Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-04
THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
circumstances which Cnuscd Hin
Twice to Change His signature.

The Hon. Charles Emory Smith, the
postmaster general and one of the most
famous after dinner orators in the United
/ States, has had three distinct signatures
| Each has history, each a significance
and yet the change has never been ex-
planned.
When Mr. Smith came from Albany to
take the editorial chair of the Philadc-
phia Press, more than 10 years ago, he
! signed himself in the good, old IN 3honed
way, Charles e. Smith. To his intimutcs
he was known as Charlie" At that
time another Charles Il. Saith was the
president OF the Reading railroad, and
the letter carriers seemed to have per-
| siStcnt desire to cntangle each man in
the others confidence rs much as posi-
| bic. The most important letters coming
for the editor were always delivered TO
the president, and vice versa. The cOnd-
tons created annoyance, surprise and
amusement 1t continued for about n
year, neither man knowing the other per-
sonally. Finally, one night they net Mt
a banquet and began n good natured dis
! cuSsion as to what should be done about
! it.
"The thing IL going just a little too far
for your own sake" said the editor, "for
! am getting more inside news about
Reading stock and Reading interests than
you care to have me know"
ION the other hand" retorted the pres-
ident, as the diners listened with mcrri-
mcnt, Il am gaining more information
about state politics than probably you
would care to have me know"
just Mt this time the editor wns having
tician in Philadelphia, and his editorials
addressed to that gentleman in question
were always signed. IN the week follow
Ing his talk at the dinner the leading cdi-
torial was signed Charles Emory Smith.
The change Of signature was Immediately
caught up by those in the secret. and the
next day the Albany journal, which Mr..
Smith had edited for several years, came
out with an editorial on somewhat the
following lines
"Well. well. And so our old friend
Charles f.. Smith is now Charles Emory
Smith. All right, Charlie; well respect
you even if you have gone that far. but
we give you fair warning that if you ever
sign it c. Emory Smith our admiration
for you is gone forevermore."
This editorial from The journal was
republished in the Philadelphia Pres. the
next morning, and in the forcword Mr..
Smith told of the miscnrrying of letters
between the president of the Reading
railroad and himself. He told the story
with great good hiimor and explained
that he had signed the editorial with his
full name the day before with malice
aforcthought. He wanted it very much
to be remembered that L. stood for EN-
DRY in his name.
The newspaper world copied this edito-
rial widely. and the editor was more oft
en- referred to as Emory" Smith than by
any other name. So the signature stood
through the days Of his minstership to
Russia and the heavy political campaign
in which he was so eminent figure.
When he took up the portfolio of the
postmaster general in President McKin-
ley's cabinet, one OF the first OF the mi
nor duties which he was questioned
about was the signing of his name. The
chief assistant In going over the duties
with him looked aghast when Mr.. Smith
wrote out his full signature.
THAT will never do" he said. I'VE
must think of something better than
that"
But" said Mr.. Smith, "the name is
surely short and concise There can be
no trouble with three such Ineligible
words"
1T is not what the department must
suffer" was the answer, but what you
must suffer. Now, here is the condition
in a nutshell: The postmaster general
must sign his name on an average OF
1000 times Il day. This is 5000 times a
week. II you have Il letters in your
name, it means that you must sign 1900
letters a day, or 102 900 week"
Then Mr.. Smith began, with the aid OF
his assistants, to try signatures that
would embody his name and yet save him
work. Each letter was disputed over and
carefully weighed as to value as il it had
been bag Of gold. First he wrote out
G. Emory Smith, but some one laughing
ly said: Don't do that, or the Albany
journal will never have respect for you.
The newspapers would be flooded with
this old story before the signature had
been ont n week" Then he tried Charles
+. Smith. and again a friend reminded
him, Don't do that after the battle You
have waged to establish the Emory in
your name" Mr.. Calvin Wells, the pub
Usher of the Press, who was at the coun-
ell, said: Certainly not, Mr. Smith. The
editorial columns Of The Press establish
ed your second name beyond dispute, and
you must never 60 back on that"
Finally the signature was telescoped
down to the one which every postmaster
and letter carrier now knows. 1t has re-
tanned the letters which it fought for 10
years ago and it has saved the postmas-
ter genera the formation of 1000 letters
day. or over l,565, 600 letters a year.
1t is Oh. Emory Smith.-Phadelph
Saturday Evening Post.