The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-06-24

not got enough dashes-but they buckied
! on that armor which has made them sue
cessful in many another fight IN politics
and business, and one bright morning BOD
! West looked into the glass and has scalp
| lock was gone and he saw shadow form
| appearing in the background, winch, as u
| approached, developed into Marshall Nj.
! Murdock. who carried IN his hand parch-
ment publishing the fact that he had been
anpointed postmaster of the Wichita,
| Kansas, postoffice on the 1st day OF March
| 1910
| In the meantime, however, West, in or
| der to save his soul-had moved the Office
to the building occupied by Thomas shaw,
the music dealer. but his tender OF the
| olive branch came too late; ms
official life had terminated. Mr.. MIR
dock at once removed the Office back
again to Douglas avenue, IN the
| same room from where 1t had been taken
TO the Occidental hotel, and Douglas ave-
| nue. won for the second time, but the upper
eDders were not idle. No man ever lived
| who was a more gallant fighter than w. L.
Woodman He appealed to the powers
that be. He demanded that the depart
ment at Washington send special agent
| here to locate the post office lawfully, tbat
| its patrons could find 1t occasionally, SO
| tnat men who had lived here for years
would not have to inquire every morning
as TO its location. Again Crowell came
on and fixed its site IN the store
room now occupied by Mr.. sam
| Winch, in building belonging TO
the Woodman estate, where 1t remained
for many years during the entire admin
| istration of Mr. Murdock. for over eleven
years, during which time be received three
different commissions. 1t was during his
| administration that the growth from the
town TO the city took place and postal
| facilities which had, as a matter or TACT,
been lacking for several years, for this WAS
the distributing office for this entire south
western country, were not at all I'D keep
! ing with our rapid development. Ihe de-
partment at Washington in charge OF men
| who lived in sections of the country where
| il takes a hundred years to build city,
did not comprehend the demand for large
appropriations and for more clerk hire.
MODERN HISTORY.
Mr. Murdock rendered his resignation
shortly after the event of the Cleveland al
ministration in the spring OF 1880, but his
! successor was not appointed until the 2oth
day of July, 1856, at which time the late
Frank b. Smith, who had practically
grown mp in this place and developed from
the ''devil'' in the printing office to the
proprietor of the paper, and who had
! ALWAYS been the leader of the Democratic
host in its forlorn fights for free trade
and reform" in this section, was appoint
ed. Mr. Smith would not take the Office
| until it was removed into the large
quarters. and did not enter upon his duties
| until the first of October, 1886, ~ which
time the Office had been removed into the
building owned by Garfield Post Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic. Mr.. Smith
then renewed the fight for still larger ap-
propriations. and after rendering his reslg-
|
dred dollars of his own means, finally got
the appropriation increased to the amount
under which the Office rs now in operation.
The difficult task of establishing the free
delivery was accomplished during his ad-
ministration, which was considered sue
cessful by all parties.
| T. B. Jewett, the present postmaster
took charge of the postoftice August l,
1891, and moved into the government
building on October 81 of the same year.
1t is conceded by all, Democrats and Re
publicans alike. that he has made model
postmaster, holding place for ability and
! talent in the office second TO none In the
country, surrounded by the same cIrcum-
stances. He served the full term of bis
appointment to a day, his commission
having expired yesterday
The business of the postoffice last year
amounted TO S272. .59S A.
WHAT HE SAYS.
.'Yes." said he yesterday, 81 have just
heard of the appointment of Mr.. Fitch
aud aui glad OF it. l think he Will make
II first-c,ass postmaster lie has the aDlllty
to do the work and TO look after
it's affairs | shall he very glad to help
him in any way | possibly can for regard
ft not only as a courtesy to him but duty
| owe the community. with whom my re-
! latious have been very pleasant, as post
master. l was just thinking last night
and the thought occurred to me that the
patrons OF the Wichita office are the most
equitable tempered people in the world.
None of them have ever showed disposl-
tiou to be cranky with me or give me any
trouble 1t is "A great pleasure to serve
such people and | never realized 1t more
fully than since / have been in the post
office. have every reason to be proud OF
my four years in Office"
TOMS LIFE.
Thomas G. Fitch was born in the city Of
, Bath, Me-, on April 9, 1851 After sniff
ing the salt of tue Atlantic till the age OF
s. he accompanied bis parents TO Chicago
and afterwards came to I'll Dorado IN tins
! state.
While living in FL Dorado Mr.. Fitch
though but bov, taught school, boarding.
around from house to house. His family
again returned to Chicago and he attended
} the Ogden school there, and afterwards
read law in the University of Michigan a
Ann Arbor.
: He graduated from the law department
= there in 1851 or 1882, and started 10 Drac
= tice in Chicago, where he met Mrs Fitch
then Mrs. Lizzie Geohegan. When tn
4 family lived in Chicago the first time h
= aud Mrs Fitch lived on the same block
D They were married in 1887.
| He came to Wichita the year before il
< September, 1856. to accept a situation witt
the Davidson Investment company, an'
when he married moved into his presen
home III Riverside.
q He afterwards became manager or tb
h electric street railway in this city and he'll
D the position till a little over year az
: when he resigned his position.
< | S1,RI,Ep CAR ROW.