The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-02

Per Year.
WASHINGTON. July Especial. Con
Qress is nearly ready TO adjourn again, and
the letter carriers Of the country have
again failed TO get Justice at the hands of
the national lawmakers. They have been
at work long time trying to get an in
crease of pay from congress They have
had several bills fnvorably reported from
committees of the house and senate, but
something has always interfered TO pre-
vent passage of the acts through the two
houses. A great many public men think
| the plea of the letter carriers Is just one,
and am sure that great majority OF my
readers will agree with me when i say
that the increase of salary proposed is no
more than the just deserts of men who are
among our most faithful and useful public
servants. Probably every reader of this
dispatch has had the same thought that
now comes to the writer-admiration for
the regularity with which the letter car
rier comes to ones Office or house, In all
sorts of weather, early and late, and al
ways handling his mail so carefully and
accurately.
The Free Delivery System.
The free delivery system of the United
States postoffice department will soon cele-
brate its thirty fifth anniversary. 1t was
on July ], 1868, that the system was estab-
lished. At first there were only 40 free
delivery offices. Now there are about 600.
There are in the country something like
IL, 900 carriers. They handle in year the
enormous total-the inconceivable number
! of $3.50, 900 pieces of mail. The post
master general has certified TO the accurate
manner in which these carriers do their
| 10 no mn min M
which come i'm concerning misdelyery OF
mail, delay in delivery, delivery TO wrong
address and other errors of the carriers do
not average more than 800 year. Up
TO 1874 the free delivery system was not
J self sustaining-that Is, its expense was
| not betrayed by the local postage. But at
! the end of the fiscal year 1915 the local post
age outbalanced the cost of free delivery,
! and up to the present time the system has
surplus to its credit of more than SO, OOO,-
600. 1t is fair to assume that almost all
the postal earnings from local postage are
due TO the free delivery system.
In cities of less than $4,000 population
letter carriers are paid 5000 and $3.50
year, according to the length of their serv-
ice In cities of more than 5000 popula-
tion tho pay is 5000, $500 and 81 200. 1t
is proposed to increase the pay of carriers
who have been more than four years in
service to 81 900 year in the former and
to 81 200 year in the latter. In time this
increase will be granted as an act of JUS
tice to deserving class of public servants.
There are substitute carriers in the service
who draw the munifcent salary of 81 a
year; but of course, this is only nominal.
Their actual pay is at the rate of 5000
year when they serve any length of time
for regular carrier who is away i'll or
away on his vacation. For short trips
they are paid pro rata from the regular
carriers wages.
Faithful Service Rendered.
Letter carriers are the government en-
ployees with whom the public has most TO
do. They visit our homes and offices every
day, almost every hour. They are close TO
the people They know every one and ev-
cry one knows them. For these reasons
Uncle Sam is very careful as to the char
acter of the men he employs. They must
be citizens of the United States, between
| the ages of Is and 40 years and they must
( bo known to be honest, temperate and in
dustrious. They have to give bond of 81,
, 600 for faithful performance of their du-
, ties Look about among the lettor carriers
of your city and note if they are not among
your best citizcns-attentiye TO duty, cour'
teous, painstaking, good husbands, fathers
and neighbors. Letter carriers must pro
, vide their own uniforms. They are not
permitted to solicit gifts or subscriptions,
to talk much or whistle or sing or smoke
] or Ioiter while on duty, and they are barred
/. from entering saloons during working
. hours save in discharge of their duty.
4 Personal Matters.
y Mrs Mckinley, as every one knows
: does not enjoy perfect health. For this
reason there has been much surprise thai
y she should be so fond of travelling about
n the country. Whenever the president goe
on journey Mrs. Mckinley accompanies
him. She is genuinely fond of travel
e This is true in part because she loves to se'
e how much the people admire her HUSBAND
n and in part because she really enjoys travel
She is never so well as when on the cars
e During the trip of the president and hi
q cabinet to Nashville last month some yer.
:, hot weather was encountered Every on
n suffered from the heat-every one but Mrs
Mckinley. She was in her element. Sh
T. dotes upon hot weather All she fears !
i cold especially drafts. While every on
y else was sweltering she sat in closed draw
n ing room of the private car perfectly com
Portable and happy. She Is good traveller
" especially in hot countries.
70 Standing upon a hill In that famou
battlefield Chickamauga, General Gros
venor told the presidential excursion part
N how he and his regiment had been ordere
Ia to hold the eminence, how a gallant troo
of Confederates came charging up, steadil
closing up the ranks that were cut by tn
q. bullets from the defenders guns, and al
preached nearer and nearer till the me
could see the whites of one another's eyei
g. General John Beatty Of Ohio was In con
20 mand there, and he offered brigade
generals commission to any one thd
." should capture the rebel flag that prou
y. young southerner was bearing up the hi
IN In advance of his men step by step, an
:. every step nearer death.
w "We made q rush for that color bearer,
~ said General Grosvenor, "but just befor
ns we could reach him he fell MORALLY wount
cd. We pulled him up to the top OF th
hill and put him against that tree there
He was beautiful boy, fair as Adoni
es and he died with smile on his handson
u, face"
"But what became of the flagP" aske