Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-09-24
POstOffice CuriOsities.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.l

| From the st. Louis Post-Dispatch.1
The forthcoming report of the Post
master General will show that this great
country has now over $4,000 postoffices
for its 100000 people, or about one
for each 1000 persons. There are some
curious facts connected with the adj
ministration of so large an institution
as this. The employees of the depart
ment number over 100000. OF course
the sum required to run so large an es-
tablishment is something enormous.
The salaries of postmasters alone
amount to nearly $10,00O,000, and the
sum paid for transportation of mails
$25,000,000. The number of postofices
is increasing steadily at the rate of over
1000 a year. The task of the fellow
who fixes the names for all these is a
pretty serious one. Of course the peo-
pie of the section where the offices are
to be located are allowed to fix name
so far as possible but in many cases
they select a name already given to
some Office in the state, and of course
it cannot be used. Then they are per-
mitted to make some other selection,
and so on almost indefinitely. It often
happens, however. that the postoffice
officials are compelled to finally select,
or that in their despair the citizens who
have the selecting of the name by hav
ing frequently some name already in
use in the state, jump at some ride
ulous name altogether unheard of, or
select one suggested by some peculiar
Surroundings. Some of the old names
are as follows: Dism u, Thump, Day
book, Bad Axe, Calico Books, Windfall,
Rara Avis, Seven Stars. Leap Year,
Haphazard, Boy, Odd, Rawhide, Diff
cult, Baby Mine, Bean Blossom,
Yankee, Pay Up, Hard Money, Happy
Home, Wide Awake, Alligator, Needy,
Moon, Paddock, Gnatville, Blowhorn,
Lubbub, Cloudland, Butterfly, lib,
Quidnunc. Rainbow, Scrub, Ty Ty,
Fucker, Bush, Soonover, Bundle Bee,
Zula, Sonchoppy, Zero, Jamboree,
Marrowbone, Slickaway, Negro Foot,
Jump, You Bet, Greenhorn, Tenderfoot,
Sunshine, Muck, Shoofy, Kumtax, Oil
Trough, Nine Times, Blowout, Gun
powder, Patagumpus, Last Chance,
Clear Grit, Greasy Talla-Ho, Mary
Esther, Why Not Sampler, Veto,
Round Bottom, King OF Russia,
Gi, Joy, Hayfork, Picnic, Land of
Promise, Squak, Snaillope, Mouse Tail,
Pocket, Port Wine. Side View, Good
Luck, Bug Hill, Worms, Due West,
Fair Play, Coin, Coal Fire, Sodoin,
Hurt, Sleepy Eye, Drone, Bird Song,
Black Bear, Pinafore, Buttercup,
Unique, Sunfower, Norwood. The
South and West have the much greater
number Of unique names, although
many may be found in New England
and the Middle States. In Texas is an
Office named "J. Bob" the familiar cog
nomen of citizen in the community.
"Bald Hornet" an Office in Tennessee,
is the suggestive nickname of a gentle
man residing in the country. Chicago's
mayor, the Hon. Garter Harrison, is
honored in Kansas with an office called
"Our Carter" 'Best." Cloudy" Gut
lips" "Dull," and ''Toadrine" are othe
Offices bearing names of individuals
Initial letters sometimes form the name
of an Office, like that of ''T. B." in Mary
land. When the first house in the
place was erected these initials were
found on stone near by, and were
probably those of very early settler
and owner. go. Z.," in California is
taken from brand used for marking
cattle, and go. k in South Carolina,
from the humorous suggestions of an
interested gentlemen. The people of
Sugar Grove, in Tennessee, refused to
suggest other names after their own b I'd
been rejected, and the department. es-
tablished the Office under the initials
ga. B. c." There is a "Buss" in Mich
igan to match "Sweet Lips" in Tennes-
see, but there is maiden" in North
Carolina, Bachelor" in Mississippi,
and widows" may be be found in
Alabama. There is "Comfort" in North
Carolina, and also in Texas, and ''Trib-
ulation" in Tennessee. The Tribula-
ton was in selecting name acceptable
to the department., and they ended
their tribulation by making it "Tribula-
tion." CHARITY" is found in North
Carolina and Tennessee, and '.Hope"
exists in fourteen besides that of cad
versity." There are "Wells" in several
states, but only one "Cistern" in
Texas. They have Concert" in Iowa,
and Louisiana contributes "Violin,"
Minnesota a "Cornet," Iowa "Horn, +"
Pennsylvania "Drums," and Ohio and
Virginia "Fifes." There is a Ozark
Corner in Michigan, but "Dawn" APP
pears in Michigan and Ohio, followed
by "Day" in Michigan and New York.