Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-07-04
Out i'm - AriZOny."
NEW RULES FOR THE TOWN POST
OFFICE.

NEW RULES FOR THE TOWN POST
OFFICE.
| a CLEANING During the
last four years certain members of
Congress have been very courteous
and generous toward The Kicker in
the matter of forwarding public
documents. Many n time it has
taken two extra mail-bags to bring
them along, and for days at a time
they have been about the only mail
received. While our heart goes out
to the officials for their trouble and
liberality, we cannot help but SYM
pathiZe with the postoffice depart
ment. AT close estimate we have
received tons of pub. docs. on which
not cent of postage was paid. In
no one instance have we more than
glanced at the title page. They have
been packed up in room as fast as
received, and the other day, when
we wanted the room and decided to
clean out the deadhead" we found
the heap measured just three cords.
They were removed by horse and
wagon to the vacant lots in the rear
of the office and consigned to the
flames, and it was three days and
nights before the last volume was
consumed. 1t may be possible that
some member of Congress, statisti-
clan, historian, editor or private cit
izen finds use for some of these pub
lie documents sent out with such lib
eral hands, but we believe the best
use that can be made of them is to
send them to the prairie settlers of
Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
A four pound pub. doc. will burn for
about 80 hours, taking the place of
an eighth of q cord of wood, and be.
ing compact and easy to handle and
warranted clear of microbes and ex-
plosions, they would be welcomed as
boon and made good use of.
A CUSTOM ABOLIsHED.--Eve
since this town had postoffice it has
been the custom of certain people
who called at the general devliery
for mail to pull gun and shoot
through the opening to attract atten-
tion. The first two postmasters put
up plank in range to catch the bull
lets, but the last critter was too lazy
| ohA Oiil tlCoS W CdIS Saving
three or four pounds of lead per
week and allowed the bullets to go
through the opposite wall and out
over the sand lots. During this time
two of the employees were acci-
dentally shot and many of the mail
bags damaged. The calls at the win
dOws and the firing were so frequent
that the Office was always blue with
smoke and oppressive with the smell
Of gunpowder. If our predecessor
ever thought of change for the bet
ter, he hadn't the pluck to make a
start. Ten days ago we put up q
sign at the right of the window,
reading: Don't shoot, but rap on
the window" No one needed the
sign, and after two days we replaced
1t with one reading: No attention
paid to shooters" Old Jim Hewson
and his crowd came in one after an
other and fired - shots apiece
through the window and walked off.
There were 33 shooters, and the
shooting was rather continuous for
several hours. The east wall of the
postotfice was so damaged that we
had to get carpenter to put in some
new planks.
Our third sign read: Anyone
shooting through the window will
be shot at in return" That same
old Jim Hewson was the only man
} in town who wouldn't believe that
we meant business. He came in,
read the sign, pondered over it for
} awhile, and then fired shot through
the window. That is why Mr.. Hew.
son Is laid up with bullet in his leg
and why he won't cavort around
town for several weeks to come. lie
was contending for custom 15 years
old, and we feel no resentment. In
deed, we used to shoot through thai
: same window ourself before we be
came part of the United States pos
tai department. We don't expect
! to run this postOffice in tho high
, toned, gOld-laced manner which pre-
walls in Chicago or st. Louis, but W.
, shall aim to have a system and tC
= preserve a certain dignity. If any
one wants to rap on the shelf of tht
, general delivery window with tht
butt of his gun, no one will com
. plain, but there must be no NOR,
q shooting. When we are engaged il
= our duties as postmaster, all invita-
. tions to drink will be respectfully
. but firmly declined, and no outside
=, will be admitted to our private room
!, except on official business. Whel
we are at The Kicker office, we cal
! be called" old man" and when il
> our mayors Office we shall not re
q sent a good-natured slap on the back
= It's a sort of sliding scale, and tn
sooner the crowd gets on to it tn,
:, better it will be all around.
TRUE goodness is like the glow
: WORM Ii ahinao nnnSt mhnn no QUO