The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-09-06
TIE POST OFFICE CLERK.
His Characteristic. and Eccea,riqi,ie-.

The postofiiee delivery clerk is an official
paid by the government of the United States
to make the travelling public, and those who
have not got lock boxes paid for quarterly,
In advance, feel that there are worse things
than not getting the letters they expected.
The worse things are the delivery clerk aud
the manner in which he treats the anxious
inquirer. There is no impetuous haste
about the movements of the delivery clerk,
but, instead, there is calm repose of man.
ner and leisurely disregard of time as he
turns to his pigeon holes to look for a letter
for you, and, becoming interested in the
reading of a postal card, forgets all about
your presence.
We heard man say, the other day, that
the average delivery clerk is of retiring dis
position-he win retire behind desk for
half an hour to finish reading the catastrophe
of Seaside Library" novel, while the I'M
lettered public howl like foghorns outside
and pound on the sides of the windows with
their sticks and umbrellas.
The postofice delivery clerk is really
very mild and inoffensive creature--when he
Is dead or discharged. In his official capac-
ity, however, he is not excessively commune
cative or oppressively polite. He never
comes out of his window to chat with
friend, or to point out TO stranger the way
to the court house. There are several char
aeteristics aud eecentricites of the delivery
clerk that may be worth mentioning. He
will look at the inquiring one in preoceu-
pied sort of way, and when the latter states
that his name is j. F. Wilson, and asks if
there are any letters for him, the clerk will
go through reverie over about forty letters
that he will fish out of the w box. After
he has examined them all and has had ten
minutes of joint discussion with the first
assistant mailing clerk, with regard to
whether the second throw Smith made last
night was two skies and three, or two
threes and six, he will then look over
few more letters until he comes to one that
looks as il it might fit the man outside, and
coming to the window says, "You are sure
your name isn't j. P. Williams, are you ?" as
name and unconsciously picked up some
other mans name by mistake, as one might
exchange hat or umbrella. When the
man assures him that his name, as well as
he can remember, is.Wilson, the clerk looks
Disguised and disappointed because he is
again baked in disposing of some of his
stale literature.
The most exasperating specimen of de-
livery clerk is the one who has the reputa.
ton of having remarkable memory He
remembers, or pretends to remember. the
names Of all the letters In all the pigeon
holes, from A. to z. and we never saw a
man yet who wouldn't doubt the accuracy Of
his statement when without looking through
his stock of letters, he says Nav, moth
| ing for that name"
That the delivery clerk should have
sloemy and cheerless disposition ia not to
! be wondered at He has much to annoy
and prejudice him against the people, who
seom 10 have n deplorahle and Unsuitable
yeuinins Ietrer or even u one-eenr clr-
cular He is worried by all sorts of unreal
souable people There is drummer who
wants any letters that may come for him
during the next ten days, forwarded to him
at Chicago; the man who wants to know if
letter mailed now will so east on the 400;
the boy who mailed letter without stamp
and wants it back six men who forgot their
box keys aud want their mail handed 10
them the woman who knows there must
be letter for her and asks the clerk to
"look again !" the countryman who gets
angry, and wants the clerk to 'tcome out