davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
Bargaining for Bondsmeu.


Second Assistant Postmaster General Whit.
field was discussing with General Hazen, the
Third Assistant, matters in connection with the
service few days ago, when the question of
postmasters' bonds was brought up. "When I
was postmaster at Cincinnati" said Mr.. Whit
field, II had to give a bond in the sum of $780,
900, and my sureties had to qualify in double
that sum; that is. a man who was on my bond
for $4,000 had to swear to $4,000 worth of
property. The size of the bond was ridiculous
There was an Assistant United States Treasur-
or in the same building, and the law required
me to deposit with him at least once a day, to
forward the certificates of deposit to Washing
ton and to keep no more than $500 in the
drawer. Only on the last day Of the month was
there any considerable sum of money in nv
hands. The postmaster holds out on the last
day of the month enough money to pay his
clerks and carriers, and, IL his office is the
headquarters OF railway mail division. the
railway mail clerks as well. I suppose the
largest sum of money / ever had on hand was
$4,000 or $4,000. To have defrauded the Gov
erment in any other way than by taking this
money would have required a complicated sys-
TEN of falsif1cation OF accounts In which at
least four persons would have been implicated.
Asyou see, it was ridiculous to require $780,
"a great many evils must necessarily result
in some cases from a system which requires
such an enormous bond to be given. Merchants
ana properly 0Oluerb are aVerSe TO going
bonds and the postmaster does not ike to ask
them. Both the man who gives the bond and
the man who signs it are placed in an embar-
RAISING position. have not doubt that post
masters are frequently obliged to bargain for
bondsmen, and this is sure to be detrimental
to the service. During my term of Office had
but one experience with a bondsman. who
wished to sell his signature to me. This man
approached me on the street one day and asked
that certain appointment be made. replied
that it was impossible. He shook his head in a
significant way and said that he must provide
for the man in some way. L suppose said i,
that that means that 1 am to find another
bondsman?
"Iguess it does he replied.
livery WE'LL / said, ! will have another
bondsman tomorrow
The next morning when / arrived at my
Office found my bondsman waiting for me-
He said he had been thinking about the matter
and he had come to the conclusion that was
right. He remained on my bond until left
the Cincinnati postofice." O'BRIRN-BAIN.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
A Distinction With Difference.

Harper's Bazar.1
.The difference between doctor of Jaws
and an ordinary DOCTOR" said Witticus,
appears to be that man who doctors or
dinarily tries the pulse of his patient, but
he who would doctor the laws must get his
fingers on the pulse of the whole people if
he wishes to succeed"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
W0ol Market.

ST. LoUIs-Tho marke: is weak and declin-
ing. Bright medium. l9@25c; coarse braid. i16
29ci lowmsa"dy, ll@lSc; fine light l6623c: iine
heavy, IGlec; tub washed. choice. 35c; inferior,
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12

$40 0O@l4 90, according to quality: No. up
land prairie 50 00@s so; No. z 81 56@s 90; pack
ing do, So 00G6 so.
IS 50G6 co.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
Boston Stocks.
PhlladcIphia Stocks.

Closing quotations Of Philadelphia stocks, FUR
nished by Whitney Stephenson, brokers. No. 81
Fourth avenue. Members New York Stock Ex-
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
Worse to Come.

Harper's Bazaar;
"Ma," said frightened little boy in Hsr
lem, "do you see that goat butting my
shadow on the fence?"
'Yes, Rookie; but that doesn't hurt you
any,"
"No, not now; but if he likes to butt my
shadow as hard as that, what d. you think
he'll do when he sees me?"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12

When baby was sick. we gave her Castoria,
When she was Child, she cried for Castoria,
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria,
When she had Children. she gave them Castoria
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
FOR MENTAL DEPRESSION
Use Horsford's Acid Pba.nh.

DR. L. G. 8. Turner. Colfax, Ia, says: Al am
from gastric troubles"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
HazIng In the Postofflce.

