The times., 1901-03-10
COUNTRY POSTAL SERVICE
H0nors More Than Cash the Pay
Of Officials.

Few people know just exactly where
fourth class postmaster gets his pay.
His patrons. more often than not, know
the least about the matter. and not many
others know that humble as the fourth
class office rs. il serves the greatest num-
Der of people in the United States There
are over 10000 of these offices, while there
are lust 800 of the third. second. ANA first
class. or salaried offices. The lowest sal
airy paid these is 81 900. ana thc highest
salary is 5000 a year The fourth class
officers must rustic for their own pay.
Sometimes that is ass low as 81 month.
and sometimes as high ass $50 a month.
that is. some Offices send out just Jhat
amount OF cancelcd letters each month.
but the fourth class postmaster is NOT ei-
lowed to keep the S6U month. not dt al
He keeps Just Sl6 Is as his own clear
cash and every dollar over that he de
vides uo with Uncle sam. giving nin
out Of ,.ery 1000 cents. until his office gets
10 the Importance of Canceling over $5@
a month. then he must hand over o'
cents ont OF the dollar instead Of +9 tut
of what is LETT he pays his Office rent
his HZht and fuel blils and his clerk
hire when sick or absent. The depart
mcnt furnishes nothing; not even the
and other stamped paper he needs.
Very few fourth class offices cancel
stamps to either the great or small
amount have named. The majority Of
them range from s. to $50 a month. When
an oflce averages about SO a month,
then il becomes a money order office and
while It's revenue toward the postmaster $
nav is not perceptibly increased by this
addition his bond and responsibility are.
Some years ago a fourth class ppSJmaS-
ter was allowed percentage on all
stamps he sold above the cancellation, but
il was found that he hustled around ana
offered Inducements and share OF ihe
proceeds to those who would buy many
stamps from MN, ana the ueI'ii ~ az ~
shut down on this Now, II ne Sells =
worth of stamps day, but only cahceLS
on letters 10 cents worth, l0 cents Is an
he gets Tor that days work The remain
der OF the s. at the end OF the quarter
goes to the department
The fourth class postmaster Is brought
in closer relationship with his patrons
than the postmaster of a salaried office,
and trials and tribulatonS are about the
extent of his pay for this. lie IS expected
TO oe ready Tor social chat win mon,
10 answer all questions, 10 write many
letters for those who cannot write or nave
left speCtaCles at home: to advise them
as To the best papers or magazines for
which 20 subscribe. and so on and 50 on
Besides this, he is to blame for all the
mail lost or delayed; there are alWd s
one or more women who accuse MN OF
opening their letters, there IS Jhe pom
p0us citizen. who is very certain that he
is careless with his particular mail and
The old fellow whose family take Just one
paper and that monthly, but every day
tie old fellow would ask if that -dod-
r0tted book Of his n had come YET and
though il never missed showing up al the
appointed time and he took home every
COPY OF il. he would declare that II was
The beateneSt thing to miss he ever seen.
and he q be blamed If ne d ever take Il
again
in the majority of these offices strict
ness is the rule The fourth class post
master IS called 10 task for neglect Of the
slightest duty. the same as though the
Government was paying him g0oI s al
AIRY for his work. But in very small OIL
fces / have heard OF pOstmasters who
have IL all their own way Ihe once IS
too small for a new postmaster 10 be
easily found If the old one is turned out
the patrons VIII not allow IL 10 be dlScOn-
tinued. and SO the postal authorities turn
away 10nplussed, and leave MN = ms
own devices. j heard OF one postmaster
of Tins kind who shut up his ONCE u at
tend anything ne felt was worth while
attending. He would so Of dozen miles
10 a show, a prizefiEht. or the county talr.
and sometimes stay two ~Or three days.
and there was no getting in his Office
either 20 get your mail or deposit letters
until he came back. Another postmaster
OF ibis kind having just loaned friend
ali The postal funds, amounting TO some
s. or s. an hour after saw a pOstohice IN
the office. Knowing from past experience
that the inspector would make just as NlS
q kick about that g as ne would ABOUT
Sl.p'9 being out OF pocket IN the Once lhe
postmaster did some quick thinking
In Il Uny he had barred the door ana
run a red bandanna handkerchief out o.
side window " hen the inspector
haughJily demanded that the door ne
opened the postmaster asked him II ne
didn't know what a red flag meant, ana II
he didn't want to know hed better not
T.-vg 20 Trar-tr +fsrlr 10
the little burg was in a panic over TINS
hint of smallpox, and without waiting =
add anything to the panic the inspector
Immediately made himself scarce Ia tha'
Another case was where, time and again
the GeDartmeut had been made aware
of gross irregularities in the manage
meuU OF one office away in the Wllds some
where. At last an inspector was ordered
out 70 look up the matter.
At the Wayside station nearest TINS
7,CStoffire tho inspccror learned that il
was kept By an old mOuntalueer named
Saunders. who owned everything IN sign
around ii, and on this account cpule
hold the office against All applicants
The inspector was forced 10 Wend ms way
afOOt 20 the place. It's general WllCnsS'
caused a slight feeling Of Apprehension
in his mind. and he approached II VIII
some stealth, taking an inventory OF j
from behind tree. he Office was
rough pine structure, IN 'front.' OF Whlci
sat man. as rough looking as the shan
~. tilted back in a splint bOttomed chair
ulacidfE smoking a pipe. Presently h'
laid his pipe down. and, pushing his ha
back from his eyes peered over IN some
bushes beyond the office, calling out a
h pesred- i see You, Jim I.arkln; y9l
needn't come sueakiu' arOun here. l 81
tole an t0le you Lhel you cant hey u'
mail as long as you owe me for them tx
ters you bought las fall. Now, git
From behind the bushes, shaggy hea'
now popped up, and q voice said plead
iugly. Saunders. I've heern there $ nov
two letters here fur me; thet one thet com
three months ago. AN. one thet com
the tother day ia like 10 hev en-; n
feered some of my folks is sick or the.
wouldn't be a-writin so often"
Mary letter do YOU Elt till then
taters is settled furi' The postmaster
voice was decisive
eve got part Of the money TO pay YOU
an Mary said fur me 20 not dar com
home without them letters IF / had L
wallup YOU to get EN- And now Larki
advanced. holding out some silver. au'
disclosing himself AS something akin ii
build and age TO Saunders. The post
master took the money, and going mt
the house came out with one letter
There's half yer mail. Larkiu. b.
said. now ef You want the totEsr hal
youU hey to DO what Mary said fer yo
10 90. Come on
The next moment without any pTeiim
mary skirmshlug, at one another the
went in Jess than two minutes LarFu
YVES completely knocked out
There, said the postmaster, brushln
the dust from of his check shirt AM
oycralls. Il need iist leetle sich eXer
else elFTy day To keep me IN good health
Tell Mary / feel so good over "allaHli
YOU thet ef she comes over herself Sh
kin hev thet letter. an III scratch IN
rest OF tLet tater money of the pooEs-
The inspector. feeling that IN TINS cas-
"a q 30. f.f. tUHf