Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-09
WACO.
postmaster Gerald In Quandary MS 70
tbe Best Method to Pursue In
Running His ONCE.
negro Woman Attributes Tho Death Of
her Husband to the Gods OF Bar.
barism-Uniust Criticisms.
Special to the eAne,ta.

Special to the Gazette.
WACO, TEX, Sept. s.-Postmaster
Gerald is exercised, and with good reason
at the prospect Of having to lose his pres.
ent efficient corps OF clerks. The tronhle
grows out Of an act Of congress, passed
July 30, cutting of about 25 per cent. Of
the revenue Of all offices Of the Waco
class. This sum came out Of the com.
missions allowed on money orders and
postal notes. 1t amounted to $1,000 a
year, and had been applied to the paw
ment OF the money order clerk, Congress-
orders this money to be turned into the
general postal fund at Washington. The
loss OF this revenue cuts down
the sum allowed for clerks
III the Waco postofllce 20
$4,000 per annum. Five clerks arc
required, besides the money order clerk.
who is also the assistant postmaster, and
OF course gets the highest salary of apy
employe In the Office. None of them, bv
the way, get big salaries. Only two alter.
natives are left Judge Gerald, and they
are to reduce the salaries OF all the EN-.
ployes 20 per cent. or keep them at their
present salaries and pay the $1,000 out of
his own salary. II he adopts the latter
course his own salary will be cut down
so low that it will not pay him to
retain the postmastership, for to
run the Office he has already
drawn on his own salary. The clerks
say, and justly, they cannot stand the re-
duction and some Of them have given no.
tice that II the cut goes into effect they
Will seek other places after the 30th OF
September. They understand the situa-
ton and do not blame the postmaster.
The work of the Office cannot be done
with less than the present force and II
these give way for cheaper men the eff
cheney of the latter will be very doubtful.
Altogether Postmaster Gerald finds it a
very annoying predicament and one that
he can hardly remedy. In self-de.
tense, he is obliged TO have
first-class men in the money order and
stamp departments, and must pay first
class men good salaries. Then the sum
that is left for clerk hire will not suffice
for competent and reliable clerks. He
regrets this state OF affairs very much,
as he had just about succeeded in getting
everything in good working order. The
COTpS tNeIy
respect as efficient and popular as can be
had None Of them propose to leave the
postmaster in the lurch, and all will stay
through September. Judge Gerald has
written to the department at Washington,
stating the needs of the Office very plain
ly, but has small hopes that he will be
able TO get any relief, this year, at least.
Some excitement was caused among
the colored population yesterday growing
out of the death of an old negro, Abe
Fisher, grave digger. A colored doctor
was called in to see Fisher and the patient
died. The doctor thought he detected
signs of poisoning and so stated in the
burial certificate, which is required by the
city. The county attorney investigated
the matter to-day, but did not get enough
testimony to warrant the exhumation OF
Fishers body. The wife Of the deceased
says he was 'svoodooed'' to death, thus
showing that this peculiar relic of African
superstition yet has hold on the negro
mind.
One of the Knights of Labor speakers at
the labor picnic yesterday commented
rather severely on the non-appearance Of
Gen. Ross to make speech,
intimating that Ross did not
consider laboring- men's gathering a
suitable crowd to address. John j. See,
very intelligent boss brick-workman of
this city, got up and defended Ross. The
truth is that Gen. Ross was at home sick
and unable to be out.