The Evening critic., 1882-08-16
REFoRMER JAMES, WAY.
Carrying the Mail on An Old White
Mule. M They Did An Hundred

Carrying the Mail on An Ola White
Mule, nv They Did An Hundred
Years Ago.
piSET POINT, ST, MARY's Ssn.S GoUsTT, y Mgs igso
Tothe Editor Of me Ereain0 critic!
want TO tell you, Mr.. Editor, something
about Reformer James method OF running a
postofIlce and giving people In the country
mall facilities. 1t was said OF n General, III tho
carly part OF tho late war, that II ho had his
way ho would discard oil modern inventions
In firearms and 60 back to nintlocks. James,
as postmasterGeneral, seems TO bo an exact
typo OF that General, In his eagerness TO DIS
card all tho modern methods OF mail-carrying
and go back TO the method In vogue more than
n century ago-just to save few pennies. At
least, you would think 80 II you lived In this
county n month or two.
Last Thursday received by mall, James
method, package OF papers, four days from
Washington, distance less than one hundred
miles. The fno steamer George Leary arrived
that night about ~ o'clock, and brought mo
seven hours. This was done through the
kindness OF friend-not Reformcr James
method.
Jewelrs Way.
good many amusing stories used TO be told
OF "Old Unanimous Jewolrs" way OF doing
things when he was Postmaster. General, and
his surprise on finding that tho concern didn't
pay like his leather shop at Hartford. Old
Unanimous was moan enough, too, to Issue an
order forbidding tho clerks OF the Department
TO go out at noon and got a drink. That was
that time OF day Is proyerblal. little moro
than week after that cruel order was Issued
an Adams Express wagon drove to the cast
door OF the Postoflce and dumped whisky,
brandy and wines enough to stock good sized
grocery. These wero placed for safo keeping
In tho hall leading to Colonel IS room,
ana wntchman, we shall call Dicky Finn,
told TO keep an eye on thom until tho Secre.
tary's house was ready to receive them.
Now, Mr.. Finn, like too many Of his coun..
trymen, had a rare taste for such liquids, and
carly tho next morning was found fast asleep
and very drunk beside tho whisky Darrcl' MIR.
Finn, In tho course OF the evening, had Invited
a few chosen friends to Join him, and with the
aid OF n gimlet they had drawn OFF SUFFICIENT
quantity Of the nuid to go round any number
OF times. In making the last draw, however,
they forgot to put In the plug,and when morn.
ing camo the barrel was empty, the whisky,
save what Mr.. Finn and his friends had ab.
sorbed, was on tho floor, and Mr.. Finn was
sleeping in 1t. That was the way old Unani
mons Jewell lost his barrel OF line old rye.
The clerks were not disposed to weep over tho
u very strong smell OF whisky In that part OF
tho department for several days
James " Business Methods
James as reformer was very like jewell In
many ways. He fanciod that n postof1lce was
very like corner grocery, and must be run
on the samo business principles. Whom 1t
don't pay shut up and dismiss the clerks.
Better still, said James, Will reduce those
expensive facilities and have the mail carried
on muleback. That was the way these peoples
forefathers received their mall more than one
DuDureu yPbrS anu tncn IL Will DO SuCu u
saving. 1t never for once entered Mr.. James
thin head that mail facilities, the post
ONCE, in flne, was not only an active and pow
erful educator, buta great disseminntor OF In.
telligence, upon the value OF which no price
can be set.
Now, you striko Leonardtown, the county.
nn Of s sfys craw m ieSS ,sh sSy
And yet, according to Roformer James way, 1t
takes two days to get letter from that point
10 either Washington or Baltimore. Fast mail
Mary'Q
and before the war was one OF the Richest in
Maryland. 1t was rich in agricultural
gence and refinement OF Its people, rich in his
torical lore. The better class OF Its people are
to-day decided readers, and aappreciators Of
James should have deprived them of mail
facilities, except by mnleback from Washing.
ton, is something they cannot understand.
County has a resident population % Of nearly
$4,000 souls. Let US, however, go further
down into st. Mary's County, to Plney Point.
This is a watering place OF some pretenson.
BY water 1t is ninety.four miles from Wash
ington. As the crow files It is only slxty.four.
Regular steamers touch here every day, one
from Washington, going down, and tho other
from Norfolk, coming up. Transient steamers,
too, touch there nearly every day, and yet the
mails, according TO Reformer James method,
are carried on muleback, and reach tho Point
in three days from Washington. These flne
steamers, which could deliver tho Washington
mail in hours, are entirely ignored. James
way. Now, in addition TO Piney Point, there
are a number Of watering places on ST. Georges
Island, near by, much frequented In summer
by Washington and Baltimore people. Indeed,
It is safe TO say that during the season not loss
thln 1000 people summer at these resorts
on the lower Potomac, and yet they arc de-
prived of the most ordinary mail facilities.
Worse than all, the postonlce, instead of being
| at Piney Point, where the keepers OF the ada.
cent resorts congregate every night on the ar
| rival of the steamers, is located in an obscure
| place more than mile away, making 1t very
inconvenlent for the people TO get their mail
matter, and, too, tho authorized postmaster,
| who is supposed TO be at his post and attend
| ing to his business, is In Washington keeping
hotel.
"A Word to Mr.. Howe.
Now, Mr.. Postmastor.G General Howe, you arc
| an honest, clean-handed and capable man.
| You cannot do better than correct this scandal
Gus abuse, and do 1t promptly. Expedite this
thing Just q little.
/ have several times referred to Reformer
| James muleback method of carrying tho
| mails In an old and civilized country. This Is
| not an imaginary picture. was, with com.
| panion, taking stroll In the pine woods, q few
| days ago, when suddenly there appeared In the
| distance a picture which strongly reminded
| me OF Death on tho white horse, MS described
| In Scripture on 1t came, at n swinging gate,
pair OF saddle-bags, hopping strangely.
| inquired.
| "That is old -, tho mailcarrier. He has
| got three.days'old mail from Washing
| ton. That is the way James expedited our
mail facilities down here" could not help
| thinking that II Reformer James, instead OF
| old -, had been mounted on that old whito
| mule the picture would have been complete.