Person:Frederick Rife (3)

The Republican-News Hamilton, Ohio Friday December 24, 1915

Hamilton's Oldest Mail Carrier, Fred Rife, Has Severed 26 Years

" Born Friday the 13th, towit, November 13, 1863, the hoodoo popularly associated with the day does not seem to have thus far pursued Captain Fred A. Rife, now the oldest city mail carried in point of service in the local employ of the post office department. He has been lucky and prospered rather than encountered bad luck and adversity.

 Captain Rife was born in the First Ward of this city on Friday the 13th, 1863 and was reared and educated in the ward.  Upon leaving school at an early age, he followed the trade of a painter for six years and then accepted a position as a blacksmith's helper at the Niles Tosi Works.  He worked in that capacity until the Saturday night of May 12, 1890 when he left the shop and on the following Sunday morning began his duties as a mail carrier.
 The late D. H. Hensley was then Postmaster and the post office was located on West High street in the room now occupied by the Hamilton Harness Company adjoining the St. Charles hotel building.
 The post office force at that time consisted of D. H. Hensley, Postmaster, R. M. Elliott, Assistant, W. W. Lane, register clerk and with five clerks all told and eight mail carriers.  Upon the assumption of his duties Captain Rife's route extended from the post office, north on Front to Buckeye, east on Buckeye to Second south on Second to High, thence south Walnut street and thence south covering all of the river and other territory between the streets, mentioned.  With the exception of a later reduction of the route from High to Chestnut street.
 Captain Rife has covered it ever since, he is now rounding up his 26th lap and with the exception of about 2 months when he was laid up with malarial fever in 1911-12 he  has not missed 25 days in 25 years.  For now going on 26 years he has faithfully served the people of the same route and his faithful services have been corresponding appreciated.
 During that time he has served under the administrations of Postmasters, D. H. Hensley, J. E. Elliott, O. V. Parrish, Carl Schell and is now serving under the present Postmaster Homer Gard.
 "How many miles do you suppose you have covered during your long service?"
 "You'll have to figure that out yourself.  About five years ago the Postal Department tested each carrier here with pedometers.  My average was 13 3/4 miles per day.  Multiply that by 365 and the result by 26 and you may get at it but I never stopped to figure it up myself."
 During his term of service and since 25 years ago, Captain Rife has seen the volume of first class mail handled increase by 100 per cent and of second class by 200 per cent.  He has seen postal carriers working condition very largely improve, the system of collections and deliveries readjusted, a shorter schedule of working hours established, better facilities afforded, the carrier force increased 17 regular and 1 auxiliary carrier and with a record of efficiency unequaled by any city of the population of Hamilton in the country.  Captain Rife takes pride in this work and is today felling as good physically as he did upon first entering the mail carrier service now going on 26 years ago.
 Captain Rife began his military career with his enlistment in Company B, 7th Regiment, O. N. G., November 15, 1885.  He was elected First Lieutenant of the Company. April 17, 1887.  He was shortly after transferred to the First Regiment, O. N. G. in which he served from 1887 to August 20, 1891, was elected Captain and served his connection with the service by resignation, June 25, 1894.
 On February 14, 1888, Captain Rife was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Regan, four sons blessed the union, on Joseph Rife having died in 1899 when 10 years of age and those surviving being, Thomas Rife, of Canton, Ohio, Robert Rife, of New York City and Fred A. Rife junior, of Indianapolis.  Captain and Mrs. Rife occupy a cosy, comfortable and hospitable home at 205 Walnut street and have many years of happy life before them.  in his long service as mail carrier, Captain Rife has delivered many tidings of sadness, many tidings of joy, many messages of sorrow, has had all kinds of experiences but such is the life of a U. S. mail carrier."

Lois (Rife) Saus remembers "Grandpa Rife (Frederick A. Rife, Sr.) saying that he was the 16th out 17 children." Jean (Rife) Gwaltney said that Fred Rife, Sr.'s mind was getting so bad that he would once in a while get people up at 3 in the morning. Asking them to get him fed because the National Guard was calling him to duty. After a while he was to much to take care of, so Fred Jr. and Thomas Rife searched for a retirement home. There were none in Hamilton. The closed was in Brookville, IN. That is how he ended up in Indiana. Fred died at Brookside Nursing home.