The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-11
UNCLE SANS STEPCHILD
The Fourth-Class Postmaster Has
No EnviabIe Position.
HOW IT LOOKS IN PHENIx
A Convention Called OF the Fourth-Class
OEicials of Kent County-A Movement
to Secure Better Remuneration.

Uucle Sam, that mythical, slim legged
old fellow who has so long been pictured
as typical of the United States govern
ment, has one step-child he likes to have
the lash on, and that is his fourth-class
postmasters, wherever he finds them.
Rhode Island boasts one frst-class post
Office four second-class, eight third-class,
aud all the rest fourth-class. Why there
were not some fifths, sixths, and seventh
class ones was strange.
A country post Office is two or three
times day place where are enacted
more tragedies than are visible. Here, be-
hind the thin partition, stands the manwho
will shortly raise or blast your hopes, give
you Joy, or may be break your very heart
by the motion of hand as he passes you
out your white message OF doom or hope
You know IL if you but glance back over
the years You remember when the letter
came telling you your credit was thing
only TO be remembered as OF past time;
you can't have forgotten when you took
the letter, with light heart, with the
seal unbroken, and after that like lead,
only for its fulness of pain, you read the
contents and the sun then shut III and
gray clouds of anxiety fioated over the
blue dome of past contentment
A country post Office is comical place
too, if one but looks at the other side.
TO the office on the arrival of every mail;
they are the man who has good many
letters, and the one who never has, or will
have, any. The foymer goes for something,
the latter for fer he will have something
There are boxes let in country offices,
which have never contained letter. The
Pawtuxet Valley is all broke out with
post Offices. but unlike many other erup-
tions there is no cure for them. IL any
one asks you if the public is well accom-
modated you must say yes, " but If you
are inquired Of, if the law is observed re-
garding the distance of these letter shops,
you can gently pull the cover over one eye
and remain mute. Within a radius of
three and one-half miles there are five
post offices, the largest and most important
being Phenix. There are men who go
now daily to this Office who were going TO
il when their letters had on them the first
five and ten-cent stamps the five cent
stamp had portrait of the first Postmas-
ter General, Franklin, wearing white
ruffled bosom and a coat with fur collar,
all in a light-brown color; the ten cent
stamp, with miniature copy OF Stuart's
Washington, in black. These stamps were
used till the three cent stamp came in use
in 1851.
Phenix does the most business, with
the exception of East Greenwich, OF any
in Kent county. Its money order depart
ment is very popular, and rapidly becom-
ing more so, doing now a business of over
$4,000 annually, yet it ranks as fourth
class Office, the same as Chopemist, or
South Scituate or Kent All the postmas-
ters of the Valley are poorly paid. They
are compelled to hire their offices, pay for
heating and lighting the same, work from
half-past six A. NJ: TO eight o'clock =: NJ.
and without leaving duty unless clerk
is hired to assist. They receive three
mails day, and send away the same
number. Their salary is based upon the
number of stamps they sell. In the Phe,
nix post office there is much more mail
matter coming in, than going out,
sively sG yha1 paid nS for T0rs as Il should % % be
The Phenix office went about begging
awhile ago. When asked why the incum-
he replied " pay Sl25 rent, $500 for my
clerk, then ! have my fuel and electric
lights to settle for, which in all leave me
from my salary Of 5000 about sl25 a day.
| work fourteen hours day, and try TO
give satisfaction to everyone but myself,
and. as l can't do that, l have decided to
resign"
There is now in progress all over the
United States movement to call county
conventions To make equitable provision
for incl eased compensation to select dele
gates to attend the State convention to be
held at the State capitols as soon as the
county conventions have met and elected
delegates TO attend, and the arranging OF
details looking to proper methods of cir
culating petitions among home patrons TO
secure signatures urging Congress TO do
Justice to fourth class postmasters.
Postmaster John *. Kent of PheniX has
issued n call for convention of the fourth
class officials of the service Of Kent county
to meet at the Phenix Post Office Tuesday,
Dec 15. at 1880 o'clock i. NJ.
When the matter shall have progressed
far enough TO require signatures of pa
irons of the Office here, there will be no
lack of names, for the present official. Mr..
Kent, and his assistant Frank Duffy,
have treated the general public with such
courteous consideration, that any move to
better remunerate their services will meet
prompt support.
Comfort In those 80 and $3.50 Boots TO measure.