The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-08-26
THE POST OFFICE CORRIDOR.
rho Same Scenes May be Witnessed In Al
most Any Federal Building.

rho Same Scenes May be Witnessed In Al
most Any Federal Building.
"A pen, please9"
Just over there, lady,"
This unceasing question and tireless
response is heard daily at the post
Office stamp window. No better place
to study human nature in its various
phases can be found than the waiting
room of a large depot or the corridor OF
a frst-class or presidential postoffice.
Everybody patronizes the postoffice;
it has no opposition and does not adj
vertise its wares. The Italian ditch
digger buys the same class of goods
that t he rich lady in costly silks, who
is driven to the entrance of the Office in
her coupe, purchases. On an average
only two persons out of every twenty
five pass the Utica post Office without
entering it. AS lounging place
the long corridor is an immense
success. In the winter several large
radiators manage to keep the
corridor comfortably warm; men and
boys with more time on their hands
than money in their pockets, stand by
the hour in the corridor looking at va
cancy through the windows. In the
summer the attendance is even better
than during the cold weather.
Not all the people in this city have
their mail delivered by the carrier, but
purposely have it left at the office; this,
for reasons of their own. How fire.
quently is heard the remark: I've got
to go to the post Office to see if there's
any mail for me-" Many persons call
at the Office for mail when they no
more expect letter than they expect
the delivery clerk to hand them a gold
bond. The attitudes of the post Office
pen users furnish quite a study for the
observer. A lady with a long embroid-
cred wrap reaching to and trailing on
the floor approaches the desk; the large
square envelope of Irish linen paper
denotes that the letter was written at
home, but brought to the post Office to
be addressed and mailed. She reads
the contents just once more, after
which she seals it and drops it in the
box. The same pen that a moment ago
was held by the fair white hand of the
lady just mentioned, is now grabbed
by stout, stockybuilt young man.
His coat and hair are short; he has had
the smallpox, and he chews tobacco.
1t is hard work for him to write. A
peep over his shoulder disclose the first
paragraph of his letter, which has
taken him seven minutes to write:
deer bill. Here 4 am busted. This
Town is no Good for us people oni-
how"
4 A man with high-water pants, a chin
whisker and a general get up of strict
economy next comes to the desk. lie
is writing on a postal-card, for he has
just learned that it costs as much to
send letter to Deerfield as it does to
send one to Oregon, so he buys card.
A thick-set Italian comes next to the
desk; he glances at the ink well and
pens, then he grins; it's too much for
him, he can't write, so he goes to
the delivery Swindow and asks one of
the clerks to write the address
for him. He is bluntly told ''No; go
out and get someone else to write it. !"
After he has stuck five-cent stamp on
his letter, it being intended for Italy,
he pockets the letter and goes out to
find somebody who will write the
superscription for him. Curiously
enough, Hebrew comes in few min
utes later with letter which he, too,
couldn't address; he puts the same
question to the clerk at the window
gets the same answer and goes the
same way that the italian did-to find
someone who would write the address
on his letter.
Another of the characters in the
daily post Office drama, is the man who
after he has seen the carrier go by his
house or store goes to the office and in
quires If there isn't any mail for him on
carrier so-and-so's desk? The clerk
tells him that the carriers when they
leave the Office take all their mail
with them unless it is pack
age too large to carry, in which case
they leave a notice to the person for
whom the package is intended to come
to the offico and get it. Fer the benefit
of those who are in the habit of using
the large size postal cards with one
cent stamp affixed thereto, to send to
foreign countries, it may be said such
cards are not forwarded. They are too
large. The postal regulations say that
no card over six inches in length and
three inches in width can be sent to
European countries For this purpose
an international card is provided, which
costs two cents. The smaller size
postal card, with one-cent stamp at
tached, are also mailable. The Italians
sen6 more foreign letters than any
o.her nationality, the English follow
next, then the Ger mans. The Welsh
send the least of all.-Utica Observer.