St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-21
THE STAMP CLERKS LOT.
QUEER ORDERS HE is REQUIRED TO Fill
WHILE SERVING UNCLE SAM.

THE STAMP CLERKS LOT.
QUEER ORDERS HE is REQUIRED TO FILL |
WHILE SERVING UNCLE SAM.
81 should think you have pretty easy
time in here
well, pretty easy"
"You don't have much to do. Just stand
at the window, count out stamps and take
in the money"
"That's all, save the little item of max
ing correct change every time"
@Oh, of course. But that isn't much"
"No, not much, though sometimes half
dozen people, all in hurry, want stamps
at the same moment.
eyes, to be sure. You must be busy at
times, say early in the day, or at Christ,
mas and Easter. But most people could
do the work with little practice
eyes, practice is great thing, but I've
been a stamp clerk for ten years, and yet
Yesterday 1 made a mistake in counting
out a. small number of one cent stamps
Still, practice is great thing"
"Well, should like to have your place,
that's all. 1t can't be very hard to sell
postage stamps"
II wish you had it, as you think it is so
easy. But, should you try it day, you
mil ht think differently"
This conversation between two acquaint-
ances occurred in city postothce some
time ago. The change which brought
about a new administration removed the
old postoffice clerk and installed another
man in his place.
The new clerk entered upon his duties
with feeling that selling stamps was
diversion suited to his genial temperament.
He hadn't been at the window an hour be-
fore he was sadder and wiser man.
A woman came up and wanted thirteen
cents worth of twos and ones, half and
half, seven postal cards and q package OF
two cent wrappers she had notnlns
smaller than a SIS bill.
When the clerk had recovered from the
temporary slow fever into which this cpl
sode threw him, there was a crowd wait
ing outside, and all he could hear was:
"Twenty-five cents worth of twos,
please" Package postal cards" "Dol.
} lars worth stamps, quick "HoW much II IL
that take9 Coin to Canady." "Nutf
stamps on that, heyY' "Gimme two tWos
and three ones, will your | am IN
hurry"
The young man nervously counted out
, stamps, wei ghed packages, consulted the
, printed schedules for rates in foreign
l countries and perspired freely. Cold chllls
ran down his back, for he had vague
, idea of giving somebody seventy cents
t worth of stamps for fifty cents, and OF
selling package of postal cards for nall
price.
The crowd at the window did not dimin
!: ish, but grew.
A man finally came up in great hurry
t and threw down handful of loose sllve1
! and nickels and coppers and asked for:
Twenty seven ones, sixteen Genus
i worth of twos, two and half packages
S postal cards, and the rest IN t"os anu on
7 cent wrappers"
i "The new clerk choked down big wor
r or two, mopped his brow nervously with
r sheet of stamps, and began counting out
r package of stamped envelopes, government
official size.
|, How many did You sayY'
n "How many whatT
Y Envelopes.
@ Envelopes? l don't want any envel
opes Twenty ones, sixteen cens
It worth of twos, two and one-half package
of postal cards and the rest in twos an
/" one cent wrappers. That's what v ant an
in big hurry, too Got to catch train
n Sixteen cents worth OF twos?'
Eyes, said So"
10 con, well, all-all right There you ar
And-and how many ones r
ID .eTwenty- seven. Come, hurry up.
70 s"Twenty seven u twenty seven. flS
y times FIVE is twenty five and two is SIEVE
u -twenty-seven. Twenty-seven. An
now, the rest in envelopes, did you say
TO Envelopes don't want any enve
is opes. One cent wrappers is what want
~ Glow many?"
Ii Glow many ! Well, give me Just on
: Perhaps YOU can count that out stralgh
(ssrcastically).
t, ga one cent wrapper is two cents
g. "All right! can stand it if you can
ar How many packages of postal CARDS
"Never mind. l can't wait here all da
or Besides. there's crowd out here stretc
ut ing way around the corner. just give
it NV change and I'll get out of here.
in When the clerk had recovered from
svncope into which this little transact
had cast him, he spied his old acqua'l
snce, the former stamp clerk, at the VI
ed dow.
IN "Ah, you seem to be having pleas
d time in here. Please let me have ~ wo
sv Of twos and skies, 81 worth of each. q
oh lust weigh that little bundle. Going
at Honduras. Needs two more stamp:
am think Should think you would nav
~. good time in here Not much to DO
a Stand I'D and sell stamps and give back
20 right change, hey2 You must enjoy J
me- place here. Of course, it will be Il
or busy early in the morning or at Chrlstl
a1r ar Faster times. Most people could
mr. with little practice. - United States III
Of A little Austin boy, whose impecun1
am parents are always moving from one nc