The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-14

| So up the stairs tne TWO boys went
and soon the hallway rang with uapgh-
| ter. In few minutes they returned
to the lower floor, but it was impossi-
BILE for them TO get their seat as it was
occupied.
| The sender of the comical valentine
wore a solemn expression as he turned
to his companion and said:
Say, Harry; L have just been think
| ing about sending that valentine. III
| she would find it out it would be all day
with me and Eleanor, and if L don
send il, Eleanor will be mad. II L
only had it directed / would let ii go,
but / am afraid she will know who ii
is. l am glad of one thing, and that -
we have had a good laugh over il any
way. 1t may be it will be like the
Irishman that laughed before he tickl-
ed the mules hind leg. Wonder if
We could get the man that sells stamps
to direct it?"
And with this happy solution Of the
question the two boys applied TO John
Carney, who directed the wonderful val
entine and ii was sealed and dropped
in the posttoffice with a one cent stamp
on where it will remain unless the party
to whom it is directed is willing to pay
the extra one cent.
Upon applying a the window and ask
ing the usual question as TO how was
business, George Lock said:
Come in I want to tell you something
TO put in the morning Eagle. 1 think
you should be willing as you have caus-
ed US no end Of trouble by bringing to
light the Wichita healer. which has al
most kept one clerk busy answering
letters"
The reporter told him he would gladly
make amends. but he could not regret
telling the world about the wonderful
healer as it had been the means Of much
happiness.
We'll, this has been the greatest day
during the present administration Of
the pOstoffice affairs of Wichita, Kan,
and 1 am afraid if something is not
done we will have to move UP stairs, If
We don't have to take off the roof"
why, what is the matter?' asked
the reporter.
why, you see that two-thirdS of the
people who mail those comic valentines
are careful 10 seal them up tight and
then go around to the window and
drop them into the Office with only l
cent stamp on. Now if they would
not seal them we could deliver them to
the persons to whom they are address,
ed, but as 1t is we have to take it out,
put on a stamp marked 1-cent due and
then if the person to whom it is address
ed refuses to take it out and pay the 1
cent, here it stays and must remain
until after IL is advertised and then
sent to the dead letter office.
''Oh, but this has been day for pos
tage stamps, and what We will do to-
morrow night, I can not imagine. John
Carney, in spite of all my warning has
fallen into the habit of licking stamps
and putting them on letters brought to
the window by pretty girls and il
would not surprise me if he had enough
gum-stick-em in him by tonight to seal
him up as tight as a clam. 1t is a
dangerous habit for a person to get in
TO and just think now horrible it would
be read on the back of on A. o. u. w.
assessment to see John Carney, died
from licking postage stamps for pref
ty girls That would look nice for a
cold tombstone for future generations
TO read. ] have one hope. and that is
that today's experience will thoroughly
break him, or else 1 will have to move
in lodge next Monday night that he be
placed on the extra hazardous list.
But, while we have had to fill up
the corridors with tables, and Mccoy
has had to assist Carney in selling
stamps, and the postoffice is liable to
be filled to the ceiling with comic val
entines which We cannot deliver. and
the mail carriers are to be loaded down
like pack mules for the next week or
ten days, yet there is a bright ray of
light about it all that should make
every heart in Wichita rejoice as they
read the morning Eagle, and that is
that nothing so nearly, or truly photo
graphs the real condition of a COM
munity as the postal system. Now,
upon this basis l would say that the
business of today was on an increase Of
200 per cent over the corresponding day
one year ago. Now this proves to me
that times are getting better. Kids
don't get money to spend for valentines
unless they first obtain it from their
parents. This thermometer upon the
business which is as true as the needle
TO the North pole and Wichita's St.
Valentine day of 1896 brings with it
greetings of returning prosperity.
'iCome down tomorrow and see the
fun. The good valentines will go 5
messages OF love and endearment 10
friends, while in most instances the
Comical ones viii remain in the office
and finally go out of existence at the
dead letter office"