Insanity on the Decrease

«RFD [Rural Free Delivery] changed the quality of life for many Americans more profoundly than mere facts and statistics can convey. Some of the most poignant tributes to the service concerned its impact on long-isolated rural people's mental health. In addition to information from the outside world, the carriers brought friendly faces and news of recent events, from fires and floods to epidemics, as well as the latest gossip. As Postmaster General George Meyer observed in 1907 "medical men" declared that because of RFD, "insanity is on the decrease."»

Winifred Gallagher, How the Post Office Created America