The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-20
Experiences of a Southern
POStmistresS.
HER ALLEGED DELLEQUENCIFS
is Used in Decapitating
POstmasterG.

followed ne, the link that binds me yet
to Salt Lake. l located among the
sagebrush 100 acres of United States
land; a desire to peruse your journal
as of yore made me cast about for a
postoffice; 1 obtained few names, sent
them on with the name of a postmas-
ter, and of the place; named 1t
Cd or G --e; the Postot6ce Depart
ment, preferring short names, said
LET it be called &C." 1t is so to-day.
As a special Office, my son travelled
about two years, ten miles three times
q week to bring the mail; proceeds, 15c,
trip.
The entrance of railway into the
valley changed the mail route from the
east to the west side; thus the stage
passed through our place; in all
weathers we waited at the Cross roads
the coming of the stage.
Subsequent mail lettings placed our
village on the grand routes. 200 miles
in length Meanwhile the office had
grown from 1879 $32 a year, up to 1887
as $3.50 a year. The change OF terminus
made us daily postotfice. This
caused us TO provide separate room,
fuel. clerks, three in number, myself
thrown in, The mail of 200 miles
gathering was all handled at this office,
sometimes forty registered letters day
going one way and paoderous mail
from the other way, thus heavy mail
twice a day. All this had to be sorted,
billed, etc., in fifteen minutes. We EN-
ployed the services of Mr.. Tevely, OF
Washington, to present our claim for
extra compensation. The department
replied, very meritorious case" but
no funds for a fourth class postoth e.
Yet we handled ten sacks of mail day.
Two wears this continued uDdiminished.
There was political dodge by the Dem
ocrats to remove Republican ap-
pointed postmasters and to make room
for The evangelizing mesdames of the
various churches to be postmasters. 1t
was concocted in the busy brains OF
some postoffice officials in Utah to In
augurate special count as to conce Ia
tons of the several postofhces IN Utah'
for, say thirty days. He said: line de-
partment froze onto 1t. Each postmaster
was sworn to secresy; to be a spy or
|
the end of the allotted day a comparison
was had, and woe bet1de him who was
in the smallest excess, as his neIghbor-
ing postmaster had counted against
him. In my case l was environeo
around by postmasters who had once
been Mormons; they, with a devou'
adherence to the State and church who
had got them the Office, and crampec
bigot to look after this couI
had determined me for the slaughter
Gentlemen, at great cost to the depart
ment. would call on Monday aud pro-
pound some unheard-of question pro
posed by the department; you ar
unable to answer; cause for removal.
You sweat big drops of fear, Wednes
day another gentleman calls. "Th
department wants to know this, tha
or the other" You are asked IN thu
6fteen minutes and while you are sort
ing the ponderous mail and you ar
unable TO answer. Another cause O.
"suspicion." Removal.
Saturday another one comes. "HoV
is it that YOU cancel more stamps thai
YOU SELF" This feather broke tn
cameps back. / had no postothc
account book then, but l learned the!
the need of one. bought one for 50 Of
I asked Mr.. e to help me to see tn
point, for 1 was a woman postmaste
and unused to the intricacies and ne'
ideas begotten at the Geneas
Postofice Department, Washington
He urbaneIy explained thus, Il Sc
the situation; you say you nave NV
legitimate sources of obtaining leglt1n
ate cancellations, beside your loca
mail ~ Yes" 'All right" Now.
Z, saws he. II presume your case is ik
# the case of persons who are going to
watering place they buy their STAMP
is at the city they leave, they are cancelle
e at the said watering place; thus ths
postmaster like you had cancelled mol
than he Sold" breathed.
er But, alas! the inspection was nj
done; he asked to examine my stamp
!. Etc. en- hand and cash due Il
d 7 produced my stamps, etc., con
h nared received" cancelled" &C
N hand )" showing due the United Stat
, 65 cents. fetched from my house N
y; , money box. 800 you keep the Depar
- ment money mixed with yours ?"" Y es
N "That must not be. "
must procure a box like tn
b. for United States funds; cost $l.50
ID From 1876 to this time bonds have BET
III twice renewed, three Suoltor seCti'
IN ments made with the office. the Unit
ma States in debt to the postmaster, al
On each time United States checks sent
postmaster and duly paid.
At last the victim, the Mormon pos
master, is slaughtered completely.
The confirmed report to the Pos
We master-General Is "that it is a sm'
en- village and could not by any means
ees proach $40 per quarter" Yet. 1t to-
lle the postmaster and three asslstar
lis twice a day six times a week to do
a work.
If By an act of Congress, approved Ju
alb II. 1878, the Postmaster General, arm
with these reports, sits at Washlngt
ca and saws As cents day is too much
20 the above; we cannot allow you, n
Postmaster, more than % cents; rem
18th MS the difference. 1 mean six days
such labor as devolves on
a. daily postof6ce, with all
-ee extras, producing revenue
$40 per quarter, was CONSIDER
les too much and a demand is now ma
Did for me to remit or rather pay the pr
sented draft amounting to SOB 7e, tt
tan IN