Your kid – er, package – is in the mail
When explaining to small children about the arrival of a recent bouncing bundle of joy, the Stork is often given credit for the delivery, although the doctor does occasionally receive an honourable mention.
But there was a time when Mr. Stork had strong competition. According to Wikipedia, for a number of years the United States Postal Service was called upon to provide another unique service – that of delivering small children.
Sending a child to visit their grandparents by train was apparently a relatively expensive business. The big breakthrough came with the advent of parcel post in 1913.
Once parents discovered the far cheaper rates being charged by postal authorities, as compared to the horrendous costs levied by railway companies, business began to boom.
During the early part of the 20th Century, some folks believing that child mailing should be included in a postie’s job description willingly placed their youngsters in the hands of the U.S. post office personnel for delivery to preaddressed destinations.
Proof in the form of postage stamps attached to the child’s clothing and with sufficient postage having been paid, such parcels were carefully dispatched on their way.
However, there was one drawback; regulations required that all packages be under 50 pounds in weight. It must be noted that the mail carrier, when he had a child to drop off on his route, was often accompanied by an adult relative of the infant, who having paid the full fare was then able to travel with and ensure the safe arrival of the youngster to the correct address.
The first child recorded as having used the new service was in 1913 when a boy was delivered a distance of one mile for the cost of 15 cents. His parents were not taking any chances of non-delivery, though; they insured the package for $50.
In 1914 the mailman delivered a small girl a distance of 73 miles after she had been posted for an outlay of no more than 53 cents. She rode in the railway mail car along with letter carriers and was safely delivered to her grandparents.
It was soon obvious that the post office might begin to lose money as the cost of mailing young children varied between 10 and 45 cents each, and the service had the appearance of becoming quite labour-intensive.
By 1915, the U.S. Postmaster General reviewed his regulations and decided to no longer accept children for mailing purposes, as their description did not conform to the rules of delivery. Youngsters could no longer qualify under the rules as fauna, which was said to include such items as bees and bugs, the only live things allowed.
Although several children had been successfully mailed over the years, permanent revised rules were not enacted until June of 1920. Someone always has to test new rules; the last child mailed was said to be a three-year-old boy who was accepted at a local post office by staff long after the new rules became law and so was clearly in violation.
The local postmaster was soon on the carpet to explain his conduct during an ensuing investigation.
An interesting sidelight from 1913 was an enquiry to post office officials asking about the rules for wrapping and mailing a baby through the system. It seems the enquirer, having no children, was arranging to adopt a child from another state and sought guidance to comply with the delivery regulations.
A major concern that the writer had was over the express company’s reputation for rough handling of packages placed in their care. This letter was published in an article in a New York newspaper of the time.
Pictures showing a child in a mailbag are to be found in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and on their internet site.
Frank Tonge is a member of the Penticton and District Stamp, which raises money for charity. If you have any questions or stamp material to donate, call Harv Baessler at 250-492-4301.