Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-22
A MOUNTAIN PosToFFlce.
The Letters that Reach II and the Postmis-
tress Who Reads Them.

]
| A gentleman who spent summer travel
| ing in the Rocky mountains gives the fol-
lowing account Of little gray-haired old
! lady he found living alone in long cabin
of two rooms far up in the slope of most
desolate mountain. The cabin was a mile
from any other house. and the nearest
town was ten miles distant. On the shelves
back of little pine counter in corner of
the room, were cans of tomatoes, peas, and
corn, a few bars of soap. boxes of matches
and cans of condensed milk.
Il keep a little grocery, and thread, and
needles, and pins, and such things, bein's
I'm pOStmiStreSS, said the old lady In the
cheeriest of voices.
"Postmistress?" quered the traveller
'Oh yes" was the reply.
Where are the letters and the office?"
Here" as she smilingly took cigar box
down from shelf, and opening it showed
the man a dozen or more letters bearing
evidence Of having been handled many
times.
The mail comes two times week. We'd
nesdays and Saturdays. but most of the
boys come round Saturdays"
The Doys?' asked the stranger.
Yes; the prOSpectors and miners scat
tered all round over the hills. There's
good many of 'em. but they don't write
much nor get many letters. Still, the
poStotfice is cCmp'ny for me. 1t brings all
the boys to see me once in while. Are
you going up by the Lone Star mine?'
mo, | think not" said the traveller.
NO? Well, if you was, there's postal
here for Jack Downing. 1t says on ii that
he is To come to Denver right off. and Id
like to send it to him as soon as | can. l
always read the pOslals. The boys don't
care and get real lonesome sometimes
Just then miner came along and asked:
lis Bill Heffier's Weekly come yet from
Denver"
Yes" was the reply. but you tell Bill
I'll send it up tOmorrOr by the stage driver.
| amt done readn' ii myself yet. Bill
won't care; he never reads il until Sunday
nOhOw. If you see Silas Sharpe YOU tell
and the baby's got the whOOpin' cough, but
it amt a-whoopin' vet and his wife don't
think it'll have ii hard"
ANY letters for any of the boys up our
way?"
NO, but there's one here for somebody
named J. By. Ryder. Know any such
MANI"
"No,u
Neither do l. It's in thin envelope,
and l can see by holdn' it up to the light
that it's signed Your own Sarah. so guess
he's married, or about tO be. IL he don't
come round soon, | donO but I'll open it
and get the address and sent it back to his
own Sarah and tell her that he ant here
When the man had gone the old lady said
to the traveller:
Yes, the postoflice is a sight of comp'ny,
speshly when there's lots o. papers and
poStals comm and goin'. Then sometimes
write and read letters for some that can't
write. Now, here's letter for John Brice,
just come in. He ought to have it right
off"
But it has been opened" said the trav-
eler.
20. la, yes opened it myself. wrote
the letter it's in answer to, and I'll have 10
read this to John Brice, anyhow. He can't
read writin'. And l felt real anxious to
know if his letter got to his wife; it had a
$40 bill in 1t. Here comes Bob Haight.
Poor feller / declair. if | was alone I'd
shut up the pOstoftice and hide some place,
for il Just makes my heart ache to tell that
poor creetur that there amt no letter yit for
em. He's been a comm for weeks lookin'
for letter from home. and none comes.
I'm mighty afraid there's trouble there.
Well, well. I'll just have to tell him they
amt no letter, and then chirk him up the
best can. Poor feller ~