Shipping Parcel Post in 1918
Two Girls Sent By Parcel Post over New Motor Mail Truck Route; Postage $1.23
from the Springfield, Mo. Republican September 3, 1918, page 8.
"Josephine McCall, 7 years old, and Iris Carter, 8 years old, have been stamped, mailed and yes delivered by the parcel post from their home in Red Top to their aunt, Mrs. Bessie McCall, 1221 North Campbell Street, Springfield. They came all the way in one of the new motor trucks over one of the new routes and were driven by W. E. Fawcett who delivered them.
When the relatives of Josephine and Iris at Red Top were troubled as to how to get the children to Springfield without sending someone up with them they hit upon the idea of sending them by parcel post and by the way of the new motor route or “a la motor truck”. The regulations say that all goods must be stamped and weighed, registered, etc.
The children were weighed and the cost of sending them figured at the regular rates of sending things. Josephine, it was found could go for 52 cents but it took 70 cents to pay for the mailing and delivery of Iris.
A dollar and twenty-three cents was paid and the children were stamped like ordinary parcels. When the driver of the new motor truck, W. E. Fawcett , came steaming into Red Top he found the two children awaiting him along with other things he was to deliver to Springfield.
Mr. Fawcett believes that a kid or two at a time to deliver is all right but he is glad the idea does not occur to many parents at present when moving their children and he is dreading the time when he will find children all along the way and persons in parcels at every post office."
The Smithsonian has a variety of images in their online exhibit Parcel Post: Delivery of Dreams. Be sure to read Delivery of day-old chicks by parcel post which mentions delivery of another little girl in Idaho and Delivery of butter and eggs by parcel post about the first truck parcel post delivery from St. Louis, Mo.
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