The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-02-09
DEMOCRATIC PLUCK.

Among the nominations hung up
in the room of the Senate Postoftice
Committee is that of Harry B. Hast
ings, who has been nominated by
the President for postmaster at
Punxutawney, Pa. And thereby
hangs tale. John Hastings. now
at the National Hotel, in this city, is
the veteran country editor of Penn
sylvania, and prospered in that
business. He enjoys the distinc-
ton of having first put the name
of James Buchanan at the head OF
his columns for President of the
United States. This was more than
half century ago, in 1880, just
after the Constitutional Convention
of Pennsylvania at which the fu-
ture President was a conspicuous
figure. Two rival journals, the Pot
ter County Pioneer and Lycomlng
Gazette, had run up the name OF
Buchanan for Vice President. Hast
ings was then publishing the Back
woodsman at Brookville, and he
went one better. In an editorial,
headed Caesar or Nothing" he pre-
sented the name of Buchanan for
President, and though it was eight
cen years before his suggestion
caught on generally, he never weak
ened. 1t is needless to add that
Hastings is a democrat, and not tor
revenue only. When President
Cleveland was inaugurated Hast
ings came to Washington. he
wanted the inhabitants of Punxsu-
tawney to have the visible, tangible
evidence that the democracy had
triumphed, and he requested that
the offensive partisan who was post
master there should be removed
and democrat appointed. The
office was at that time in the fourth
class, and the beheading machine
was easily applied. Unfortunately
the receipts were not aIlurlng
enough to tempt the democrats of
Punxsutawney, and Hastings threw
himself into the breach. He ac-
cepted the appointment and pro-
ceeded to give his neighbors a sur
prise. The office was removed from
store to a separate room. Lock
boxes, with beveled glass fronts,
were put in, polished brass ratings
separated the stamp window and
the delivery window, and the whole
esta blishnent was fitted up in a
style similar to that of a prosperous
bank. Then Hastings put in two
clerks at $50 a month, and stayed
around the Office few days watch
ing the hair raise on the heads of
the countrymen when they came to
the office to get the free seeds mailed
them by Congressman Moffett.
The receipts Of the office were
800 a quarter, and Hastings put
up $3.50 before he sold single
stamp. It cost him $3.50 a month
to run the office, and he got his
satisfaction out of the way the local
democracy pointed with pride and
the corresponding humiliation of
the republicans.
The superior facilities of the Punk
sutawney postoffice drew to it the
patronage Of almost the entire coun-
ty, and by reason of its increased
receipts it has been elevated to a
Presidential office. Hastings did
not want to longer continue as post
master, having made his play. and
the President out Of compliment to
him. appointed his son, Harry B.
Hastings, whose confirmation is
now hung up. In view of the COM
ing change of administration it will
probably not be acted upon at all,
and the Punxsutawney republicans
are now hustling around to find
some patriot within their party with
as much "blood" as Hastings, so
that no unfortunate comparisons
will be drawn when the change oc-
curs.-Washington Post.