when Frank Hatton was Postmaster Gen.
eral, he inaugurated a system of hazing. He
suggested to me one day that he and I should
absent ourselves from the department and
leave number of warrants for Governor
Crosby, the first assistant, to sign. l called in
Wells, the financial clerk. and told MIN to let
the warrants accumulate for several days and
that, at the end of that time, M. Hatton and L
being away. he should take them up to Mr..
Crosby. Wells entered fully into the spirit of
the scheme and allowed the warrants to accu-
mulate for several days. Then Mr. Hatton and
l went awav and he took the big bundle to Mr.
Crosby's Office. Mr.. Crosby examined it with
some care.
at seems to me. Mr.. Wells, that these are
for the payment of money! said he, and
don't know about signing them
ITS all right. sir said Wells. AN you have
"'Yes,' said Mr. Crosby, but 1 don't know
about signing my name at the bottom. Sup
pose you stand here and explain them to me as
sign them.'
Wells tried to escape, but Mr.. Crosby in
sisted upon his remaining. After Mr.. Crosby
had signed two or three Of the warrants some-
one came in to see him, and he laid down his
pen while he talked with his visitor. At inter.
walls throughout the afternoon other visitors
came In, and Mr.. Crosby's signatures were
Punctuated with such frequent Interruptions
that that at the end Of the day be had made very
little progress. The next day and the next he
insisted on Wells being present while he signed
the warrants, and he kept him standing about
almost a week. Wells did not appreciate the
joke as much as we.
We put up the same job on Mr.. Thompson
when he was Second Assistant. in the winter
OF lSS4S6. 1t was just after he came into office
sign warrants. He had signed a great many of
them before he found that they bore date of
two or three days before he was made Acting
Postmaster General. We persuaded him. how
ever, that their legality would never be ques-
toned, and he finished signing them.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
The old ,porn out Potash, Mercury and Sdr-
saparilla mixtures all left far behind.
8. 8. 8. NEVER FAILS TO CURE BLOOD
POISON.

have seen Swifts Specific used, and know
of many cases of the worst form of blood dis
eases which have been cured by 1t. know the
proprietors to be gentlemen of the highest type
and utmost reliability. 1 recommend it as a
great blood remedy. unequaled by anything
know of. M. B. WHARTON,
Pastor First Baptist Church. Montgomery, Ala.
Treatise on Blood and Skin Diseases mailed
free. SWIFT SPECIFIC COMPANY. Drawer g.
Atlanta, Ga. aul2-55MwF
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE P. 0. D.

signing Thousands of Warrants ON the
Treasury-Hazing the Assistant Posr-
masters Generai-An Inquisitive Em.
ploye-Bargaining With Bondsmen.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArcH.I
WASHINGTON, August 10.-I found the
Third Assistant Postmaster General sitting in
ms ONCE signing warrants on the Treasury
one DAY last week. Two big piles of the blue
slips stood before him, and behind his desk
STOOD ourly colored attendant, who carefully
biotted the heavy lines of each bold signature,
"A. d. Hazen.n
sign rs, ,000o or 80 900 of these every quarter"
said General Hazen as he laid down his pen,
anording brief respite to his able-bodied as
slstant with the blotter. AT certain times in
tne quarter we will average 1000 day. It was
tne duty Of the Postmaster General originally
10 sign these warrants, but the undertaking
grew 30 great that Postmaster General Howe
went to Congress and had an act passed giving
tne Third Assistant authority to sign them.
Inc act, however, instead Of expressly author
izing the Third Assistant to do this, said that
the postmaster General might delegate it to
MIN by his hand and seal. II the Third Assist
ant was expressly invested with the authority
II would pass to his chief clerk with the other
duties of the Office whenever he went away.
Instead of that it returns TO the Postmaster
General or the Acting Postmaster General.
ou can be very sure. then, that the Postmas-
ter General is more Jealous of my absence
than Of the absence of any other official in the
department.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-12
Both In the Same Box.

1--WE scarcely know exactly what we are
signing. We cannot expect to be familiar with
the details of the matters which come before
us. We must depend upon our clerks for
them. Old Gordon. who was for many years
chief messenger to the Postmaster General,
used to lay great many things before him for
signature. What is lhisY' q new Postmaster
General would say, picking up paper laid be-
fore him. You just sign your name right
there was the only reply Gordon would make.
as he indicated with his foreinger the place for
the signature. He was SO accustomed to see
the Postmaster General sign mechanically
everything that was laid before him that he
could not comprehend inquisitiveness about its
contents. Gordon was an old employe and he
had many privileges accorded him. His son
was given position in the department through
his fathers influence. and he manifested a
most imppdent concern in what was going on
about him. He would have thought nothing of
reading paper on the Postmaster Generals
desk and then giving him advice about its con-
tents. His impudence became unbearable, and
Postmaster General Jewell removed him. 1t
was not long afterward that Grant fred
Jewell. The day after his successor was ap-
pointed he came to the department to clean
out his desk and say good-by to the boys. In
the hall he met young Gordon.
well, Governor" said Gordon, we're both
ont, aren't we?'
"Yes." said Jewell, good naturedly. ~ hope
you can bear it as well as 1 can"
Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-30
A Remarkable Incident of the Schoon-
 CT Nellie M. Shades Voyage.


