Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-04
rs YEAns, -sERYIOz.
ReBtgnation Of q Veteran Letter
Carrier.


After nearly a quarter Of q century's
faithful service In the post Office depart
ment Milton 8. Barlow on Thursday re.
signed his position as mail carrier in the
First district, the resignation took
effect last Monday. Poor health neces-
STATED this step. Mr.. Barlow has been
of duty since May 26th last, suffering
from complication Of diseases, Of which
dropsy aud consumption are the chier
complaints, and only once during the
past i've weeks has ne been able 10 leave
his bedroom.
He became mail carrier 20 years ago,
wnen DR.. GrimshAw was postmaster, and
when there were only two carriers and
one clerkship-stamp olerk-whioh post
sion, three days after Mr.. Barlow entered
the department, was given to William NJ
Pyle, ex postmaster and now Of the firm
Of Pyle & Liohtenstein.
Twenty-three years ago Wilmington
had only two mail districts, the northern
and the southern. The former embraced
all above Fourth street, from the eastern
TO the western limit Of the city, and In
cluded what was then termed Brandy
wine village, now the Ninth waId, and the
latter constituted all south OF Fourth
street. Mr.. Barlow had the southern dis
triot and Jacob G. Foul6, who, q few
years ago, committed suicide, had the
northern.
Although In those days mail carriers
did not receive salaries from the govern
ment they made much better wages than
do the carriers Of to-day. For every
letter or newspaper delivered they re.
oaiVad fPnm tha narAiau tn rubor, shau
were taken two cents and one cent respeo-
lively. The northern district was the
larger and, consequently, more remunera.
tive. Three cent stamps were In vogue,
and II mail matter was not stamped By
the sender the postage WAS collected
from the receiver. II was 10 unusu4
sight to see letters mailed without Ell
geiopes. They were merely folded and
sealsd.
L. 1885 the city was laid ont into four
mail districts and two more carriers were
put on. Several times since then the city
has been redistrioted, until now there are
III districts, with carrier for each.
The free delivery syatem, whereby the
citiSena stopped and the government
began paying the carriers for delivering
mail, was introduced nineteen or twenty
years ago. At the same time lamp post
mail boxes became popular, and shortly
afterwards Carrier Foulk's position wss
made vacant. There were then three
mails from Philadelphia, which were de.
Hvered as soon % practicable after their
arrival. Now there are nine mails for
and seven from Philadelphia.
1t is mistaken idea 10 think that
mail carrier has soft snap. He is up
and going late and early, is exposed to
all kinds of weather and generally has a
heavy load to carry. Frequently he has
to trudge along with more than l, 900 let.
ters or packages on single trip.
Previous to the erection Of the present
custom house, which was built during
the postmsstership Of DR.. Askew, Post.
master Grimshaw's predecessor, the post
office was on Third street west OF Market,
In the than Glacier Building, now the
Plupkett Building.
Since DR.. Grim5hRw's term there have
been only four postmssters-Capt Joseph
m. Barr (''Ihe fruit of ANDY Johnson's
swing around ths circle'') James LsSis,
Willitm II. Pyle ard W. Y Swiggett.
Mr.. Pyle was postmaster for 10 years,
DR.. Askew for slghb, Mr.. Lewis and Dir.
Gfimshaw six each and Captain Barr two.
Mr.. BArioT's place on the carrier. iorce
Will be filed by John Mason, coloTsi, a
substitute who goes on duty IS g regular
on Monday.