The establishment of parcel post in 1913 had a tremendously stimulating effect on the national economy. It opened a world of opportunities for both farmers and merchants alike. Rural Americans were able to purchase foodstuffs, medicines, dry goods and other commodities not readily available to them previously. Even more conveniently, the goods were mailed directly to their homes. In addition, farmers were able to ship eggs and other produce directly to the consumer, saving both time and money. What you wouldn’t expect to be sent through the mail is a human being, but that’s exactly what happened in 1914. A 5-year-old girl by the name of Charlotte May Pierstorff — who went by May — wanted desperately to visit her grandmother in Lewiston, Idaho, but her parents couldn’t afford the $1.55 it would cost for a train ticket. Soon, her family hatched an ingenious plan and, with the help of May’s mother’s cousin, Leonard Mochel, who worked on the mail car of the train, May was sent by parcel post with 53 cents in stamps on her coat. Mochel traveled with May on the train, delivering her safely to her grandmother. However, the event indirectly caused the U.S. Post Office to bar all humans and live animals from mail delivery — with a few exceptions, including bees and day-old poultry.
