The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-01-28

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Whispered down to every ear
..-...,. Hear it!
How q POstomce Clerk Re-
came g Que ems Messenger.
While living in London chanc ed
to be on terms Of intimacy with 4
gentleman who had once been a
Queens messenger, an ofic E,
the nature and duties Of which are
not very generally known even in
England, and in America perhaps not
at all. Before commencing the story
told me by this gentleman, and which
was simply an answer to my inquiry
of how be came by his appointment .
word about the office in question
may not be uninterestibg to the read
err.
A queens messenger is an inli-
vidual whose duty it is to report him.
self at the foreign Office every MORN
ing by 10 o'clock. and there to re-
ceive any orders the foreign secrets
ry may have for him. These orders
are Of peculiar nature, and may re-
fquirc the messenger to start off at
any momcnt-even half an hour after
receiving them---to tho most distant
corner Of the earth. They are in
fact dispatches, of which he is to be
the bearer, and the individuals to
whom they are carried are the Brit
ish ambassadors resident at foreign
courts, or other Of England's repro
sentatives abroad. Usually the trip
does not extend beyond the limits Of
European countries; but queen s
messenger may also hare to make q
journey to India, China, South Amer
lea, CT the United States.
The queens messenger is inyaria-
bly, a gentleman--according to the
English acceptation Of the word
usually captain in the army, retired
from military duty. His pay is that
of captain in the regular service
about 925O per annum; but there are
profits arising from allowances for
travelling and other expenses, that
make the affair worth nearly double
the amount. Being post Of emol-
ument and honor. as also one whose
duties are Of varied and interesting
kind, it is naturally much coveted,
and exceedingly difficult to obtain
all the more from the limited mum her
of individuals employed in this SER
vice. There are in all about dozen
queens messengers attached to the
foreign Office. Some are, sef course,
always absent upon their errands;
while others who chance to bs at
home, waiting orders, take their reg
ular turn according to "roster."
With this explanation / proceed to
give the tale told me by the ex-
queens messenger, and, as near as
can remember it, in his own words:
began life as clerk in the post
office department.. After serving my
noyitiate in the general post Office,
London, and having passed very
satisfactory examinatio was ap-
pointed to the post office railway van,
on the line between London and Do
yer. @
You are, of course, aware that there
is q large van attached to each cf the
principal mail traius leaving London,
fitted up with compartments, tables
and pigeon. holes--in short q complete
post office. Each has it's
clerk and assistant, who assert the
letters as the train proceeds. They
are then put into mail bags; each
besring the name of . particular Of
fee district through which the, rail-
way passes,
On approaching town or station
where the train is not intcnded to
stop. tho bag belonging to that place
is hung out BY the side Of the van,
and gets strnck by derrick-set up
by the side of the railroad-which
jerksit of and deposits il at the sta
ton. In the same way tho letter.
bag 70 be carried on from the place
is hung on the derrick snd caught in
. net 6xcd along she side Of tho van
thus avoiding the necessity Of .
stoppags. y, V
The superintendenco of RAILWAY
post Office van is considered an inn
portant post. and = clerk appointed
to it is pretty sure of further promo
ton. My friends congratulated me
on the sppcintmept, and / consider-
ed my fortune as GOOD Is mado. !
How little did | think that / should
be employed only a very short time
in this capacity, and that my rise in
life was to be not only in ) very diff.
ferent direction, but much more rapid
than it could have been had Iremain-
ed poor post Office clerk.
It was in the early part Of the
year 1854, just six months after I had
commenced my duties on tho railway,
that the change in my fortune came
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