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38 PERRY S. HEATH, the most distinguished member of the Heath and Tomlinson families, was born on a farm in the old Mt. Zion neighborhood in 1857, Where during the war and years after, his father with other neighbors, had a mail box on a tree in front of Mr. Zion church and each member of the club had a day to go to Muncie and bring out the mail and thus the neighborhood had daily mail. Perry, as first assistant post master general under McKinley, no doubt remembered this convenience and when an appropriation had been made as an experiment he made out of it all that could be done to create a public demand for general free rural delivery which is revolutionizing the whole country. As an Iowa farmer wrote to the Department - It is the greatest thing the Government has ever done for the farmer.
Perry entered a printing office at the age of 13 earning a dollar and a half a week and boarding himself. He spent his evenings in the office studying the make up of a newspaper and at 16 was foreman and most rapid compositor in the city of Muncie. He has been all his life a hard worker and never had time to form the habit of smoking or drinking. He is well and favorably known here in South Dakota where he first edited a newspaper after which he served as secretary of a committee in Congress, established a newspaper bureau for the Associated Press in Washington, D.C., traveled in Europe and wrote "A Hoosier in Russia", a most popular story of Russian life. Manager of Cincinnati Gazette booming McKinleys nomination, became literary manager of the campaign; served as 1st Asst. Post Master General under McKinley, developing the F.R.D. Resigned to become Secretary of National Republican committee which position he held until the death of Marcus A. Hanna who was his intimate and personal friend. Since then he has been managing editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, taking a vacation last year and traveling in the Holy Land and Egypt. In 1890 he married Ella Conway of Louisville, Ky., a highly cultured lady and a leader in society.
Iowa Cemetery Records: Bremer County Burial Records Vol 1 - 4
Page: 190
Name: Perry S. Heath
Death Date: Apr 1927
Comment: Place of death Washington D. C. With the announcement of the death
of Perry S. Heath in Washington D. C. the people of Brooklyn,
Poweshiek Co. have associated his name with an historical occurance that has
a wide application. Perry S. Heath was the first assistant postmaster
general under Pres. McKinley. The Heath's were from Muncie Ind. In that
vicinity a group of farmers, 12 in number mostly Heath's or relatives decided
to have their mail brought to their door each week. The first meeting was
held in the Heath home; so they arranged to have small mail boxes erected in
front of their country residences. The 12 farmers, than took turns in
delivering the mail. When Perry S. Heath was placed in authority in
the mail service at Washington he took the experiment at Muncie as a basis
for a system of rural mail delivery that now reaches all sections of rural
America. But the first experiment under goverment sanction was at Brooklyn,
Ia. Mr. Heath was a cousin of A. C. Heath of Brooklyn, and it
was through the efforts of C. C. Heath, Mr. Heath's father, and
S. W. Heath. of Brooklyn that a rural free delivery route was
established. Soon another experimental route was laid out from Eldora,
Hardin County. "From the Independent Republican, Waverly, Ia. 28 Apr 1927
p-5. No burial record given but Poweshiek Co. would likely have a record)
History of Delaware Co., 1881, by Thomas B. Helm
Perry S. Heath, the editor and newspaper correspondent, is the third son of Jacob W. Heath, and was born on the 31st of August, 1857. His school days were marked with that perseverance, industry and advancement that has characterized his brief career in his profession. He encompassed the studies of four years, during a two years' course in the graded schools of Muncie--his earlier education having been attained in the district schools of the country during his childhood days on the farm. On the 3d of May, 1870, at the age of thirteen, when almost prepared to enter the academy, preferring from his own judgement an education at the printer's case, preparatory to an "ascension up the editorial tripod," he entered the office of the Muncie Democrat, from which the present publication of that title is an outgrowth. His quick perceptibilities enabled him to learn with great rapidity, and, at the expiration of his first two years in "printerdom," it is said by his "brothers in art," that he was accounted one of the most valuable, accurate and swift compositors in the city. Industry and close attention to business received its merited reward, with him, and from position to position he was rapidly called--each time to a higher sphere--until in the fall of 1877, when he accepted the position of Superintendent of the news department of the Logansport Pharos. At Logansport he was engaged by several of the leading Western journals as a special news correspondent, in which capacity he acted with such efficiency that his services were soon sought by many of the metropolitan dailies. On the 7th of December, 1878, he was engaged by Mr. E. W. Brady, proprietor of the Muncie Daily and Weekly Times, to take charge of the city department of those well-known journals, and he has served in the capacity of city editor to the present writing. He has also acted as special correspondent for ten of the leading daily newspapers in the West, and during the memorable campaign of 1880, their telegraphic columns "kaleidoscoped," morning and evening, with his productions--over one hundred thousand words of the telegraphic matter being written by him during that campaign, besides fulfilling his arduous duties as principal local writer for the Muncie Daily Times. As a journalist his future success is foretold by his past career.
Noblesville Daily Ledger March 30, 1927
PERRY S. HEATH DIED IN WASHINGTON
Was a Brother of Late C. R. Heath of This City
WASHINGTON, March 30. - Perry S. Heath, known as the "Father of the rural free delivery" and for years prominent as an editor and publisher, died at his home here today after an illness of more than six weeks. A picturesque figure in the last quarter of the nineteenth century as a newspaper man and prolific political writer, Mr. Heath entered the postoffice department in 1897 under President McKinley. With less than $30,000 authorized by the congress for experimental purposes, he started the first work on one of the greatest advancements in postal distribution in history. Born in Muncie, Ind., August 31, 1857, Heath at the age of twenty-one established the first daily paper at Muncie and later gave to Aberdeen, S. D., its first daily paper. He was identified with the nominating campaign of Benjamin Harrison for President and with the framing of the constitution for the division of Dakota and the government of the proposed states of North and South Dakota. Mr. Heath is well known in this city; having visited in Noblesville often during the last fifteen or twenty years. He was a brother of C. R. Heath, for many years manager of the Noblesville Gas Company.
March 31, 1927
ATTEND HEATH BURIAL
Mrs. C. R. Heath, living at her country home, east of Cicero and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Fred Heath, of Muncie, plan to go to Louisville, Ky, Saturday to attend the funeral of Perry S. Heath. Both are sisters-in-law of Mr. Heath. The funeral will be held in Washington, Friday, and a short time later the body will be on its way toLouisville for burial. Louisville is the former home of the widow.