The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-09
THE POSTOFFICE.
A DEMOCRAT REPORTER TURNS TT IN
SIDE OUT FOR THE INFoRmA.
TION OF THE PUBLIC.
And shows the Manner In which the
Malls Are Handled


especially those who send and receive letters
or papers through the mails, was not oonver-
SAINT with the postoffice system or manner of
handling the mail matter sent or received.
and desiring to acquaint tho general public
with all the details of the workings OF post
Office of the first class, member OF the DEM
ooRArs staff on Saturday called at the Post
Office to secure the necessary information.
Proceeding to the rear Of the money order
office. our representative noticed, seated on .
stool In front OF the Postmaster's private
office, an elderly oolored individual, whose
hair was tinged with gray, and whose long
experience In Office las doorkeeper) had proba-
bly, taught him that he was one of
THE IMPORTANT PERsoNAeEs
upon whose shoulders the fate Of the nation
rested
Addressing him, our representative in
quired Ii the Postmaster was In and II he was
at leisure, at the same time presenting, for
the Postmaster. the interviewers card
"Wait till l see." was the reply, and the
doorkeeper disappeared through the double
doors that lead from the money order Office to
the Postmaster's private sanctum.
Now, IL there Is anything that the Post
master dislikes, IT is to be interviewed. Be-
ing connected, as he is, intimately with one,
at least, of the leading politicians OF the East
whom some of the Washington correspondents
style the Statesman OF Essex, he thinks, Of
course, that every newspaper representative
who calls upon him desires inside lnforma-
tion as to the political layout and the pros
pective chances for . new slate In Federal
officers here, and fearing that the informa-
ton bumpers might get in q leading question
or two that would bring out an unguarded
answer that might reveal something. the
Postmaster is more than reticent when one OF
the aforesaid press-gang is sgnaled by his
lookout at the door.
Knowing this fact from unfrutful visits
after news, the representative OF the DEMO
CRAT thought 1t better to announce to the
P. M. the moment he got In, II he got in at all,
that he had not come to put leading political
questions. but simply to inquire as to the
postoffiee, and thus at once set at rest the
mind OF the postofice chief.
After moments delay, the outside guard
ian Of the Postmasters sanctum door reap
peared and announced that we would be
admitted. Stepping In through the half open
doorway, the Postmaster was noticed seated
on one side OF his desk In comfortable
looking chair, tipped back at an angle Of about
thirty degrees, with one foot resting ON the
top Of his desk and the other resting on the
| floor. On the opposite side Of the desk sat q
young man who might have been his private
secretary, and at the end OF the desk SAL
huge six-footer, a real strawberry blonde, who
| had the appearance Of having for some time
been engaged
In A HARVEST FIELD,
where he had, from the appearance OF his
| face, fought many a hard battle with humble
| bees, hornets, yellow jackets and the like. and
| he might even have been taken for q "cultlya-
| tor" Of the domestic honey bee, whose pet
work was gathering the honey from the hives
| TO be sold at dollar pound, with the sting
marks on his face thrown In.
,,a Taking in the 1e surroundings at glance, and
would preclude the possibility OF an attempt
to intimidate the P. M our representative
stepped forward and addressing Mr.. Parker,
stated the object OF the visit, prefaeing the
statement, however, with the remark that the
'scalP' had no political significance whatever.
! Our man OF notes then inquired Of the Post
master If he was fully conversant with the de-
tails OF the workings Of his office.
PoStmaster-Yes, OF course ann.
Reporter-Then you can tell me all about II
in your own way, and that will save me the
| trouble OF r,lmmaging about through tho
office for the information want.
| p. M.-Well, hold on though: l.
Rep. tinterrupting)-Abo how many hun
dred tons Of mail matter do you receive In q
year,
P. Must wait miaute. Now give me a
Rep~Did understand you to say that you
| employed seventy clerks and carriers?
?. M.-Not much. You didn't understand
| anything Of the sort. / see you want some
| thing Of detailed nature and I will lust
Postmaster.
Rep.-Why, / thought you were conversant
with the details Of the office. won't trouble
you with questions moment longer than
| four hours and half.
P. M.-Well, maybe /. am; but then we
| have assistants, you know.
Rep.--N course and it's their duty to do
the work. see 1t now.
| P. M.-Glad Of it.
The auburn hued six-footer at this time
peeped over the top OF the DEMOCRAT he held
in his hands reading, and his glance was suf-
| ficient to indicate TO our modest inquisitor
seeking influence, of one OF those Western
special agents hunting up the Marie matter.
and knowing that our time, just then, was
| precious, we inquired of the Postmaster as to
the whereabouts Of the Assistant Postmaster
from whom all the desired light WAS to be OBJ
| tanned.
You'll find him outside somewhere" re-
piled the genial and ddy-complezioned
"That's definite" soliloauized our inauisitor.
but the big man with the DEMOCRAT In his
hand, with his two big red eyes peering ask
ance at our small frame, settled the matter as
far as pushing inquiries further was con-
eerned, and bidding the P. III. good evening
our public benefactor, taking good care to re-
tire from the room backwards, that he might
by sudden inclination Of the head or quick
change Of position Of the body avoid It's con-
which the now spunky P M. might see fit to
heave at him, or to dodge charge from six
| or seven
GATLIN ATTACHMENT TRANTERs
which we were satisfied were concealed in the
4 tops OF the pair OF No. 16 portable tanyards
that adorned the pedal extremities Of the
aforesaid six-footer
Making his exit, then the searcher for facts
and figures trpped along the marble floor OF
the corridor to the box rent" window, inside
OF which sat a handsome looking young man.
adorned with a huge blue necktie, darne
whose shoulders sat a Byronic head almost
covered with huge growth OF curly hair
J slightly inclined to the blonde, and who