Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-08-15
; iaAL CARRIERS EXPERIENCES
- Of the Tales They Can reii-Chss
with y Reporter.

Win y HfpaFttfs
What family jars has the letter carrier
witnessed; OF what romantic stories has
he been the bearerl Many little missives
has be carried TO the love sick maiden,
which she has tenderly placed beneath
her pillow at night, to sleep and to dream
On. Then again what bitter memories
hnvesome of his errands evoked! What
aching hearts have longed for absent
loved snes, for some message that would
tell " their existence, and when death
mapped at the door the letter carrier was
tho first TO bear the announcement
These were the thoughts that suggested
themselves to a reporter the other day as
ne contemplated lone of the best" hurry
ing along from door to door of a popu-
lous tenement district. The shrill whistle
sounded at frequent intervals denoted
his coming, and from window and base
ment dozens Of heads protruded and
asked the one all absorbing question,
Anything for met" 1t was amusing 10
see their different expressions Is they re-
ceived the little envelopes. Some were
enraptured and kissed the paper passion
ateiy, while others frowned and glanced
~anxiously at the bearer. Perhaps some
creditor demanded payment for an over
dine bill, or perhaps the scrawl meant
even more.
'You would like to know Just what
kind of life this ISL remarked a carrier.
.'Well, it is mot quite as rosy at it appears.
II is getting better, however, every
-raar a,n1 ,.a,y that ,-a -. nha,,t - 49,
ncipate in the benefits of the eight hour
law work will be more pleasant"
The reporter had followed the carrier
from block to block until every letter had
been delivered. Then, as he had a few
moments to spare, the gray coated Of
fetal sat down to tell Lis story.
'I don't know Of any business where
wesee more of human life thar ours" he
commenced. ''The lights and shadows
vr life are pretty distinctly marked and
W ,e them both. Sometimes we feel
IS much pleasure in delivering a let
IL as the receiver in getting it. Some
times when an ominous black bordered
envelope falls into our hands we are sorry
that We have b. deliver it. Just what
hours we will hive to work after the re-
arrangement ! do not know he said.
"At present our duties are pretty oner-
Gus. In the branch cfices collectors
have to report as early as 1 40 O'Clock in
the morning, or five minutes before the
regular time for starting out. Forty-five
minutes are then consumed in collecting
from the various boxes, after which we
rsturn to the station with the mail. Then
we start to face up.
"You don't know what facing up
means? Well, that is what we call sort
ing our mail and getting it in order for
our route. Facing up takes all the time
up to 6 O'Clock. Then we start out and
deliver the letters. We make a prompt
return to the office. Collections have in
zhs meantime been made and again we
facing up.
.ry trip is but q repetition Of the
ether. We make them hourly, and are
kept constantly on the move until IL
O'Clock. Then we swing. This is what
we call taking a rest. In other words,
there Is no work for us TO do until 4
O'Clock in the afternoon. Then we come
Ill aEdll dllu NbIh uIllu lIG udEhIth5 Vi
evening has fallen over the city.
sTYou want to know what we see on
the routey' and the letter carrier busted
afew grains Of cigar ashes from his bag.
well, it is funny just what we do see;
then again 1t is sad. The saddest Of all
my experience occurred one day when /
delivered a letter TO an old man who
I;vad alone In "a Jilap,Ia.al ba,so y, m
Park row. 1t was a mourning letter,
and as / handed it to him the old mans
fingers trembled. lie tore il open con-
vulsiyely, and as he read the lines he
tot:ered and fell into my arms. The
letter was from his daughter, who lived
her brothers in a fashionable house
L own. II stated that her mother, tile
o.! mans wife. was dead and would be
h. I'd Eat afternoon. Tie girl also
r-tned hp. father not to attend the
iU.2eral or there would be a scene, as his
u, n Sons would not permit him there.
He wcpt as he told me his story.
re had been a quarrel, and he had
i driven from home. He bad never
Eened it up TO that time. That day
NtNANo bibu6ht ht alStih bloS'
arch. / saw the funeral cortege, but
vat attracted me most was the figure
o. the old man outside on the sidewalk.
Z lips quivered with emotion as he saw
,p casket that contained the remains Of
his wife, but he dared not approach. lie
held a daisy in his hand, perhaps in re-
membrance Of other and happier days,
and he was still turning il idly when ]
ucssed along.
Yes, it is a funny kind Of life, half
r"lshine, half clouds. We have our
u troubles to worry us as well as other
IS. We meet all nationalities, and
. all kinds of languages spoken. We
T.. letters with writing such as none
could understand; we have TO examine
and look out for log letters, and are held
responsible for any error. Log letters
are undirected ones. We are supposed
TO know all our route, and see that ID
gets to its proper destination. Well, il
Is time for me TO start, 80 good-by," and
the letter carrier walked briskly away