Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-05-24

she went to school a sun bonnet was
sewed on her head every morning by her
mother, and long gloves covered her hands
and arms. When she got older she was
able to take care of her own complexion.
and the result was she had one of the
fairest and purest faces of American wo-
men" 81
The archives of the postoffice depart
ment are worth investigating. You may
see old letters Of Ben Frankln's, and some
of his account books are kept in glass
case to show the visitors The first gen.
eral postottice in the United States was
that established by parliament for the
colonies in ITO, and it was in 1885 that
Dr. Ben jamin Franklin was made deputy
postmaster general In 1854 the mails
were carried from New England to Phila-
delphia every week. and few years later
line of stage wagons was inaugurated
between Boston and that city to carry the
mails and passengers The Continental
postoffice department was inaugurated
with Benjamin Franklin as postmaster
general at the beginning of our govern
ment, and Franklin was to receive salary
of $4,000 year. The postmaster general
now gets $4,000 year; but the first post
master general after the revolutionary
war was over and the new government
was organized was appointed in 1899, and
his salary was only $500. He was q
Massachusetts man. and his name was
Stephen Osgood. In 1890 there were
seventy five postoffices in the United
States, and the general postoffice was
taken from Philadelphia to New York
city. When congress was carried to Phil
adelphia it was taken there, and when the
government was removed to Washington
its headquarters were established here.
The postmaster general was for years
considered very unimportant man in the
cabinet. He was looked upon more as a
clerk than es cabinet officer. and l do
not think he ranked as cabinet officer
proper until the days of Amos Kendall
and the presidency Of Jackson Kendall
was one of Jacksons kitchen cabinet.
He was man Of brains. an editor and q
sbrewd wire puller. He is charged with
having written some of Jackson's state
papers, and the truth seems to be that
Jackson used him as high class private
secretary. He would. it is said, tell Ken
dali his ideas and have him write them
out for him. Kendall would have to write
again and again sentence until it ex-
pressed tne exact SnaQe or OlQ HlcK0ry 8
mind. The result was that he was one of
the most influential men at Washington,
and be- had his voice in the cabinet meet
ings- IT,
number of postmasters general Of
the past are still living, and Judge Joseph
Holt and Horatio King, both of whom were
postmasters general under Buchanan. re-
side at Washington. John A. J. Creswell,
who was postmaster general under Grant,
is well to do. and lives at Washington.
Marshall Jewell died only few years ago,
and Judge Tyner. another of Grants post
masters general, is practicing law here.
Judge Walter Q. Gresham is on the bench
in Indiana, and Is candidate for the
presidency. Frank Hatton has been an
editor in New York and Chicago since he
left the postofice and ex Postmaster Gen.
eral Villas is now secretary of the inte-
riOr
The position is now the most important
one of the cabinet. and it controls a greater
amount of patronage than any other. It's
$4,000 postmasters are supplemented by
an immense number of clerks, who serve
both at Washington. on the railroads and
as examiners and inspectors al over the
country, and it's chief is to the people at
large almost as important man as the
president himself
FRANK G. CARPENTER.