R.F.D. (1949)

[Music] when 34 westbound whistles for our station it's a signal for the local post office to go to work probably the most precious of the caros carried is the mail our nearest station is Andover in the state of New Jersey the male comes in the male goes out and ties the people of the nation together and the with the [Music] world each day Ed talpin of the railroad trundles a whole mass of Hope and business of love and law of friendly greetings and news and sometimes disappointment down the street to the post office he brings the stuff for my rural route along with the rest of the mail down from the Train it's astonishing the number of letters and the amount of packages that come into Andover but then most people are friendly and like to keep in touch with each other apparently human beings send almost everything you can think of by mail if it's big enough to get a stamp on and small enough to be wrapped it seems like anything will go through Ed Hill is the postmaster here at Andover he is a respected member of the federal government I'm a civil servant too got the job by a competitive examination held it now for 21 years I enjoy Distributing the mail on the route it's a little like passing the daily history of the place through your hands some days when the load's extra heavy I wonder where everybody gets the time to write so much and read so much of course by now I should know there's no end to the trouble that folks will take to keep themselves posted and other people informed I use my own car the government pays me mileage on it trade it in for a new one about every 18 months we make the Circuit 6 days a week every day but Sunday I'd like to take you with me today have you meet my neighbors and friends not everybody in America is as crowded together as you might have been led to believe I travel over 60 M daily on my route it is one of the services the post office Department extends to the [Music] taxpayers this is Andy Carmichael's place it's a good Farm but then Andy's always trying never saw such a man for improving the breed chickens cattle Hogs always writing for information and ideas and always getting them I'll bet there's stuff in this mail coming in from the Department of Agriculture in Washington and the University at New Brunswick and Andy always writes back and tells them what he's found out John Ram has the place next to the Carmichaels when the little flag is up I know there's a pickup to be made Mr and Mrs RAM have a married daughter out west and Mrs Ram gets a letter off to her nearly every day she never has a stamp though don't understand it but she always leaves three pennies in the Box stamping letters is another one of the services of a rural rout [Music] Lester Pruden has been asking for a package for at least 10 days today it came his birthday is Tuesday and his mother's going to have quite a time keeping that football a surprise until [Music] then most of the people along my route come down to the box for their meal but today I had an extra special reason for making delivery right to the [Music] door Katie's been a mighty patient little girl slipped off a hay cart early this year when you've had so few Summers it's hard to lose one [Music] it'll be good to see her down at the Box again wouldn't it be wonderful if we could figure out some way to keep all the kids in the world from getting [Music] hurt usually along with the rest of the mail there'll be a love letter or two the correspond are generally absent-minded and have a tendency to stop work at the slightest provocation I noticed that some of them even turn a little pale every time my car shows [Music] up they always look for a particular handwriting and ignore all the rest of their mail if those youngsters don't grow up and get married pretty soon they'll spend all their money on postage stamps I'm ashamed to admit it but a dog's been carrying on a feud with me for 3 [Music] years so far neither one of us have given an inch if I let that dog have his way he'll bar the roads to the United States mail this is the deck place the boys have been increasing their Dairy herd and naturally had to increase their equipment they've been doing all right they've bred a fine herd and they say the best milking machines are none too good for their [Music] cows well men and good machines have always gotten along together in America [Music] the lons go out all over the world Danny Mack has started a foreign stamp collection since he began getting letters from Friends abroad Danny's M says he's saving the letters too he may go abroad someday and have a chance to meet his friends face to face so it goes right around the whole route a whole mass of Hope and business of love and law of friendly greetings and News address to honorable sir and gentleman to sweetheart and mother and dad and sign respectfully and sincerely and affectionately and even so sometimes people are disappointed Abigail Squires markets her eggs by mail to special clients in the city now the folks buy stamps ensure their shipments get the news send cakes and clothes to their kids away in school another day on the rural delivery room boat is done it was nice that we could be together for at least one swing around the [Music] circuit we finished right on time you can tell it's near the end of the day when Mr Dennis starts sweeping up so long now I've got a carry my pickups back to Andover if I don't see you again remember you can always get in touch with me by mail