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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer April 5, 2004- - No. 26 |
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The rural mailbox! "That old beat up mailbox at the road," as one fellow refers to it. An icon of sorts that dots the roadside in front of every farm house and non-farm house in the countryside, and has for over a hundred years and more. Size doesn't vary much; but, the variety of style and color is unending. Replacements pop up every now and again, especially after Halloween time. Once that government standard container is in place, little thought is given to the thing. As long as it will hold a letter or two and keeps the rain and snow off the paperwork that shows up six days a week, it's just fine like it is.
There is a fellow over to the east of Coopersville a few miles that surly holds the record for the longest surviving mailbox - in this area at least. He and his brother put that one up back in the 1930s. It's a top-loader-type made up of a good heavy gauge galvanized steel. They got it on some kind of a deal for subscribing to a certain periodical of the time. More than one post has supported that one through all the trials that a mailbox endures over time. You know; like snow plows, weekend rowdies, wide as the road farm equipment, etc.
A well driller man over on Taft went ahead and enclosed his mailbox within an open ended recycled water pressure tank. That brought to a halt any more weekend-driveby-mailbox-destruction to his "often had to replace it" box. He and his wife sleep much better at night now that their mail container is all good'n beefed up like it is.
Kelly runs the mail out of the Coopersville post office and has for a lot of years. She has likely seen it all out there in the world of real working mailboxes. Every kind of critter alive, according to her, will sooner or later be found making a home in one; birds, mammals, insects, etc. - some not so friendly to a busy mail lady!
It's an odd business when it comes right down to it. That little tin box that we think about so little, make a visit to on most days; is a connection to almost anything that we can imagine, just about anywhere in the world. All for the price of a postage stamp, the best deal ever. |
