The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-12-13
A "REMINISCENCES.

Letter for Freeman Il. Huddle, Esq.
There are very few people in this
country nowadays who ever saw the
old-fashioned crossroads post-oflice in
all its pristine loneliness and simple
beauty.
remember when was boy. how L
was sent on Saturday afternoons to the
post-ofiice for the weekly mail. The
post-office was known as Omega, per-
haps, because it was the last place on
earth where a man would expect to find
a post-office 1t was kept by a man
whose name was Ralph Baldwin, and
he was noted for the possession of long
err hair than anybody else in Marion
County He kept the Office in his resi-
dence, which consisted of log cabin of
one large room, in which the numerous
family ate. slept, received company and
distributed mail.
A man, whose name was Hammond,
kept general store hard by, and when
we boys of the vicinity were sent there
for the mail we generally had some
small purchases to make, and loitered
about Hammond's store waiting for the
mail-carrier, who rode a sorry-looking
horse from the Naturalization some
nine miles distant, with the ill-fitting
pouch resting across the place where
the horn of the saddle would have been
if it had not been a ''mooley." Every
few minutes one of the anxious walters
would wade the mud to the middle of
| the road to look for him, and when his
| bent form was seen on the brow of
| distant hill, his coming was announced
with as much gusto as is now exhibit
ed in the cities on viewing the APP
proach of special train bearing the
| President
| When he came, there was a wild Hut
ter of expectancy, and when he nom
chalantly pitched the pouch into Ralph
Baldwin's door, knocking off his spec
tacles and bedaubing him with mud,
we made mad rush for the post-office.
There were only four chairs in the room,
and Hammond occupied one OF these,
Alexander Miliken, a candidate fer the
Legislature on the Temperance ticket,
occupied another, Ralph Baldwin the
third, and the oldest man present the
remaining one, while as many as could
do so sat on the edge of the bed, and
the trundle-bed was pulled out to ac-
commodate more of us. The post
masters family was all huddled together
around the cook-stove, and all the boys
made it part of their business to cast
sleeps eyes at Mag Ralph's eldest
daughter, who was the belle of that
election precinct. Iconfess that often
laid deep plots against the Government,
in which / saw bright future for my
self The plan of salvation to which L
subscribed ran as follows | will marry
Mag. Pap-I always regarded him as
my prospective father-in-law at such
moments would die some time, and
then / would succeed him as postmaster
at Omega. But enough of National
affairs and deep and dark designs upon
its high places.
The postmaster emptied the contents
of the bag into his hat and having tished
out lean bundle of letters, united the
string and began the delivery by calling
the names of those to whom they were
addressed. The call proceeded as fol-
lows:
Hammond, (here); Milliken, (here);
Smith-Long John Smith, Jack Jones,
Cucumber John Smith, Hammond, Mill
ken, Little John Smith, Hammond, Mill
ken, Hammond, Hammond, Cross-Eyed
Jack Jones, Milliken, Joe Splitter, Milf
ken, Hammond, Freeman f.. Huddle,
ESQ. That's all, gentlemen"
Jewhillikens! Freeman E. Huddle,
and he an esquire! How my heart
jumped up and climbed right into my
mouth, where 1t fluttered around and
cut up such capers l could not answer
to my name. Even the smothered
groan that came from old Grandma
Baldwin, upon whose stomach those
that sat on the bedside were reposing,
had no charms for me. l tore open
that envelope only to find that it had
never been sealed, and that it contained
a circular which read, as nearly as !
can remember, as follows:
"EsTEEMED SIR: You have been recon-
mended to us as n gentleman of strict in
tegrity and unusual business acumen, and
we desire to call your attention to scheme
by which you can earn at least S333.3315 per
week at home. This offer is only good for
ten days from the date you receive this let
ter, and If you desire to avail yourself of it,
| please forward two dollars ($2 OO) for particu-
! lars by return mail. Very truly yours,
! HALSTED SPRAGUE,
IL, IL, ID and IA Vessy street, New York.
got on the old sorrel mare | had
\ ridden to the crossroads and made a
t bee line for home as fast as her
I spawned legs could carry me. | never
t found out why father took me out be-
3 hind the barn and licked me with q
| pump-handle when l triumphantly
presented my letter from New Yorh
S and demanded two dollars, until after
: l had attained my majority. Through
> | I,sJ