Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-04-12

! Regular quarterly pay, per the con-
tract ...-.......--....-...--.- Yl W
More per quarter, under order No.
1888 4s
Total quarterly compensation .....- 81 a
It was at this juncture that Moses
moral qualities came out illustrio us
He felt that money was not the only
consideration. He was, in his humble
way, the custodian of public trust.
He owed certain duties. not only to
Knob Lick and to his bondsmen and
to the people of Libertyville, Avon
and Cofman, who depended on him
ard his mule for the prompt receipt
of their letters and newspapers, but
also to American ideas of good citi-
zenship and loyalty to the constituted
authorities.
All who know the circum stances
testify that Moses conduct, at crisis
so important to himself, was very hon
orable, disinterested and patriotic.
Greater men than he, in greater emer-
gencies, have manifested less fidelity
to the public interests. Actuated by
such a spirit, and comforted, no boubt,
by the belief that so obvious and sim
pie an error as was involved in the
matter of his annual pay could be rec
tilted without much delay by Govern
ment as great and powerful as that OF
the United States of America, Moses
determined to accommodate the depart
| ment and his friends at Libertyville,
Avon and Coffman; he would continue
to carry the mail bags at the annual
rate of $5 72, extra compensation in
cluded, until the tangle could be
Strengthened out at Washington; oven
though the pay was hardly enough to
keep properly shod the off hind foot
of one of his mail mules. And he ac-
tually performed the service at that
ridiculous rate of pay until April 10,
1888.
But the tangle was not Strengthened
out at Washington. The red tape got
snarled around Moses worse and worse
as the months went by. 1t twisted
itself around the legs of Pendergrass'
bondsmen, some members of Congress
from Missouri, the Senators from that
State and the higher officers of the
Post Office Department and the Trea-
ury Department, both under Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration and General
Harrison's. Serious questions of law,
ment precedent and routine arose,
and the official correspondence during
several years, concerning Moses and
his 81 contract, became SO voluminous
that it would fill a small volume.
Moses understood nothing of all this;
he kept on in his simple. straightfor-
ward way, carrying the mails, in or
der that the service might not be in
terrupted, and depending on the
Government to set him right in the
end
Finally it became apparent that the
only way to cut the red tape and let
Moses out was for him to become tech
nically a defaulter on his contract by
refusing to perform the service. He
gave months notice in the spring of
1888, and, at the same time, wrote, or
rather dictated, personal letter to
the Second Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral. It it not without pathos and
homely dignity.
Knob Lick, Mo-, March /, 1855
Dear Sir: I notified the honorable
Postmaster General that I was COM
PEELED to give up my contract
My bid was $400. The Postmaster
at Knob Lick made it out for me, and
made it 81 when he wa nted to make
it $40O. The Postmaster General |
wrote me that for further information |
to communicate with you and state the
reason for quitting my contract. am
a poor man and have a family to sup |
pOFb, duu uO" Cdu w LII Ou Pt a CdE.
1t would be limited support, and |
if you can do something for me your
favor shall never be forgotten. assure I
you. I have now carried the mail I
three quarters. Am now bound to quit /
if there is not a change made. Please
let me hear from you soon. am
yours truly,
MOSES PENDERGRAss.
In reply Moses received curt note
from the Office OF the Second Assistant
Postmaster General informing him
that If he abandoned the service it
would be relet at the expense of him
self and his surities. Moses held on
for 80 days, and then for 10 days long
er in order not embarrass to the Unit
ed States Government Then he quit,
and the department engaged somebody
else to carry the mail bags. paying the
substitute 50 trip, where Moses had |