Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/369

 IIIstoL'Y OF GOODHI E * 0UNT1 7 305 Letters m plain envelopes 2.171 Letters in Gov't. Special Request Knvelopes 460 Letters in private return Request Envelopes. . * 1,688 Letters in official envelopes 218 Postal cards 969 Newspapers ' 3,338 Books and transient papers 432 Merchandise 92 9.367 There were cancelled: 718 one cent stamps; 86 two cent; 3,858 three cent — the three cent letter rate was in force then; OS five cent ; 30 six cent and 31 ten cent. During the week the office issued 94 money orders and paid 29; registered 19 letters, handled 76 in transit and delivered 46. At that time, besides 1 he railroad service, the office supplied stage lines running to Cannon Falls, Faribault. Zumbrota, Ells- worth. Diamond Bluff, Belvidere and Thoten. Mr. Graves served as postmaster from 1875 to 1887, when he was succeeded by Captain W. W. DeKay. During his time of office, in 1889, the city free delivery service was established here, at first with four carriers, which number was later reduced to three, but has since been increased at different times until now seven carriers are employed in the service, making two residence and four business deliveries daily. In 1891 Fred Seebach, now county treasurer, succeeded Mr. DeKay as postmaster, lie also served four years, being succeeded in 1895 by George H. Benton. A rather amusing incident during Mr. Seebach's term — amusing it appears now, although at the time it possessed a serious aspect to many — was an attempt of the post-office department in simplifying names to change "Red Wing" to "Redwing." The protests which arose because of this were so vigorous and energetic that, although the change had been ordered and put into effect, the department was finally com- pelled to countermand the order. Mr. Benton also served four years. Near the close of his term the office was removed to the location on Third street near Bush, which has been occupied the last ten years. In 1899 0. A. Rasmussen succeeded Mr. Benton as postmaster. During the fall of that year, on September 5, to be exact, Mr. Rasmussen secured the establishment of the first two rural routes in this section, among the very first in the state. In 1901 this number was increased to five, in 1903 to eight and in 1905 to nine, giving the rural district on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi river tributary to Red "Wing as complete a system of rural mail delivery as can be found anywhere in the county. And as still further evidence of the growth and development of the business