 The American three-masted schooner Nell lie M. Slade, which arrived in Melbourne Bay on March 9th from Boston, had a re- markedly narrow escape from being lost during the voyage, and the circumstances connected with the incident are of 50 rare a character as to be worthy of being recorded. The Nellie M. Slade, it may be promised, is a strong but handsome looking vessel of five hundred and forty tons register, and left Boston with a full cargo of miscellaneous merchandise for Melbourne on July 9th. In September last news reached here that she had been dismssted in hurricane and had put into Bermuda for repairs, but later on the real cause of the damage was reported in commander of the vessel, we have gleaned the following particulars of the occurrence:
 On leaving Boston the Nellie M. Slade ex- perienced variable winds until reaching for ty-four degrees north and twenty-nine de- gress thirty-eight minutes west on August 18th, when the wind died away altogether and the vessel lay becalmed. At six D. m., while there was scarcely ripple on the wa ter, waterspout suddenly rose short dis tance ahead of the schooner on the port bow, and quickly ascending to height of about seventy feet, almost immediately began working toward the vessel. Inured to hard ship and almost constantly facing danger in one form or another, sailors are not easily alarmed, but when the great pillar of swirl- ing water began to approach in 8 direct line toward the Nellie M. Slade the heart of every man on board almost stood still
 As there was absolutely not 8 breath of wind, nothing could be done to avoid what appeared to be almost certain destruction, and those on board could only stand by and await their fate. an ordeal the desperateness of which words cannot exaggerate. Within very short space of time the crash came. As 1t happened. however, the spout fortu. nately struck the vessel we'll forward, and although it appeared as if she was doomed,
Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-30
Credible and Incredible Shark stories.
 LErnm the Chicago Herald1


 Last night, in company of congen1al spirits, the conversation turned on sharks, those scayengers of the sea. Their voracity, staying qualities and ability to swallow any, thing and everything that came their way was discussed at some length. young man who had never been to said he had read stories of monster man-eating sharks following ships for weeks, accompanied by an aching void which able seamen alone could fill with any degree of satisfaction-to the shark. He had also read of sailor who was on deck one day grinding his knife, with a boy turning the stone, when the ship gave sudden lurch, the whole outfit went over board and was swallowed by a shsrk. The sailor and his boy kept at work, sharpened the knife to razor edge, cut their way out of the shark and were picked up by q boat lowered from the ship.
 The man-of-war's man said that story was little too improbable, but that he could tell one himself within the bounds of rea- son. ''When our ship was in Honolulu" he said, 1T was ashore one day in the launch, a small steamboat used for conveying officers and sailors to and from the ship. We were lying at the dock, and when the engineer at tempted to start his engine on the return trip she refused to work. Thinking perhaps that a rope or something had fouled the pro- psller, the engineer lookeu over the steru ana found that monster shark had swallowed the wheel, and though we prodded the cuss with boat-hook it refused to disgorge the cast-iron delicscy. We then slowed the boat around, and heading for the ship, mile dis tant, we managed by jabbing the fish with boat-hooks to make it furnish motive power, and thus got under way. The coxswein stood at the tiller and steered for the ship, but just as we got alongside the vessel the shark gave sudden lurch, broke the pro peller short off at the bearing and got away with it."
Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-30
ANNOUNCED. A

A whiskey trust is announced. It is something like this: IIIIX IIIIX III chalked up on the barroom door2-Waif.
 Hawkins (sadly)-s'And so Chatty and his wife have been separated for @ year. What pity it is they couldn't be happy!" Hogg- s'Why, bless your soul, they sre!"
 Mr. Al must compliment you; you have charming wife. Dentist-Have you seen her teeth! Ber- tha, show him your teeth! I finished them only yesterday.
 Someone has discovered that the music of the topical song, ''When you come to think of it. ," in "The Brass Monkey" is taken from Beethoven's First Symphony. It must be a great relief to the mphony.-Somerville Journal.
 If man and wife are one, then 8 man who being the case he is legally dead and cannot be tried for his crime. No extra charge to the legal profession for this pointer.-Ex- change.
 "Pooh, don't think Mir. Bygosh lives in New York at all."
 "And why not, dear"
 :sBecause I named several friends know living there, and he had never heard of them even."-Minneapolis Tribune.
 Johnny" said the father, severely, Care you still reading that historys' "Yes, ia. ther." "Well, you drop it pretty quick, and hustle out with your base ball and bat and go to practising. If you ain't careful you never will get to be famous. ."-Merchant Traveller.
 "Im so glad that we sent Harry to Yale. knew he would make his mark. He says that he is already considered one of the best scholars in the college" MT. Harris-"Let me see that letter. That isn't scholar it is scullers. ."-Chioago Herald.
 J.Q. Lard (of Chicago)-say, waiter, just bring me some cheese, will yel
 Waiter-Yes, sir. Gambler, Rockfor, Gr'yere, Ere or
 J. Q. Lard-Hold on, there. I guess ye didn't hear me. said cheese-c-h-e-e-s-e I don't want none Ger them things.-New York World.
 "James," said the village jeweller, t'are there any weddings to take place in the neiphborhood soon?" 'There are two to come off next week." said the clerk. And the jeweler sat down and wrote an order for two dozen pickle casters with privilege of ex- changing twenty-two of them for something else within thirty days.-Chicago Tribune.
 "The dearest and sweetest object in all the world, said the young husband fondly, "I hold in these arms" ''Is'nt he little dsr- ling" assented the young wife with gleam wanted us to put him in a kennel at Battery B for the mob to look at! Please don't em- brace us so hard, Alfred. Fido doesn't like to be treated roughly. ."-Chicago Tribune. A Hartford clergyman tells this anecdote: Early in life, while occupying another charge, he invited clergyman whom the unregene- rate would call conceited and dull to preach in his pulpit. During the sermon our Hart- ford preacher dozed away in the sweet old way till he was suddenly called on to con l clude the service with prayer. Accustomed | to regard himself as the humblest of his Gre ator's instruments, and forgetting that he ! had not delivered the sermon, he began with t'We bessech thee to accept the weak and feeble effort that has been addressed to thee and more richly to endow thy servant in the graces he so greatly ks."-Hartford Cou- | rant.
Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-30
Tuesday, April 30, 1889.
A kTER A CENTURY.

