Victorian Conveniences and Inconveniences

[Edisto]

I've often wondered if there was mail delivery in Fall River in the 1890s, and if Andrew simply preferred to pick up his mail at the post office, or if everyone had to go to the post office to get the mail. I think we've discussed that subject before, but I can't recall what conclusion was reached.

Anyway, I was reading a book review in the Washington Post this morning that addresses mail delivery in the U. S., although it doesn't answer that specific question. The book reviewed was "Divided by God/America's Church-State Problem -- and What We Should Do About It," by Noah Feldman. The reviewer quotes Feldman as saying that when the Post Office was established, Congress "legislated for seven-day mail delivery without anyone initially raising the problem of Sabbath violation." In 1828, religious leaders finally complained that post offices, "which doubled as gathering places in small towns, were diverting the faithful from attending church on Sunday." However, it was 1912 before Sunday mail delivery was finally stopped. This means that Andrew Borden and his family could probably have picked up their mail on any day of the week. The article further states that church attendance in the days of the founding fathers was low by the standards of today. (I would have thought quite the opposite, although I suppose many people living in rural areas simply couldn't get to an established church.)

Another book reviewed today is Elizabeth Royte's "Garbage Land/ On the Secret Trail of Trash." Ms. Royte decided to trail behind her garbage and find out exactly where it went after it left her premises. Most interesting and pretty frightening as well, because it sounds as if it won't be long before we are all swimming in refuse. Ms. Royte makes reference to our favorite year: 1892. She says, "As late as 1892, a hundred thousand pigs roamed New York City's streets, feasting on scraps tossed out doors and windows by the working poor, who relied on these animals to convert waste into edible protein." The first urban recycling program, I suppose...

[augusta]

Good post, as always, Edisto. Very interesting. I have some stuff on mail delivery in the 1800's and will post later.

I didn't know that about Sundays and the Post Office. Or about church attendance being lower compared to today. I would also have thought it to be the opposite. The traveling factor probably played into it, as you say.