Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-30
AGED POST OFFICE OFFICIAL.
w. II. Wallace, Sr., Has Served Sixty
Seven Years Continuously.

w. ii. wallace, Sr., Has Served Sixty
Seven Years Continuously
w. H. Wallace, sr., postmaster at Ham
mondsville Station, Ohio, has written an
interesting letter to Postmaster General
Gary. He has served under thirty-four
postmasters general, including the present,
and is in his forty-sixth year as railroad
station and ticket agent. He says
'HAMMONDSVILLEf STATION, OHIO.
August 20, 1897
POSTMASTER GENERAL GARY,
Washington City, D. c.:
My Dear Mr. Gary: Please permit your
humble servant to address you on the sub
Ject of his incumbency in the mail service.
l have entered upon my sixty-eighth wear
in that service, having commenced as an
assistant postmaster while Gen. jackson
was President and William F. Barry of
Kentucky was Postmaster General, June.
1890 l have been in the service all these
continuous years. Including yourself
have served under thirty-four postmasters
general; In my continuous years of rail-
road station, ticket and express agent
nearly as long This combination of offices
ana length of term held by single person
has no parallel in the United States and
not likely ever to have,
NOW am in my eighty sixth year of
age and nave spent over seventy of these
years in business life, commencing in 1896
as a clerk in store when John Quincy
Adams was President. The change that
has taken place in the matter of postage
on letters is wonderful. indeed. In early
times distance governed the postage on
letters up to 100 miles and more. The
price OF such letter was % cents. The
postmaster, who was also merchant
TOOK produce for letters the same as for
goods. L have taken for postage for such
letter named two bushels of oats, two
fo,,r ,1,
or 1--WE dozens of eggs. To pay the postage
on thirty-two letters such as named the
farmer would have to sell good cow
In early times it was death by the law
TO rob the United States mails. Seventy
nine wears ago. when a little boy in the
city OF Bait mere, I saw Hare and his chum
hung for robbing the mail and later on
hutton HAN for the same offense and kill
ing the driver. What revolution rail-
roads have caused in postage and travel
by the way, sixty-six years ago l passed
over the first thirteen miles of railroad
built IN the United States by the Balti-
more and Ohio. Motive power, two horses
tandem; rate of speed ten miles an hour
This mode of locomotion continued to
Frederick, Md.
Il have been collecting the photos of
famous men in church and state, and have
a large collection. / have those of your
immediate predecessors Messrs Villas
Wanamaker, Bissell and Wilson. 1t will
anord me pleasure to be made recipient of
your likeness Among the famous men
FAMED are those of President Mckinley,
Speaker Reed. Whitelaw Reid, Chauncey
NJ. Depew. the late J. E, Roberts, presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania railroad; Secre-
tary John Sherman and others. Please
excuse this effusion, and honor me with
your likeness at your earliest convenience
Very sincerely yours,
wv. H. WALLACE, SR.'
The letter, considering the age of the
writer, eighty-six years, is remarkably well
written and showed not the least sign of
tremulousness