CHAPTER XV.

                    CLAY COUNTY’S MAIL SERVICE.

    The history of the United States Mail Service in Clay county com-
prises forty-three postoffices, which may be paragraphed in the following
alphabetical order:
    Alum Cave, Anguilla, Art, Ashboro, Asherville; Bellaire, Benwood,
Bowling Green, Brazil; Calcutta, Campbell, Carbon, Cardonia, Center
Point, Cherryvale, Christie’s Prairie, Clay City, Cloverland, Coffee, Con-
nely, Cory; Davidson; Eaglesfield, Easter; Farm; Harmony, Hoosier-
ville, Howesville, Huntersville; Knightsville; Martz, McKinley’s; Perth,
Poland, Prairie City, Pratt; Saline City, Sherman, Splunge Creek, Staun-
ton, Stearleyville; Turner; Van Buren.
    But at no one time has the number exceeded thirty. At the time
that the rural route service was introduced there were twenty-nine, of
which ten have since been discontinued, so that there are now nineteen,
given as follows by the latest official guide:
    Ashboro, Asherville, Bowling Green, Brazil, Carbon, Cardonia,
Center Point, Clay City, Cloverland, Coalmont, Cory, Harmony, Howes-
ville, Knightsville, Perth, Poland, Saline City, Staunton, Turner. In
saying that there have been forty-three offices it is not meant,
necessarily, that postoffices were established and maintained for a time at
just this number of places in the geography of the county, as in some
instances, the same office (in name) was located at different points, and,
also, two or more offices (in name) at the same place. The Coffee, Har-
mony and Van Buren offices were at different locations, while Davidson
and Farm; Sherman and Turner; Alexander and Cardonia; Huntersville
and Clay City, were but different names for the same office, in the order
in which they are named in the several couplets. The distribution and
delivery of mails for the first quarter of a century or more of the county’s
history, prior to the building and operation of the Terre Haute & Indi-
anapolis Railroad, was accomplished by means of what were at a subse-
quent time denominated “star routes,” for which contracts were let by
the government to individuals for the performance of the service, who
carried the mails between points on foot, on horse-back or by vehicle.
These routes were all designated by number, which run high up into the
hundreds of thousands. At some time in the thirties very soon after
the National Road had been put in passable condition, the Indiana legis-
lature memorialized Congress to establish a mail route on this thorough-
fare across the state. All postoffices in the north end of the county were
originally located on this line of service. Later developments, however,
brought about a radical change, all the offices having since been located

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