Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-05
A NEW POSTMASTER.

HIS First Days Experience In sup
porting the Honors.
DwALE, DICKINSON COUNTY. VA.
August 81. 1896.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
without any prelude I will introduce
directly my subject. and then proceed TO
tell you Of an experience / have nad'
which is new to me. wish to tell you
of my first experience with "P. NJ" at
tached to my name.
To begin with. we have new post.
office at our place. Among severai
names suggested, the Post-Ofice Depart
on the list, "Dwale." ! liked the name
tin informed myself as to the mean
ing Of the word: Sable. black, color;
the deadly nightshade," does not seem
to harmonic with a bright. sunny place
like ours.
The day before our mail was to go
for the first time came. and some OF
our netghbors began to talk OF mailing
letters In the evening young man
came In with two letters. which he said
he would like to mail; but that. con-
trary 10 a natural law. vacuum oid
exist In his pocket-book. Well. did
not WIFI u icSSSn my iSPoeosaSs Aos
liteness, as I thought II was small
enough already: so / told him did not
intend to make a practice OF selling
Uncle Sans stamps to people on time.
but that he could have them, and settle
the bill next week. He got the stamps:
but I wanted that I cents lawfully
bad. Nobody else came In on "busi-
ness" Till after might when a fellow ar
rived. full Of hurry And hustle. He had
three letters-one vas enclosed In an
old envelope. which Was 70 crumpled that
you could hardly tell whether II had
been intended for an envelope, or for a
paper bag. such as are to be seen at
the grocers. He said one Of these let
tiers was for himself. and the other two
were for his father He brought an old
stamp Cor the postage Of his own: but
his father had sent no word whatever
about the payment for his. 1t was
dark: but l thought the old stamp
looked like It had done service enough
for the country to be put upon the re-
tired list, though, as the mail would not
go until 8 A. NJ. next day. I put II away.
intending to scrutinize II carefully by
daylight This I did. and sure enough
1t had an honorable discharge. for 1t
bore too plainly the disfguring impress
sion OF Uncle Sans canceller. So. In
justice 10 the clu stamp. WIN tHe ugiy
little Ink spots all over its face. and the
skin all torn from its back. as II was
pulled from the cid envelope. I could
not force II into service again; but had
to put new stamps on the letters. after
enclosing them in envelopes from my
own private stock. Then / began to
think that even a post-ofiice wouldn't
pay. when n girl came In with an en-
velope In her hand. and my heart sank
lower at the sight; for girls are pro-
verbally SLOW" paymasters when
stamps are under consideration. She
placed the envelope on my desk, and
said she wished me to write letter
for her. picked up the envelope. when
10! there were two bright coppers in IT.
each as big as a full moon! Bless her
thoughtful soul! l was willing. then. to
write 10000 letters for her: but she only
taxed me with writing one. which was
to go to some matrimonial bureau
concern. This, with my own. was the
mail for the first day.
1t was then time for the departure OF
the mail. and the carrier boy. came
In, and said that some OF the boys had
been teasing him most mercilessly about
carrying the mail. I tried to encourage
him. telling him that he should girdle
on his 'paraphernalia" and go forth
without fear: for. behold. Uncle Sam was
at his back with a million dollars. II ne
cessary. THE BUSY REPORTER.