Morning journal and courier., 1890-02-14
THE STAMP CLERK.
An Interesting study of Character In q
City P0StOnce.
TFron, fhA ITnitod Ctatoc Mail


City P0At0Mce.
From the United States MALL
81 should think you have a 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 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 game moment"
eyes, to be sure. You must be busy at
times, say early in the day, or at Christmas
and Easter, but most people could do the
work, with little practice"
eyes, practice is great thing, but I've
been stamp clerk for ton years, and yet yes
terday made mistake in counting out q
small number Of one cent stamps. Still, ,prac-
tice is great thing"
t'Well, should like to have your place,
that's all. It can't be very hard to sell post
age stamps"
easy. But, should you try it a day you might
think differently"
This conversation between two acquaint-
ances occurred in city postoffioe year ago.
The change which has brought about new
administration removed, about a month ago,
the old postofice clerk and installed another
man in his place.
The new clerk entered upon his duties the
first day with feeling that selling stamps
was diversion suited to his genial tempera-
ment. He hadn't been at the window an
hour before he was a sadder and wiser
man.
A woman came up and wanted thirteen
cents' worth of twos and ones, half and half,
seven postal cards and package of two cent
wrappers. She had nothing smaller than a
S. bill.
When the clerk had recovered from the
temporary slow fever into which this episode
threw him, there was q crowd waiting out
side, and all he could hear was:
Twenty five cents worth of twos, please" !"
"Package postal cards" "Dollar's worth of
stamps, quick !" 'How much'l that takea
Coin to Canada" "Nuff stamps on that,
heya" "Gimme two twos and three ones,
will youa I'm in a hurry"
The young man nervously counted out
stamps, weighed packages, consulted the
printed schedule for rases in foreign coun-
tries, and perspired freely. Cold chills ran
down his back, for he had vague idea of
giving somebody seventy Ave cents worth of
stamps for fifty, and of selling package of
postal cards for half price.
The crowd at the window did not diminish
but grew.
A man finally came up in a great hurry
and threw down handful of loose silver and
nickels and coppers and asked for
"Twenty seven ones, sixteen cents worth
of twos, two and half packages of postal
cards, aud the rest in two and one cent wrap
pers."
-, z1x1l g.,
two, mopped his brow nervously with sheet
Of stamps, and began counting out a package
of stamped envelopes, government official
size.
Chow many did you says"
Glow many whats"
Envelopes"
"Envelopesa I don't want any envelopes.
| Twenty-seven ones, sixteen cents worth oi
| twos, two and one-half packages of postal
| pers. That's what I want, and in a big hurry
too. Got to catch a train"
| ttSixteen cents worth of twos:'
eyes, said So"
ooh, well, all-all right There you are
And-and how many oneet'
"Twenty seven. Come, hurry upl'
"Twenty-eeven; twenty. seven. Five time
five is twenty-five and two is seven-twenty
seven. Twenty-seven. And now, the res
in envelopes, did you says"
Envelopes! don't want any envelopes
One cent wrappers is what I want.
Chow manyp
Chow manys Well, give me just one
| Perhaps you can count that out straight.
[Sarcastieally.
ga one cent wrapper is two cents"
"All right! / can stand it If you can"
elbow many packages of postal cardsa'
s'Never mind. I can't wait here all day
Beside, there's crowd out here stretching
around tie corner. just give me my chang
and I'll get out of here"
When the clerk had recovered from tn
syncope into which this little transaction hat
cast him, he spied his old acquaintance, tn
former stamp clerk, at the window.
stAh, you seem to be having pleasan
time in here. Please let me have 50 wortl
of twos and skies. 81 worth of each. And
Just weigh that little bundle. Going to
Honduras. Needs two more stamps, think
Should think you would have good time IL
here. Not much to do but stand mp ant
sell stamps, and give back the right change
hey. You must enjoy your place here. o
course, II will be little busy early In tn
4 morning, or at Christmas or Easter times
Most people could do it with little prac
tice."