The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-03-02
,Th Trials and Tribulations of Coun-
try Postmas sters

J4rf-~>N'S SSN''Nf ~ ~
first named. The fees allowed by law
would not pay a woman for her trouble
o! making up the quarterly transcripts
They are shamefuIIy small.
The money CONSIDERATION would never
induce any one to take the office, but that
anything which will convert the leisure
moments Of the day into three cent pieces
or even copper coin, is welcomed 10y per
sons who are bcuu'i TO get something
abesd-st vha, honorable cost. Ii Car.
ries precious little honor with it.
The fact Of rendering g,a,uity to
gov ei0Ineuf-Or rather OF shaving without
any Consideration III behalf If The gov.
ernluent, ard beng, willing or unwilling,
The tool q party y hoin malt The neigh
borh"od believes cnrturr, and liable 10
the moit,6cslnn Of rj-c,mrn,. without
shadow Of offence, at the will "f The P,,s,.
master General, do, s no, c, nier great
honor upon the incumbent in any par, Of
the country B!.h ~hch We are familiar.
Nor has !: pr!veiges wor,h buying At
tLeir r'st The Postmaster is surpassed
10 receive and send his :ett-rs FREE. But
il is oul, those Oh Post Office Uuitess that
are o. Fau.in.uil- ppltss, indeed. he
puts binders on his conscience, and
being hs own judge, coustrues any which
concerns hIs own interests 10 lie Of lira,
tRatUre. lhls IS curious perversIon of
Our legis. s.aiiye risdojn. 1le.nLe-s OF Con
gress NAV send home copies Of the Cen
sus bushels Of bound Messages and
Patent ffice Reports dirty linen tor the
ia. : !,
the Sou. bern markets, and no quest tiuns
asked. But lie poor unpaid Poslnas
.;er il he sends hr. love, winch wrighs
nohinR to h.s wife Al the mex, Post Office,
must write on the envelope 'on Pos, Off
cial business ard make himself mean er
in his own eyes, or lose his precious frauk
ing pnvrlege.
But let US see What his labor is, an d
What his pay. Suppose him t" live in
nme 4uier farming town, where the quiet
would tie Sunday like on All DAYS but tor
the daily appearance Cf :he railroad cars.
he receives and sends daily mail each
way. II is not often tina: the rish, man
eaG be found who lives directly on the
line Of ihe road and uext to :he depo:.-
But whateys! bis distance, he can receive
no extra pay Tor ma: carriage That
would construe him iuto mail carrier
thing which postmaster is under strict
penalties forbidden 10 be. However dis
tant or near, he must lie on hand a. the
moment that the cars arrive. The leath
ern bag must not be entrusted fur one
moment 70 an uns" orn officer. II The
engine br sa!:s dQWn he must "ai, ,iiI size
- iHeRdsI and tie arrival made. ID she
runs ahead ofIirne, he is not excusaLle for
his tard'ness, It's his business TO take the
mail when II comes. 10 myst pot stop
to shog MS horse " bu! = iyuoi %r totIufr
op bis way home.
When the mail arrives in town the
people have a right TO their mailmatter.
1hs Jaw Fog is very slrqt ile must
open the lag in a private room. with no
one at haI d but sworn Gepu,y-lt must
60 il binself-not his wife, nor bis grown
up daughter. If anybody's weekly is
Incking, there is row. The subcrih-J
must have seen through the lattice work
every bundle that WAS taken out, and
noticed that his WAS not in the company,
or our postmas;er is SUSPECTED. is he
business man, he loves ID get the earliest
news, and see first OF all how wheat and
potatoes sell nov. Is rhe missing paper
a literary ore, our Pos,masters daughter
loves to read love. stories, and it is known
that sh. has read the frs, part of "The
Last Kiss" or, The Miser's Daughter"
which was ITO be continued" in this mum
ber. Ifa letter does not come, "whv
doesn't i: come T. is the question which
our Postmaster must explain. Alas
poor Postmaster on hin falls the blame
OF cor.eSpDUder Is negII.enoe, 81 lie laws
rates, OF Numbering clerks n ne rs offices,
OF everything for which h.s ingenuity can
not devise a'wQ'. plausible and excellent
eycGSa.
Bat It is time to make up the mail
lie has dozen or twenty letters to send.
three .. them To write enclosing money TO
CITY new,p 'psrs TOR which ne j. heId res
ppnsibe To the spb.crilsrs. These three
he .nks. r other pnstmas ers are care
less Ia handling, carriers ~ delivering,
bo's IN conveying, clerks in entering
c'shier' IN cred,tihQ, aud mail men IN
disp,tcning the papers IN return, he is the
dlsnomrst villain "ho did IT. and destt tyrs
comdIgn punishment. THIS Uundls OF
three ne c'n put together. and, perhaps.
aid two or three more, which 20 TO the
same city, rs distributing Office The
Others go each to drtferen, quarters. Each
must lie entered, its cate, rate, and pos.
tas-, on n "av-brl, each way bill copied
into the acc 'fGr cuFren', rhen Wrapped
around the letter, and both wrapped IN
browtepsper, tied. and directed. II lie
make stos tes rtaui.iriqn f@r piper and
twine. th@ P'srmsster General %TIies Eim
back hat hs must gss lhs old wrappers
gn.l tliev have four directions on them,
AMI save the pieces Of twine that come to
ms office. He grows exceedingly econo
in"aI under the reproof.
Once quarter there comes y b as is
- job. From his accounts Of ~ lis IS.
ce'Sed and ssnI with separate accounts of