The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-04-24

We'll, 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
making 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"
YES, to be sure. You must be busy
at times, say early in the day, or at
Christmas and Easter. But most peo-
pie could do the work with a little
practice" Is
''Yes, practice is a great thing, but
I've been stamp clerk for ten years.
and yet yesterday made azfnistake in
counting out 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"
Il wish you had it, as you think it
Is so easy. But, should you try it a
day, you might think differently"
This conversation between two &C
quaintances occurred in city postof-
fice 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 du-
ties with feeling that selling stamps
was diversion suited to his genial
temperament. He hadn't been at the
window an hour before he was saddet
and wiser man.
thirteen cents worth of twos and
ones, half and half, seven postal
cards and a package of two cent
wrappers. She had nothing smaller
than IS bill.
When the clerk had recovered from
the temporary slow fever into which
this episode threw him there was q
crowd waiting outside. and all he
could hear was:
twenty-five cents worth of twos
please. " Package postal cards.
4"Dollar's worth stamps, quick" ''How
much'll that take? Coin to Canadv. ;
"Nuff stamps on that, hey9" Gimme
two twos and three ones, will you2
am in hurry"
The young man nervously countet
out stamps, weighed packages, con
suited the printed shcedule for rate.
in foreign countries and perspirec
freely. Cold chills ran down his back
for he had vague idea of givins
somebody seventy-five cents worth Of
stamps for City cents. and of selling
package of postal cards for half price
The crowd at the window did not di
minish, but grew.
A man finally came up in q grea
hurry and threw down a handful O.
loose silver and nickels and copper,
and asked for
Twenty seven ones, sixteen cents
worth Of twos, two and a half pack
ages OF postal cards, and the rest il
twos and one cent wrappers"
The new clerk choked down a biz
word or two, mopped his brow nerv
ously with sheet Of stamps, and be
gan counting out package of stamp
ed envelopes, government official size
1 How many did you says"
How many whata'
Envelopes"
"Enyelopesi l don't want any en-
velopes. Twenty-seven ones, sixteen
cents worth of twos, two and hall
packages of postal cards and the res,
in twos and one cent wrappers. That.
what l want and in big hurry, too.
Got to catch train"
Sixteen cents worth of twos?"
Eyes, said So"
"Oh, we'll, all-all right There you
are. And-and how many onesg"
'Twenty-seven. Come, hurry up. y
'Twenty-seven; twenty seven. Five
times five is twenty-five and two is
seven-twenty-seven. Twenty-seven.
And now, the rest in envelopes, die
you say?"
"Envelopes2 l don't want any en-.
velopes. One cent wrappers is what
| want.
How many?"
How many?. Well, give me just
one. Perhaps you can count that ou
straight" lsarcastically).
IA one cent wrapper is two cents.
"All right | can stand it if you
can" =.
| How many packages of postal
cards2"
Never mind I can't wait here all
day. Besides, there's crowd out here
stretchings way around the corner.
Just give me my change and I'll gel
out of here.
When the clerk had recovered from
the syncope into which this little
transaction had cast, him, he spied his
old acquaintance, the former stamp
clerk, at the window.
''Ah, you seem to behaving a pleas
ant time III here. Please let me have
50 worth of twos and skies, 81 worth
of each. And just weigh that little
bundle, Going toiHonduras. Needs
two more stamps, l think. Should
thipk you would have a good time in
here. = Not much to do but tostand DIP
and sell stamps and give back the
right, change, hey2 You must enjoy
your place here. Of course, it win be
little busy early in the morning or
at Christmas or Easter times. Most
people could do it with little prac-
tice." United States Mail
| Does the Pitcher Plant Eat MeatP