Way letter

In the US beginning in colonial times, mail had to be delivered to a post office of which there were few. So, an agent or carrier was paid 1¢ per piece to carry mail to a post office. this was originally an added fee. WAY would be written or handstamped on each letter as a control.

With steamboats becoming relatively common in the 1840s, from 1845, steamboat captains were also authorized to accept mail and were also paid the 1¢ way fee for each letter. The added charge was stopped about 1853 although agents would still collect the fee. In 1863, the way system was officially ended but was continued by some post offices up to the 1890s.





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