The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-15
A STUDY oF nuaIAN NAruRE.
The Postofiiss stamp WIndow-An later.
view with an Ola Clark.

view With an ola Clerk.
"There ia not another place in the city
where human nature in all ita moods and
phases can be so thoroughly studied as It
can at the stamp and delivery window"
said Capt, Jack Adams, TO an ISTRLLlaRS.
GER man the other evening, as they were
sitting in his office waiting for q late
Eastern mail 10 be distributed,
"Tell me something about the life at
that window" said Interpreter.
ut would be hard to enumeIate all the
queer people we come In contact with
during a day, We yet them from all
corners Of the earth, Of every size, shape,
color and condition and have all kinds
OF experience with them. ! have made
some very warm friends OF the strangers
that came in contract with during the
three years that | was stthe window, and
again, some equally warm enemies. The
only wonder ID, that out OF the large num-
Der OF cratic indivlduRls that had to
deal with l did not make more enemies
and fewer friends, A person who cannot
be pleasant all the time has no business
In the position, for his patience will be
sorely tried time and time again, and
oitentimes, too, by the same people for
days In succession,
"ThRt window Is taken for everything,
The funniest case Of mistaken locality |
ever noticed, was one day when long,
lank Greene county specimen, about halt
seas over, showed an empty pint flask
through 10 me and gVaVely asked to have
it filled with some Of my best. People
come to US to buy railroad tickets, TO ex-
change money, and they bring huge pack.
ages to be expressed. couldn't begin to
recall all tho peculiar breaks that have
come under my personal observation. A
very prevalent idea Ia that the PostOlliCe
is q Government money exchange, and
dilapidatsd bills and mutilatsd coin are
brought here daily to DO redeemed. I've
had bills brought to me that were torn TO
small pieces, and coin that was battered,
pounded and slmost unacceptable, by
people who either wanted stamps for 1t or
new money, Such people are usually for.
eigneIs, who think that this being Gov
eminent building, any business oil what
ever nature, so long az 1t is in, any way
connected with the Government, eau be
transacted here. They are always very
suspicious, and refusal to comply with
their wishes often makes them frantic;
they think that they are being imposed
upon,
"Thsre Ia another ,lass Of people hard
to get along with 1t is composed OF people
who imagine that because the stamp clerk
Ia a Government empOye he is their slave,
they being citizens Of this grand republic
They always want things done according
to their ideas, and no matter il their way
Is 10 direct opposition to our rules and or
dera and Is not done, they will stand
around and threaten 10 have your head
cut of and make themselves appear like
fools, Then there ara those, usually for.
eigners or from the lower walks oil life
who want you TO write their letters or ad.
dress the envelope, aud il your time for.
bids you granting their request, thOy usu'
ally kick and try to raise fuss. One
time an old fellow with the odor OF new
moon hay on him, came and tried to buy
six one cent stamps for q nickel and
thought mo very disobliglng when re-
fused.
"The people who ask us to lick their
stamps and put them on for them come
from every walk in life and they all seem
to regard that, as a part of the stamp
clerks duty. Some will ask 10 have It
done and the others will leave their lot.
tsrs and the cash for the stamps and walk
off without saying word, The most
troublesome time a stamp clerk has Ia dur.
Ing the holidays when the packages are
being sent In great numbers. Very few
properly and when they come to have it
weighed in order to ascertain what post.
age will DO necessary, It is made a part Of
our duty to point out the defective wrap.
ping or directions. In reply, request to
mind our own business Is no. unfreQuent,
To beginner the position at the stamp
window isgalling, but Igrew 30 callousthGt
got 80 that didn't mind what IL was
that come along"