The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-01-08
how OLD BIXBY SAVED THE MAIL.

vile and Denver were young. Think
er's Flat, sixty miles southwest of
Denver sprang up, like Jonah's gourd,
in a night. One day the spot was a
barren waste; the next it was alive
with couple of hundred mon, work
ing rich vein of silver for all there
was in it. Soon afterward, postal SER
vice was demanded, and when the in
spector came to investigate, he found
that old Bixby, an "early settler"
was the only man who owned horse
and buggy and who was willing to
enter the service of Uncle Sam as
mail carrier between Denver and
Tlnker's Flat So contract was
made for four years, in which it was
stipulated that Joe Bixoy should give
Tinker's Flat weekly mail privi-
ledge. in return for which said Bixby
was to receive the sum of six hundred
dollars per annum.
1t was bonanza Tor Joe; because,
in addition to the mails (Which were
by no means burdensome), the old
fellow was able to carry many pack
ages for "the boys" who were GER
tainly not illiberal payers. Putting
everything together, Bixby made a
very good living. which was treat
Cor him after having lived for about
sfty-five years upon what he and his
father before him could scrape to-
gether out of a scrubby frontier farm
6rst in Ohio, then in Iowa and last in
Colorado.
His earnings were large, too, with
out placing Joe in any particular risk.
For the value Of what he carried was
auslgniticant-eXcept, perhaps, once
month, when the miners at Tinker's
Flat sent part of their payday receipts
IN registered packages to wives and
mothers in the east At such times,
Joe kept good lookout and carried
tsn extra bulldog iii the ample side
pocket Of his old coat; but he was
never attacked, and only hoped that
at the end of the four years, his con-
tract might be renewed.
Bixby was not entirely alone in his
appreciation of the substantial bene-
fits which carrying the mail brought
TO him.
At his home, midway between
Tinker's Flat and Denver, dwelt his
family consisting of his wife and
daughter. When Joe Bixby married
his wife she was the handsomest girl
an Putnam county, Ohio. But she
was good, and had managed to keep
-r)oe In the traces when he, as young
man, had felt somewhat inclined to be
wild. She appreciated good living.
and was glad at last they could have
it But she was chiefly glad for the
sake of her husband and their daugh-
ter.
Oh, their daughters! Well, all the
fellows that had the good fortune to
Irest their eyes upon Nell Bixby said
she was the ''slap-uppest" girl in sigh
OF the Rockies. She was. She was a
magnificent young woman-an in
proVemenJ upon what her mother had
'oeen thirty years before. But only in
appearance. She hadn't her mothers
gentle nature, for she Gas her father
had once been) was inclined to be
wild. No, she wasn't bad; but she was
villful and impetuous, and her mother
was terribly afraid of what might
happen.
And Nell was glad of her fathers
improved circumstances, because it
meant for her new dresses and all the
llttle gew-gaws and knick-knacks so
dear to young womanhood. Joe Bixbv
never denied his daughter anything
that it was in his power to give her,
FOR If the girl had one redeeming quail
lily, it was her intense affection for
Che old dad. She often worried her
mother frequently hurt the good
woman's feelings-and didn't care at
all what she did; but say unkind things
TO or about dad? Never! This is not
a love story, but incidentally it NAV
oe mentioned that, although desper-
ate tlirt, Nell Bixby never lost her
heart to any of the boys who knew
her: Perchance she cherished higher
aspirations, or perchance- we'll it is
merely speculation.
Alas for Joe Bixby's hopes! One
day. when his contract had but a few
weeks to run, he saw displayed in the
Denver post-office a printed notice in
viting bids for a large mail contract.
Colorado had settled up rapidly, and
there were many other places beside
Thinkers Flat which now needed postal
facilities Joe read the notice caro-
fully, and discovered that his old route.
under the new order of things, formed
out small part of the latest arraoce-
.ment, which was all to be let in one
contract.
Bixby had but one horse and buggy:
he might have managed to buy an extra
rig; but to make bid on a contract
which would require at least dozen
horses was too big u thing altogether
for him. He concluded that he would
have TO throw up the sponge.
Inf ho I.