The Red Cloud chief., 1884-04-18
British Mail Bags.

iDTltdlu tthen dS Il WHolc, dSdiISt twenty
lone in the United States, which comes
next in the list of nations as a letter
writer. But the English p~ost-o1fice vas
not only not dismayed at the continents
Iof paper and oceans of ink represented
iby the 1,500, 600, 900 of letters de-
ilivered, but undertook. besides, SO
much of other varied business rs
ito merit the title of the Governmental
,,ragbag, where all odds and ends were
unfortunately thrown. 1t not only
sent and still sends your letters, your
papers, your kilograms. and your money.
but will save the latter for you if you
are SO fortunate as to have any; or will
isell YOU an annuity, if you wish to pro-
vide thus against old age, or will invest
your money for you in Government
bonds. When you wish to do any of
these things, the pOst-Oflice is most
pleasant and respectful; it is Your SER
want. But it has, alas another aspect,
grim and surly, where it is your master.
1t is 4 tax collector without rebate in
the past or deduction in the future, and
relentlessly mulcts one in certain sums
for certain things. For instance, the
mild and wholesome home brew'd,"
which was wont in the past to wet the
whistle of the thirsty pedestrian, can no
longer be connected under ones w
vine without first paving a yearly IL
cense OF a dollar or two 20 the p~Ost-ofice;
and the brewer, too, who makes hogs
heads where the cottaser or publican
makes pints, must also contribute.
Mans fOur-footed friend. be- he of
high or low degree, is also ignon;nions-
ly made the subject Of license, anu the
owner of every dog must pay into t,.e
post-Office a yearly Offering of Size.
But, think you, in case of n~0n-paymert
your faithful friend is snatched away
from You by a barbarian with a net or
lasso? No, indeed! Your dog is LETT
and you are the one imprisoned. and in
prison you stay till You pay the license
and such additional fine rs tie Magis-
trate may direct. 1t is needless to say
that English streets are not disfigurcd
by itinerant dog prisons. filed with sui
fering animals. which, of all the four
footed beings, deserve at The hand Of
man the most g~entieness and considera-
tion. / will say this for English law.
that in this arresting the master. who is
responsible, and ignoring the dog, who
Is blameless, il is more just and civilized
than ours.
The post-oflice yearly demands Of YOU I;
$3.50 for each male servant in your ,
employ and $40 for each carriage you
may be so fortunate AS to own. and
should you be SO unhappy as to belong
TO an ''effete aris~tocracy" and have q
a of arms, You may pay $40 more
and paint your crest on the panels Of
your coach. 1t is not necessary, though,
to be lawfully entitled to 3 coat armO
In order to em5laZon it on your
equipage. Pay the tax and no Ques-
tions are asked. And this reminds me
of a story, for the truth of which l can
vouch.
A certain Bristol doctor. having ar
rived at the dignity of a brougham, or
dered such an eqnipage at the shop of o
local manufacturer. When it was near
completion. says the maker: ''Well.
doctor, shall we put your arms on the
carriage?" 80, TO be sure" was the
answer. Then send us Il sketch of
what they are" returned the maker.
land We will put them on" '.Ah! but
their selection L would prefer to
leave entirely to YOU" said H,scn-
lap. The maker. concealing his aston
ishment and amusement, politely re-
quested his customers attention to q
heraldic book in his office. asking him
to select for himself. The doctors eve
was so struck with the different plates
that he demanded that each should be
reproduced on his brougham. The her
aldic painter of the establishment subse-
quantity fatty rafr-nd RI nrnSfIfpfn hra
art by painting two coats of arms on one
carriage, and combined the two escutch-
con- into one, so that the happy doctor
now Tolls in his carriage in blissful
knowledge that the admiring world can
see npon his carriage door the arms OF
the Ducal House of Beaufort chartered
upon those of the ancient Berkeley
family.
Fire arms as well as coats of arm
must pay their tribute TO the po~st-office.
and every shotgun in. the kingdom rep
resents I'VE dollars and fifty cents a year
to the Government. end not only must
She hunter pay for his gun but also for
his game and his gamekeeper, for each
of which he must take out q yearly IL
cenSe.
The post-of1ice did not arrive at It's
present efficiency at g bound. 1t spranS
not full armed" from the brain Of ge-
MUS. but attained its splendid develop
ment through generations of slow prog.
ress. Letters originally were sent by
private messengers. afterward by ''com
mon carriers" who began about the
year 300 to traverse the country with
their pack horses. Sometime before
this. however, travelling ''by post" that
is, with relays OF horses, came into be-
ing, aud sometimes letters were thus
sent, as is proved by the writing.
'.Haste. post, haste" found on the backs
of letters written about the sixteenth
century. post haste" we now use as q
synonym for great rapidity. but it may
well be questioned if we should be salts
fled in this age of steam and electricity
with the speed OF the post when the ex-
preston originated, which WIS about
three miles an hour.-BrStot (Eng.J
Cor. National Republican.
Charles Green. of West Virgins,
supposed he loved Ella Foster, and, ae
the parents objected. he got two friends
{ % steal her out of the house one night.