Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-02-17
DISTRIBUTIN' MAIL.
The Odd Method Carried Out on
Quaint Monhegan Island.
|; Reminds Visitor Of christmas Tree Pre-.
sens Distribution.
0BXS1UNyEt


10 one Ol IIlt SuIlIlltl NlSllplS SttIl'llllsS
near ~.
Il should judge that it was John
Fuller by the manner in which it is
written. You notice the writer slight
ed the last Of the word in all of them,
responded the hoarder, handing back
the cpistlc, after looking it over close
~ FIR few moments.
John Fuller is it? Wcll. who
would have guessed it," said the post
master. ''Whcn I vas a boy they
didn't teach much farming ut our school
but th"y told us how to write ard
can't sec why in the name Of common
sens" Il man can't write as he is told
to. If the letters of the alphabet were
not intended to bc made as they are
som" one would have changed them
and then we would have all changed,
but some people just won't write th'
way they ought to. but they will 80 on
making lines across a page and expect
us postmasters to read it.
This was but ore of the few Incl
dents that took place in the little post
office at Monhegan island during the
summer season when the summer Visi-
tors are tlockinE there in force.
The post office is one Of the most
unique things about the whole of the
unique and interesting island that all
summer visitors swear by when once
they have passed a night under the
rays Of the second-class light on Light
House hill ana have seen the sun set
over Manana island. or have heard the
''gruntcr" during the day and night.
To visit this post office is to the man
who was reared in the country to be
reminded Of the old days when he used
to attend the Christmas trees and
heard the list read off. Then again ii
is like a country post office from the
fact that it is the gathering place Of
every living soul in the vicinity. 1t is
the one grand meeting place Of the is
land
But first Of all take the arrival of
the mail The little steamer Wowenoc
pronounce it if you cam phys back and
forth between Boothbay Harbor, or the
main as it is called. and the island,
and is a mail boat three times a week.
The sighting Of the steamer at about
! o'clock in the afternoon, is the sig
nal for the natives to assemble in force
at the wharf to see the boat come in
and to get the mail: not only the ma
IiVes. but the summer bodrderS, who
are beginning Of late years to far out
number the natives. All plan to h"
somewhere near the wharf on the af-
tcrnoons Of the arrival of the mail,
and excursions that will delay the re-
coivinE Of the mail ana the arrival of
the steamer are unh"ard uf.
Mr.. Davis. tho postmaster, takes the
mail from Captain Humphrey Of the
.-',, n II a TO tn his
little home. "A hundred yards distant on
the top of the rise from the wharf In
to the good sized sitting room he
marches, and in behind a rail that di-
vid"s the northern end Of the room
from the rest of it. 1t is in this north
end where the mail of Uncle Sam is
kept. and the precinct is sacred.
The mail is taken out with due dclb-
Grafton, Notwithstanding the great
crowd that has now gathered in the
room 50 that they are placed as close
y as tn" cod fish down in tn" fish
houses. and then there are dozens Of
heads about the open windows ana
stIl others over m tn" wood pil- wait
ing. having dcputizrI others to tax.
their mail.
Th" letters are all backed stamped
7'''' ''' '''.' '''''''''i- -
!'' HI IN "" postmaster. ~ the rol" "t
N"h'a IauS. begins tn read m IN" Tt
"i7-
~ >. I"uS', n" VIII read
mere ri-h' mere. MY. DAVIS VIII
SPUN "'' inc ACTOR looking man Wh"
:" NJ '''I'N 'il "i'I0l "l " New l"fk
l'"I'i. -NI'l li'' HI''I "llI h' hlhi"d
''.u 'di' 4" H-,hi !" Mf. InHS'.
AIi,s Tl,lI,- I-y,I.y,t-.,,l
Hi'TN '''l'N h"'I I"""H.
''S''''' I'SI'""S '"' H't" H'dy
-" 'T'''' i'd'Is'S I"I ID ana
"''. .''''7'F ''f'iN ~ 80 h'I H'Il"S. Ini
|" ii''l'9 ~ ~ from Hcr FtlatlNcS-
ii'l PdI'iIt7 di' oh VI" lHIlhi "lth hof-
- .. MaEtt-
WIS l"Id 10 TAX" MS man, speak
"P Hi'i' mss Wh" IS stopping at TN"
N'3.' i,'"S'' MT- Mage Is the race
,, .. IL l'i
,I,,.,,, III. .o,,,. r IL, o.l.r,...
..p yr,., IN. n,
r Ill .
" ~ ' man.
-. .,hS ul1 " S"uliE HISS
J. II. furbrr. II mas h'eh sent 20
M 'IIHd dhi - Lewiston ana lo
'""lhnaN ana oh mere. ll Is from mi
'dS". ''Ii' hhoW' ~ Is mat hlllIlon-
are. am it! | VIII way that aside. for |
don't suppose he is here"
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