US Rural Route Cancels

Russ started a thread related to HPO (Highway Post Office)related items, which tweaked my memory of rural route mailmen in the United States being able to hand cancel mail that was destined for mail boxes further along their route. If this was indeed the case I would appreciate seeing some examples of such cancels. Thanking you in advance, I remain...

Cynical

History http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGAum9weUB8

Nice Rural Free Delivery strike!

Nice one. Here's another link that shows the cover depicted above:

http://thesaltysailor.com/rhodeisla...nd/RFD-1.htm

Russ, you really need to send that cover back to Massachusetts where it belongs. I am only about 15 miles from Worcester and would be glad to hold it here for you. I assure you anyone wishing to see it would be allowed a quick glance. (great cover)

Russ: in my memory there was something about rural route carriers being able to "manuscript" cancel using pen and ink. Supposedly each carrier would write their identification number, the route number and the date on the stamp or something like that. With that cancel the letter would be placed in the recipient's mailbox further along the route. This was to save the letter going back to the post office to be cancelled and sent out along the same route the next day. Am I remembering this correctly?

Is there still such a thing as RFD these days? What made a post office "rural"?

I posted this link a few months back on a news article about the end of RFD in one area of Florida that may be helpful:

https://goscf.com/t/12087

...and an article on RFD right off the US Postal Service web site:

http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_...Delivery.pdf