Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-04-19

post office. But there is the rub"
he went on. (Which one? There is
McMurry-he is a veteran of the civil
war, and no better soldier ever Shout
dered musket. Then there is Ran
dali, a soldier of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war, and he must not be Sighted,
and last comes Murphy who now has
a son at the front. Well, l have no
choice in the three, now which shall
1t be9"
The troubled man walked on In deep
thought for a few moments, then pull
ing out his watch to ascertain the time
he exclaimed: ~ have it! will leave
1t to chance, and may the disappointed
candidates and their friends have
mercy on me. l can make no mistake
in the three. Either of them would fill
the bill. Tonight will not wind my
watch. 1t will stop in the morning at
about the time l awake. If it stops on
an even number of minutes, McMurry
gets the post office; if it stops on an odd
number Randall is the winner, and if it
stops five seconds either way from the
minute mark Murphy will be open for
congratulations"
With that the old warrior and states
man thrust the watch into his pocket
and went back to his work of framing
caustic speech against measure pre-
pared by the other side of the house.
The matter of the post office vacancy
at Pamunkey was out of his head so
far as he was concerned. He had left
it to mechanical agency which would
soon settle the fate of the multitude of
aspirants.
In the meantime great anxiety pre-
vailed at Pamunkey. The newspapers
had caught the spirit of the contest
and published all sorts of predictions
as to the result. One started guess
ing contest and sold coupons on the
result. The acting postmaster squan-
dered the proceeds of the sale of a fine
Jersey COW in purchasing coupons for
his friends to vote for him. A large
installment of his votes came into the
office of publication on the very night
the congressman's bejeweled watch
was counting off the minutes to decide
whether it would stop at odd or even,
or for the man with the son at the
front.
When the general awokc the next
morning he lay still for several mo-
ments and looked at his watch, which
reposed on his dresser. He wondered
whether or not it had stopped, and If
it had who had won. Finally he arose,
placed the watch to his ear and lis
tened. II was as dead as the chances Of
host of candidates at Pamunkey. He
hesitated to look at the face of the
watch, and finally dropped it into his
pocket with the thought that he could
| just as we'll look at it after break
fast.
On coming out of the breakfast-room
the general was about 10 draw his
watch from his pocket and decide the
momentous question, when he noticed
a young second lieutenant coming up
the steps. A moment later the gen.
eral advanced toward the young volun-
teer infantryman, extending his hand
and exclaiming: Hello, Ferguson,
where did you drop from?"
Just in from the Philippines re-
sponded the soldier, grasping the hand
of the congressman. The two went
into the hotel and had long talk over
the situation in the orient. Felix Fer
guson was son of an old comrade of
the generals, and his home was in Pa
munkey. When the two reappeared
from the steps the congressman was
asking the questions: well, now that
you have received your discharge, what
do you expect to do?"
To be frank with you, general, am
going back to old Pamunkey and mar
ry pretty Elsie st. Clair and settle
down." responded Lieut.. Ferguson, col
oring slightly.
At that the general took out his
watch and appeared to wind it in a me-
chanical sort Of way. This act set the
wheels going and ruined the chances
Of some post Office aspirant 1t will
never be known who won on the stop
ping of the wheels, but it is known that
one of them lost on their starting.
"You are just the man l am looking
for" said the congressman. "They
need man in the post Office down at
Pamunkey and I'll have you appointed
this very day. This will give you and
your young bride good start in life"
THANK you" said Ferguson, this
is more than expected"
The papers the next day bore the
news to Pamunkey, and thus ended the
great post Office fight.
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