AFTER A CENTURY.
 In some parts of the South municipal gov ernment as it has been carried on is evi- dently considered failure. It has appar- ently been discovered that those selected to administer municipal affairs are not to be trusted; that they are not only incompetent, but in many cases are dishonest, and. having large measure of authority granted to them by the charters of municipalities, are dis- posed to use their powers to, the detriment of the taxpayers, even when they do not employ them for their personal profit. In order to obviate this defect the infuential and well-to-do citizens of number of the southern cities have appealed to the State legislatures, and have obtained, or are in a fair way to obtain, the opportunity of de- priving themselves of a representative local government. The plan which seems to meet with favor is that of having the gover- nor of the State appoint the mayor and, if need be, the city council, giving to those thus appointed tho same power that munici. pal charters commonly accord to mayors and aldermen elected by the people.
 This is significant move. It indicates want of confidence in the people. As the Boston Herald puts it. The latter are no longer to be depended upon, when residing in cities and large towns, to act in 8 judicious and public spirited manner, and for this reason must have the power of regulating their own affairs taken from them. In word, guardians have to be appointed over them because of their political incompet- ency. They are not deprived of their right to vote for State officials, and in this way may be said to exercise an indirect influence in the choice of those who are to directly rule over them. But this concession is con- tinued, for the reason that the political power of such semi disfranchised communities is so small when compared with the rest of the State that in general election their vote counts for but little.
Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-30
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Old State House.

The Old State House.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Our State house on the green. What it needs are new outer walls of durable and suitable granite, and new granite columns, or if it be possible to provide very enduring material of plaster, known to be good for several hundred years outward exposure, it might do for it's columns. But be sure to preserve the entirensss of the buildings out ward form as 1t was before it's surface crum- bled. Let no ruthless hand be laid upon the grand outline of that old building as it was. AS to the inside every room is fine hall to- day. And the notion of tearing such 8 building down seems to me just fit to be en- tertained by lunatics and fools. And even those unfortunates, if there are any tax pays CTS among them, ought to know that the rentable value of that restored building con- cerns them vastly more than the cost of it's complete repairs. We need not ask who will hire the stately rooms, the question will an- swer itself in due time. And as to how much shall be expended on said repairss Fair estimates are all proper
 But the important matter in the case is to be sure and get the moneys worth of work. I would not be anxious for more. The build ing properly restored will be the finest, Haven has ever had. And this is an oppor tunity for New Haven to possess such a me- morial, which it would be a lasting, indeli- ble disgrace to misimprove. Yale college has no architecture to compare with it, and is not likely to have any. But this building occupies the most elevated site upon our cen- tral Green. And the college, having recent ly laid violent hands on it's own dear little front park, now desires to see New Haven sacrifice it's own eve lamb, and then what was the site of and the area around the hunched and despised old State House will be the accepted compensation for it's desc cration of it's own dear college front park. Citizens of New Haven, don't be afraid of the cost of repairing that State House; only be sure that we have the mpnay'- "or1n 1 or it's cost. Don't be asha --ou or oolng It well, so that there it -Iay stand historic memo rial. as it is New Haven's own. Ana for the centuries to come let all their coming mar riages gild it and their parting days ligh ght up their smile from heaven upon it's summit.
 FOR NEW HAVEN
 AND ITS HISTORIC MEMORIALS.