the fortitude 60 put away tlie temptation offered by the General Govern inent to have a free delivery attached to its postufflce. It takes nerve n the part of a mal] town to deny tself this distinctly metropolitas luxury. Yet Appleton has had exaniples, and it is pofllibfa that if Uie opportunlty to avail itst-11" of Uncle Öam's liberality had been presented earlier it might have fallen into the trap wliich now holds so manjr other towns of its size. The free delivery service was originally confined to Krent cities, but with the growth of the postal facilities and ncrease of revenues, to say nothixg of the ambition of siunll townp to enjoy tlie lnxnries and put on the important airs of larger places, carne a raovement in favor of its eitendoo, and this has now been carried to a point wherealmost any place niay DhVe ts uniformt-d maücarriers and its occasional green letter-box attached to a tree or wooden lamp-post When this biilliant prospect llrst opened out many small places eiztxl the Opportunity unthinkinyly, a:id in gccurlng a lew men in uniform dellberately sacri Bosd sreatdeal of down town trade. A popularon of 10.000 or 15,000 compelled to go to a postoftlce once or twice a day maket the streets lively, and incidentally sponds cousitlerable money at shops along the various thoroughfares whicl) it pur sues. A population served ut home goon lo-;es (ho custom of going to tlie postoftlce, and its outings are taken under other circumstances, perhaps not so beneficial to the storekeepers. A ood many small towns had to have the free deiivery before this great truth dawned upou llirui. Now that it bas occurred lo them soine of the places which liave been niore delibérate have taken warning, and will think twlce before aceeptiDg a blessing whlch may prove a delusion. In Appleton the merchants refOM to sign the petition for a free delivcry. Tliuy hud r ither see the population of tlie town on the streets I han four or five postnieu in gray. The poctofBee is the general rendezyoiis. 'The old inen go there to talk politics, and the young men go there to meet their girls, and there is no widespread desire to have letters carried to the houses." Why should there be?