Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-11-29
The Story Of q Mail Bag.

Hundreds of inventors each year de-
wise some system which they imagine is
the one thing needed To make the postal
| service perfect. Sometimes it is lock,
sometimes pouch, still again patent
| is presented. The bureau of mail equip
ments in the general Postofflce is the
depository of numberless designs of
| more or less ingenious articles original
ly intended to revolutionize the postal
service. At the head of the division is
Mr.. johnson, who has filled the place
for years. He would make an accom-
plished burglar if he chose to adopt that
profession, as he is well up in the art of
lock-picking, and getting into warrant
| ed-notto-allow-entrance-except-through
the-lock mail bag his equal has not yet
been born. A short time ago san
guine inventor sent sample bag, de-
signed to carry foreign mails to the de-
partment, and requested that it be adopt
ed. This bag was fastened with strap
and seal which the inventor stated must
be broken before the bag could be enter
ed. Johnson sent the bag back next
day. The tie and seal were intact, but
the bag contained piece of straw board
s by 4 inches, on which was written,
"Inserted at Postofllce Department.,
1883. | asked johnson yesterday il he
had received any remarkable or notable
addition to his collection recently. He
said that he had not, bat as advertise
ments for new pouches were soon to be
published he expects to have plenty in
the near future. Then he launched into
the usual story. There is not much ro-
nance in this branch of the SERVICE" he
said, ''but there was one romance in
this branch of mail bag which has new
er been printed properly. 1t was back
in 1928. A sanguine inventor had
mailbag; he submitted it; it was reject
ed. Then he became angry. He went
10 the Senate for an interview with Sem
ator Ruggles, who was Chairman of the
Committee on Postoflices at the time.
He urged Ruggles to use his influence to
obtain the adoption of the bag. But
the Senator said that that was matter
for the Postmaster General to consider.
and he refused to listen to arguments.
The inventor got still more mad. He
went back to his hotel He was stop
ping at the National, and growled
around there a great deal. A friend in
timated to him that he should have offer
ed Ruggles $500. This set the fire.
Mr.. Inventor talked more fully than ev-
er. He swore it was an outrage that a
poor man could not obtain a hearing
unless he ponied up to Senator. He
swore vengeance. The ubiquitous news
paper man was near by. In this case
his name was Matthew l.. Davis; he ask
ed for information and received all the
speaker knew, with "A great deal that he
did not know. He wrote the story up
for his paper, the New York Courier
Enquirer, owned by Watson Webb.
''At the time hot-headed young fell
low from Maine had seat in the House.
His name was Silly, and he was warm
friend of Senator Ruggles. When the
Courier-ERquirer arrived here Silly, of
course, saw the article rejecting upon
his friend and colleague. He immedi-
ately arose from his seat on question
of privilege and poured forth torrent
Of invectives against Watson Webb. He
abused him in the choicest parliament
airy billingsgate of the day, and was not
at all choice in his denunciation. Every
body then believed in the code, and
Webb Immediately sent challenge by
Graves, of Kentucky. Silly refused to
accept, stating that he could not fight
man who was scoundrel, and one
whom he had publicly denounced as
such. Then Graves took up the quarrel
and requested Silly to fight him. The
matter was arranged. They met at
Henry A. Wise, of Vir-
ginia, appeared as Graves second, and
George w. Jones, of Iowa stood by Silly.
Everybody knows the result. Silly fell,
wounded, and Congress passed
that stringent law against dueling in
the District, which is on the statute
books"
There" said Mr.. johnson, ''you |
have for the first time the true history |
Of the celebrated Silly-Graves duel. |
Numerous accounts of Ruggles' connec-
ton with the affair have been published
but this is the only true version. -
Washington Cor. Buffalo Express.
o