Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-28
THE SOMERSET PusToFFICE.



The postmistress of Somerset has awak-
ened to sudden fame. Her good looking
face, her house, her kitchen, the kitchen
stove and the pUstOilice desk near IT, have
all been illustrated in II Boston daily pa
per, which, having heard that she was ac-
cused of closing her Office and going visit
ing, deemed the subject of sufficient i'm
portauce to send a reporter to investigate
and write up. He describes Mrs. sutton
as a pronounced brunette, while her hus-
band is an equally marked blonde, and
neither has yet advanced far from the
twenties in age While her husband was
breaking up a ueighbCring held, intend
ing to SOW il down to oats, the wife was
busy with The household duties.
"Ihis office don't amount to much, j"
WAS her almost unnecessary remark when
the subje t Of her official position was al
luded to. "ln The first two months that |
had the Office there was only 81 III stamps
cancelled here, and that was the largest
amount in any quarter since the oiilce was
established. As they only pay me the
amount of stamps cancelled Tor my SER
vices, you can see that it don't pay very
well, and wouldn't keep the Office il it
wasn't for the sake of having the Office
near by and accommodating the neigh
| borS y
There's been something published in
]
an injured air land it ain'ttrue. Brat
tlehoro paper had an article where it said
! that the population of this town is "a and
| that II of them are voters. Now we were
/ counting the voters up only the other
night, and there amt more than IL or ~,
and guess know them all.
"Theu 1t said that | had planted the
postofiice in a box by the kitchen stove,
as if it made any difference whether that
| desk is in this room or any other. Ana IL
said that insist on locking the house and
going visiting just when please. 1t Is no
such thing !" she exclaimed, with an ar
of righteous Indignation. 1.-The mail Is
only brought here Tuesdays and Satur-
days, and am always at home on those
days. There's nobody complained OF my
closing the house but Mr.. Chase, and he
don't patronze the Office, but sends his
letters to Dover, six miles away, to be
mailed, Just to spite me. He haln't mail
ed but one letter here since I've been post
mistress, and then he had one of the
neighbors address the envelope and bring
it here so that shouldn't know that he'd
sent it,"
mir. Chase's conduct would seem rath-
er unreasonable, J." was remarked.
unreasonable Why, it's --" and
she hesitGted for word with sort OF
| hesitation that indicated unutterable
things. THE trouble with Mr.. Chase is
that he wants to have the Office over in his
part of the town, and that 5 TWO miles
from here, but there amt but two iami-
lies over there" and she seemed to be
thinking OF the inconvenience which it
would cause the four or five families III
her section of Somerset to have to go two
miles furt herto get their letters.
Then Mr.. Chase sald | was in the habit
of going away from home, so that the
mail bag ould be left hanging on tree
in front of the house It's no such thing
the mail bag never left hanging on tree
in the world and If it was don't see what
difference it would make to him, for he
never has any letters come here, but al
ways to Dover. Besides, no mail comes OF
goes here from Tuesday to Saturday, and
| don't see why | shouldn't 90 away if
want to Thursdays and Fridays
1t was evident that an income OF less
than SIG a year from the office did not
seem to her sufficient compensation fol
the loss of all visiting privileges,
MIR Lamson, the postotlice inspector
came here last week." she added, land
told him that if the rest OF the people II
town wanted me to stay here every day
would do so, hut | wouldn't do it for MIR
Chase. Mr.. Lamson didn't say anything
to that he only said that if mail arrived
Saturday night that | should keep the
Office open till o'clock, and that's tai
enough"