The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-06-01
Tho Stamp Swindlers,

failed recently by reason of loans made to fur
tncrs.-N. Z. Sun.
------. S.------.-----
Tho Stamp Swindlers.
WAsnISGToN, May 2O.--Ever since the new
mode Of compensating pOstmasters Of the fourth
class by commissions the amount of sales of
stamps, stamped envelops and postal cards was
adopted. il has been a source of endless trouble
to the postoifce department, and has made work
for every special agent who could be spared 10
look after the frauds which the system makes
easy Of preparation. Hundreds of postmasters
havebeen removed, aad, to make tho punishment
greater, their names have been furnished to the
press for publication. and yet 80 strong is the
temptation that oil the efforts of the department
have proved unequal to the suppression of the
illegal traffic, and there seems but one mode to
put stop to it, viz, by n repeal of the law and
return to the old method Of adjusting salaries
on the basis Of the stamps, &C., actually can
cclcd II: tho respective Offices As an illustration
ofthc manner in which the present law operates
the following facts will be sufficient A special
agent, who has been engaged in the Southwest
for some time past sends to the department an
affidavit made by n merchant who is engaged in
regular business in that locality, in which he
states that he has received very large amounts
of postage stamps of the denomination of one,
two, three, six and ten cents from parties whose
names are given, with the sum received from
each There are some eight or ten names given,
with the amounts received and dates, SC. One
-
has paid him 81 ,3s9 in stamps in value ranging
from S3 to 5000 at n pay ment. In every case
where stamps have thus been used the Tarty is
sither postmaster or member of firm in
which there is q postmaster. In some cases .
essS"nt Tas %aSSe bs s. Cent The value Of the
stamps thus received by. this merchant is over
$500, on which the government is unlawfully
made to pay, in increased salaries, q commission
Of from 81 200 to 81 800, which goes into the
pockets of these dishonest postmasters. As
general thing local sympathy and difficulty in
obtaining the necessary evidence make efforts to
ppp4h the offenders. beyond removal, fruitless,
an6etcn when II removal is made there is
guarantee that the new man will not trade more
in stamps than his predecessor. Notwithstand-
ing the hopelcssness of the effort, the depart
mcnt cannot cease its efforts to suppress the
traffic. but from the nature of the case is com
PEELED to constantly pursue the offenders wher-
ever their attention is called TO irregular sales.
SOUTHERN TiMBER.-The Knoxville Tribune
warns the people Of East Tennessee against the
waaton destruction Of timber, which is becom-
ing more valuable, because scarcer, every year.
The best white oak is worth in Liverpool about
seventy one cents a cubic foot, in our currency.
Fancy oak, in billets suitable for wainscot, is
worth much more. Coed black walnut, Of suit
able sizes, is worth eighty-fve cents cubic foot.
In January last, one hundred and forty four
logs from New Orleans sold in Liverpool at an
average Of 81 OF n cubic foot, American currcn-
cy. Fancy walnut, suitable for veneering, sells
for much larger price. Ash is in moderate de-
mand, but tough or finely grained wood is always
saleable Ii is worth on an average about sixty
cents.n cubic foot Fine ash for furniture, vain
scot, or parquetry hoers commands much higher
figures. Birds eye maple, such as is shipped
from New York. sells at an average of So OF n
cubic foot. in American currency. Hickory, if
square, about twelve inches and upwards, il
worth, for good quality, about 90 cents cubic
foot extra tough for handles. spokes. etc, is Of
course worth more. One man writes 81 be-
lieve a satisfactory market for hickory be
had i'll this country. visited spoke aud han
die factory in Pennsylvania, where the the hick-
ory purchased in the Shenandoah Valley, Vir-
ginia, was costing $40 SO cord"
American timber is constantly becoming more
valuable in European markets and vast sections
of th;s country are nearly stripped of all timber.
The time is fast coming when the man who owns
much timber in q State that lies tide water,
and is permeated BY nayigable, ,strsams~ will
wake up to find himself in possession of q crop
natures grandest-:hnt is n fortune. Our ex-
ports Of timber are yearly increasing, and the
rate of increase threatens q timber famine with
in one generation. DO not, therefore, waste the
timber Of Georgia. 1t will turn to money much
quicker than those think who have not studied
the question Of supply and demand.-1Hanta
Constitution.
Cons rOn FrEL.-The time was when corn
was burned in Nebraska as fuel. We heard the
Master Of the State Grange Of that State say in
1873, that he had burned more bushels of corn
rs fuel than he had pounds Of coal or logs Of
wood during the twenty years previous that he
had lived in Nebraska. Corn there was worth
fix dollars per acre standing in the field. with,
perhaps, an averge of sixty bushels to the acre.
4 farmer in Central New York says, the best
bedding for cattle or calves is corn cobs that
they will keep the animal clean, absorb his drop
pings and prove an invaluable fertilizer. Now
do not these things seem strange to the South
crn farmer? many Of whom have. Of late years,
seen as many bales Of cotton as they have bush
als of corn and With sc~,a of whom corn nn+s
arc so scarce that they have become maBtel Or
naments. -~-Ners and Conrirr.
What is Hayes Southern policy is the in
quiry when Stone is appointed District Attor-
Hey. Dunn offered the Revenue Collector 3 place,
Worihington held as Custom officer in Charles
ton and Chamberlain treated as nh equal, and
offered the Solicitorship of the Treasury?
il Hayes and Chamberlain affiliate. the South |
will have reason to suspect the President judg-
meni and will be hard 10 convince of his hon
e'ty.