St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-02
A Twin CITY FIGHT.
That Is What the st. Anthony
Park Postoffice Has Be-
come.
Postmaster Lee, Backed by
Senator Davis, Takes His
Course,
And Disregards Wanamaker's
Order to Suspend Free
Delivery.
It Looks Like a Case Of Graf
uitous Minneapolis In
reference.

Inauguration of the free mail delivery
at ST. Anthony Park. 1t has gotten to
the point where a half dozen or more
prominent men will measure swords,
and the longest lance. if not the most
skillfuI contestant. will win. The Park
is suburb of st. Paul, and the delivery
there falls directly under control of the
st. Paul Office: yet, Notwithstanding
this fact, half-dozen Minneapolis men
assume the right tOIdictate as to who
shall be named as agent by Postmaster
Lee. as well as TO whether the free de-
livery shall be established at st. Antho-
ny Park. Some time since Senator
Davis was induced to interest himself
in an effort to establish the free deliv-
cry system in several suburban parts of
st. Paul, particularly st. Anthony
Park and Hamline. The people in these
places generally favored the plan, but
Postmaster Pickard, and a half dozen
others through his intercessiOn, opposed
the free delivery system for st. Antho-
ny. This opposition on the part of Mr..
Pickard probably grew out OF the fact
shat he believed he would be superced-
ed in disbursing the mail. This suburb
is located much
Nearer minneapolis
than the st. Paul office. Ex-Gov. Gill
and eX-Gov. W. r. Marshal were APP
pealed to by Postmaster Packard, and
they induced Gen. Nettleton, assistant
secretary of the treasury, and whose
home is in Minneapolis, to take hand
in opposing the removal of Mr.. Pickard.
On his recent trip to Washington,
Senator Davis asked Postmaster Gen
eral Wanamaker to suspend the Offices
at Hamline and ST. Anthony Park, and to
to establish the carrier delivery there
the order TO take effect Oct. |. After
this order was made, Gen. Nettleton, at
the instance of Mr.. Pickard and his
friends, appealed to the postmaster gen
eral to have Mr.. Packard retained in his
position, or rather to be designated as
the agent. The postmaster general, a
few days ago, i'll communication to
Postmaster Lee. stated that courtesy
would dictate that Mr.. Pickard should
be named as the agent. Postmaster
Lee said last evening that he had
received such an intimation from
Mr.. Wanamaker, but that he had prior
to receiving it decided TO appoint Mrs.
Newell. This was Monday last, Sept.
Is, and Mrs. Newell was sworn in as
agent. The postmaster general was in
formed that such action had been
taken, and it would create dissatisfaction
among The people and compromise the
st. Paul postmaster to undo what had
been done. In further discussing the
matter, Col. Lee SAID:
Lees Version
81 received a telegram from Mr.. Wan
amaker Wednesday night to suspend
the order to establish the carrier system
at st. Anthony Park, but the order came
fNO lotn Dfof-
surrendered his office and had turned
over all the stamps and other effects of
his Office to me. | had appointed the
agent. as well as the carriers, and the
latter had bought their horses, ready to
begin the work of delivering letters to-
day. | sent my assistant, Mr.. O'Brien,
and uperintendent of carriers, Capt.
Hardacre. there to-day to start the
work under the new system, and
they would have put up the drop
letter boxes but for the rain.
They will go out tomorrow
and put up the boxes and the delivery
of letters under by my mail carriers will
go on to-day, and until | am stopped
from doing so. telegraphed the post
master general that my action in the
matter is right and that | should be sus-
tanned in what had done, and my ac-
orders from him. l have also written a
letter TO him explaining the situation,
and expect he will sustain my action.
Senator Davis also telegraphed to the
effect that he is responsible for what
has been done, and stated that | should
be sustained in the matter, and has as
Sured me that | have done right. He
has also informed Gen. Nettleton that
he has no right to Interfere III the mat
ter"
Responsible to Lee.
In discussing the patter further, Col.
Lee SAID:
"The agent is under my care and
has given a $1,000 bond to me. and
am responsible for his acts, and Ihave
the right to name such person as think
proper or can depend upon to look after
my interests. Mr.. Pickard did not ask
me for the appointment. | informed
the postmaster general that there were
circumstances that would prevent my
appointing Mr.. Pickard. The location
of the agency is as central as was the
postoffice. l tried to get an Office in the
same building where the postoffice was
located but could not succeed. The
new location is within two blocks of
the old one, and is in drug
store where there will be some
one all the time to attend to the mail.
The clerk in the drug store has been
also sworn in as deputy. This fight
has been between Minneapolis and st.
Paul. The people of the former city
want to control the matter, but it is un-
der my charge. The people making the
fight against the change
Are minneapolis People.
OF course the owner of the building
where Mr.. Pickard had the office is in ia
vor of him. Of the men making the
fight Gov. McGill does business in Min
neapolis and has his office there. Gov.
Marshall. it is true, resides in suburb
of st. Paul, but in all con
tests between the two cities in
the past thirty years he has sided
with Minneapolis. Gen. Nettleton
is Minneapolis. man and he has taken
up their interests. The people of ST.
Anthony Park, with the exception of a
half dozen persons, as far as know or
could ascertain, are in favor of the de-
livery system and my appointment.
Senator Davis is satisfied that what
have done IS right, and has telegraphed
the postmaster general 10 that effect
and asked that | be sustained, and he
assured me that | will be sustained. AS
to the charge made in some quarters.
that am Democrat, have only to
say that my course during my term of
office has not been controlled by poll
tics and have not made it political
Office. ] did not make the appointment
of Mrs. Newell for political reasons.
On the contrary. l learned recently that
she and her husband are Republicans.
although that had nothing to do with
the appointment"
Talk of Removal.
: This big war over 4 small matter has
started the goSsips to specializing as to
the probable removal of the postmaster
before his term of Office expires in De-
cember. 1t is thought by some that it
may hasten the appointment of his sue
cessor. rs tie easiest way to solve the
problem. Col. Lee is personal friend
of Gen. Wanauaker, and no doubt
thinks he knows enough about the man
to feel that he is secure in his action.