Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-18
HAIL AND FAREWELL,
New Administration at the POST
Office Begins.

A Pleasant Event Tuesday Eveninp-.-
Major Childs's Long and Acceptable
Term ofService---Improveme which
IL Years Have Brought.
DR.. Webster received his commission as
postmaster on Tuesday, and at the close of
the days business at o'clock Tuesday
evening the control of the office was for
mally turned over to him by Mai. Childs
The change of administration was marked
by very pleasing incident. Mai. Childs
and DR.. Webster were together i'm the post
masters private office, and Just at the
! stroke OF 8 the five letter carriers appeared,
headed by their senior, ID. K. Tasker. In
a gracefully turned speech Mr. Tasker pre-
scented to Maj, Chlds in behalf of the car
riers gold-headed cane, saying that in
view of their long and happy association
with the outgoing postmaster the carriers
| wished to mark the occasion with this eX-
preston, and to wish him complete recov-
cry OF health and many years of happiness
and usefulness. Maj. Chlds replied with
a cordial expression of his thanks and APP
probation, and in closing said to DR.. Web
ster that he could only wish for him the
same loyal and efficient service which the
carriers had so cheerfuly rendered in the
past. Dr. Webster replied, expressing his
confidence that such service would be re-
ceived, and Mr.. Tasker answered for the
carriers that, while their first duty was to
the public, it would be the wish and pleasure
of the carriers to give to the new postmas-
ter the same personal support which had
been given to Maj. Childs. The manifes-
tation of feeling on the occasion was in it,
Golf tho host nf tho sipparitv pf
these expressions At the opening of bust
ness Wednesday morning Dr. Webster be-
gan his term as the responsible head of the
office.
a Long Term of Public Service.
Mai. Chlds leaves the Office after peri
cd of postal service which covers upward
of % years, though this service has not
been entirely continuous. He was APP
pointed postmaster in January, 1856,
took possession the following March, and
! has been twice reappointed, but previous
to becoming postmaster he had served as
clerk under Postmaster X. w. Clarke, and
before that had been railway mail clerk.
In the interval filled by the incumbency of
G. II, Mansur as postmaster he was en-
gagged in the insurance business When
Mr.. Childs became postmaster the office
occupied a small room on the south side of
, the town building. He began soon after
to urge on the department the need of
more room and greater facilities. He Wis
, tied Washington and laid the matter be-
/, ! fore the postmaster general and the out
come was the fitting up of new and mod
ern office on the north side of the building
with a money order department and pri-
D., vate office. The clerical force was in.
= creased and street letter boxes were intro
Y | Will Jai1u oOllaotops nv or ntii 10.
: clerk. During the second year of his tern
came the free delivery service, four car
}, rieIs being employed at first, fifth being
n added later on and the number of deliver
l. les increased. Various improvements TO!
lowed to facilitate the handling of th'
:. mails. A clerk was sent to Greentiel,
n each morning to sort the Brattleboro mai
i on the way north and make it ready 10
immediate delivery on arrival of the train
Four stamp agencies were finally establish
- - ed after repeated refusals by the depart
= ment. An afternoon mail to Brattlebor
- over the Brattleboro Il Whitehall road wa
secured for the benefit of the West Rive
~ towns, and then came the Sunday after
p noon collection by the carriers for tn
+ night train, affording the delivery of thi
mail in Boston and New York the mex
Sc morning Bratteboro was the secon
h ports which are received daily by telegrap
and sent out to more than 70 ditferer
IN points by an ingenious system of logOtypt
es which are quickly set up and despatched
er The latest addition to our very complet
local postal service is the rural free deli'
U ery recently begun, which affords so niue
al satisfaction to the residents on its line.
no An improvement in which Maj. Chile
believes, and which he hopes to see CON
in due time, is one in the line of expos
~, master General Wanamaker's ideas, viz, I'll
~ ~ consolidation of the smaller offices in II
10 county under one general head, and e
tending to them, so far as possible. II
KS benefits and facilities of the larger office
to with the free delivery system as poss
D. bility of the future.
There has been a very large increase
i'll the volume of business of the Brattlebo
er Office during these twelve years. 1t is Il
dy doubtedly safe to say that, with the bu
lie. ness of the registry and money order d
in partments added to the postal receipts, u
n amount of money handled by the office
ie- considerably more than half million Dc
~. lars annually.
,.a Mai. Childs's natural taste and aptitu
20 for the postal service have been faithful
~. and enterprisngly used by him for L
81, benefit of the BrattlebOro community.
- has been quick to see what improvement
, and developments were possible and h
le- been active and untiring in using eve
IN available means to secure them. In the
Ie' efforts he has had the active support OF
on office associates, and the support of the pr
pie as well. He has earned the good W
B. which he enjoys, and everybody gives h
yer good wishes for his permanent recovery
is health, and for his long continuance in t
of responsible and congenial life insurar
work which he now takes up.
ISIS Dr. Webster begins his administratl
tie, of the Office with determination to
r. quaint himself with all the details of
in daily routine, the mechanical work
cluded, by actual experience. To him
,rt- assured the same measure of good-w
a confidence and support which has been
ley freely enjoyed by his predecessor
by
HIGH SCHOOL NOTES.