The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-25
cAMDEN's POSTMASTER.
Mr.. Fletcher Says the Belfast Patent
Medicine Man Is Trying to Black
mall.
Especial to the Press.l

RoCKLAND, May 14-A Belfast dispatch
under date of May % states that Kilgore,
Wilson & Hanson Of that city were to insti
tute proceedings against E. c. Fletcher, Cam
denis retiring postmaster, alleging failure on
his part to distribute circulars sent to the
Camden Office by the Belfast firm. The dis
patch also stated that Camden man came
to Belfast and brought with him Al circulars
addressed to people in Camden village. The
man went before justice Of the peace and
made affidavit that the circulars were
brought into his place Of business by the
post officials for the purpose of burning
them.
A reporter of the PRESS called upon Mr..
Fletcher at his home in Camden and showed
him the dispatch which he had not before
seen. Mr.. Fletcher after reading the dis
patch stated that Wednesday the 18th inst.
Mr.. Hanson one Of the firm Of Kilgore, VIII
son Il Hanson, manufacturers Of Dana's
Sarsaparilla of Belfast called into the Office,
Mr.. Fletcher being out, and accused one of
the assistants there, Mr.. Frank Frye, Of des-
troying mail This Mr.. Frye Indignantly
denied Mr. Fletcher afterward saw Mr..
Hanson and asked him the trouble. Mr..
Hanson again repeated his charge that the
company's circulars had been withheld and
destroyed. This Mr.. Fletcher denied. Mr..
Hanson said he knew where some 40 or so
pieces OF the firms mail matter was, that G.
Q. Dearborn of Camden held them.
Mr. Fletcher after the conversation with
Hanson visited Dearborn's shop which Is
opposite the postoffice and looked over some
waste paper which the Office clerks had been
when the waste box in the Office became full.
Mr.. Fletcher found nothing. 1t is one of the
post0ffice laws that all accumulations of
waste paper shall be sold, but as such mat
ter Is not salable in Camden it has been the
custom In the office to destroy 1t, and in the
old office where there was a stove it was
burned, and as there Is no stove in the pres
ent office Mr. Dearborn has been given the
paper to kindle his fires with. In this waste
matter were number of circulars, some of
Dana's sarsaparilla advertisements among
the number, which came addressed to parties
Wno do not reside in Camden and never did
and also TO people who have long since
passed away. There were also in the matter
some of the circulars which were taken out
OF the boxes and thrown on the Office floor to
De afterwards swept up by the clerks and
thrown into the waste paper.
Mr. Fletcher says 1t Is case of black
mail on the part Of Dearborn and courts the
fullest investigation. As Mr.. Fletcher saws:
Il am druggist and sell Ddna's saraparilla
and probably make more money on a bottle
than the manufacturers do and it is the
height OF absurdity to suppose that l refuse
to circulate advertisementsof goods on which
am making profit"
Mr.. Fletcher Is one of Camden's most re-
spected and popular business men. He was
appointed postmaster April q, 1885, in place
OF W. b. Rich, resigned The business men
OF the town say that he has made most eff
clent and satisfactory postmaster Mr..
Dearborn refused to talk much to the report
er. The burden Of his song was that he had
been doing some detective work. He is
saw tiler by trade.