The recent winter storm that impacted the region with freezing rain/sleet/snow is a distant memory. Hopefully, there weren’t any major mishaps among the Republic-Monitor readership last week.
Yes, the mail was delayed a day. It’s a little difficult to deliver the letters, junkmail or the all-important newspaper when it’s impossible to open the mailbox.
The local carriers would have made every effort to get the mail delivered on time, provided the mail truck got to the post office. It didn’t, so postal employees enjoyed a much-appreciated day off.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no official United States Postal Service motto. The following phrase appears in the front of the James A. Farley Post Office structure in New York City, engraved in stone by the architectural firm that built it:
“Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Supposedly taken from a book authored by Greek historian Herodotus, it refers to messengers of the Persian Empire from almost 2,500 years ago. I’m not sure of how much snow or ice accumulation there was in that area more than two millennia ago, but it was long before the North American delivery creations of the Pony Express and mail planes.
The unofficial motto sounds great in theory, but is it realistic for planes, mail trucks and letter carriers to go on with their normal delivery routines when a winter storm rolls through? If it’s bad enough to shut down the airports and interstates, and the sidewalks are an entirely different subject, there’s probably a good chance that venturing out may not be the best idea.
Daniel Winningham is the managing editor of the Republic-Monitor. He can be reached at 573-547-4567, ext. 227 or email editor@perryvillenews.com.