Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-12-15
FRENCH ~PosT-oFFlcEs.
"here Buying a stamp Tries the Most
Patient Mans TemDar.

n ""ere bnying a stamp Tries the Mos
Patient mans Temper.
Inc post-otfice clerks in Paris hay,
actually threatened to strike. Tbeil
agitation has subsidized, but their
threat remains on record, and it is one
That contains much matter for relec.
tlon' The times must be rather queer
"hen State servants freely talk of
| turning out as though they were
mason or carpenters, the value of
whose work rises and falls with the
fluctuations of demand and supply. |
Kho" oil no place so calculated to ruin
a sweet temper as a French post-ofice.
IL you have not TO faire la oueue in
order to get a stamp you will have 10
wait before a hole like that of a fowls
house while the clerk on the other side
Is ieisurely, and with an expression of
lndl1erence that is enough to exas-
perate a wandering angel, adding up
columns of figures Or making entries
IN a book. You may be in deadly fear
OF losing the post with some important
letter, but this is of no ~onseouenc IN
him. Behind his wooden partition he
feels as secure in his incivility as any
orlgand-noble Of the thirteenth century
behind the ten-foot wall of his DIM
geon tower. Knowing the futility of
trying to hurry him, you at length
rush on to the nearest tobacco shop
ana ouy a stamp there. This is lust !
Wha he wanted you to do. lie would {
IKE you to buy al your stamps at the !
bureau de tebac, so that his work NAV +
De lesSened, Il you wish to send away q
money order your tenper is still .
sorely tried, for when atYgbagth .,
our turn comes to look through the -,
W S mole you must watch the clerk .,
liling up as many blank spaces as if :,
lie were drawing up a policy of insur- v
C This is not his fault. All the ="
necessary ~scribbling is the result of
ne natural genius for organization, in Il
aspect OF which every Frenchman is Il
} justly proud. Strangers to these Il
avs often express in energetic Il
shguage their surprise at the inee- d;
llty thus shown ir wasting time. If, el
oWever, the work of the post-oficc di
ere slmpllied, a reduction of the OF
al would be unavoidable. To re- &c
IN 10 The post-ofice clerk. Although g,
$ ungracious manners have placed m,
m outside the pale Of public SYM m,
my II must be admitted that his path da
NE Is not streWn with roses. After III
'elVlng his nomination he has often H.,
three or four years before he A.,
ans employment. He commences aa
career with @ salary of eight hun
~ francs a year-about half as
as he could earn if he were will or'
TO carry out meat for a butcher o"'
'n he mas to deposit eight hundred Wei
mes as caution money, - for which, co.
'eVer' he is allowed three per cent. clu
Five per cent. of his salary the
ctalned and goes toward his relir- and
pension. He has little more than gag
y francs a month clear, of which il The
ute impossible TO live in Paris and tail
for clothes and lodging. As age
salary Is increased very slowly, he sho1
long time partly dependent upon Jud
or friends. The smallness of
remuneration is not the only
vance OF the post-ofice clerk. he. =
another, and this is certainly a
reason for ~agitating. His advance Ia
depends much less upon his in enou
ry and ability than upon the inau- If tt
winch he is able to bring to bear wasl
Deputies and Senators. The the |
Is given to move up a certain 10
and he is moved up, Those who a thi
no influential friends remain In over
ame place for years, while their hour:
IS are being systematically set and t
them'-BoStoR Transcript. Cot