Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-12
Are the Contracts for Rural
Free Delivery Stamps.
THE GLOBE" ACCOMPLISHED
So Far he Busting Up of Mikey Lewis
Snap with Herman Baumgarten
and the Latter's Rubber Stamp Mo-
uOpOly-Other Developments in the
MalOdOrous Departments of Lewis
and Machen-Will Congress or the
President ActP

/ In our expose Sunday last of the Machen.
Lewis rubber stamp business, we made the
trifiug error of stating that Mikey Lewis
was chairman of the committee on awards
Mikey is too smart to be caught playing
chairman. All Mikey did was to name the
chairman and secretary and on his motion
they were elected We also forgot to state
inasmuch as there are two Baumgarten
firms In the rubber stamp business, that
Herman Baumgarten was the gentleman
connected with the spirit lamp story.
Having thus by way of errafa. prepared
the way, the GLOBE lays the following au-
thenticated facts before the public and the
proper authorities the truth, every word Of
which can be established. Herman Baum
garteu, the contractor with Mikey Lewis
Supply Division of the Post Office Depart
ment. has been enjoying snap equal to
that Of the steward of the Ohio Penitentary.
In fact, Herman did not need to soften the
solder with a spirit lamp in order to defeat
rivil bidders with his stamp. THERE WERE
NO RIVAL BIDDERS, and that spirit lamp story
Herman told the Springfield irm was either
a fake or related to some other occurrence.
Certainly not to the stamps which he sold
Mkey Lewis at rs cents each and purchased
of the Springfield concern at IS cents.
1t is but justice to Mr. Baumgarten to
state that an expert in the stamp business
has admonished the GLOBE that the rubber
stamps in question, with the additions put
on them by Mr. Baumgarten, are worth in
the ueighborhood of twenty-seveu cents
| each Sold in lots of FIVE thousand the
profit and rake of can be figured out by
/ the reader But these were not the only
] r.. 4 H.. r.
qarten to Mikey Lewis without the COM
petitive bidding or solicitation for competi-
tive bids by Mr.. Lewis. Mr. Baumgarteu
sold Nifsey I.esgistlie plain, simple, little
rubber stamp which retails for fifteen
cents each at thirty-two cents apiece
! in gross lots This snap excited the aston
! ishment of those familiar with the rubber
stamp business and an effort was made by
several dealers to have piece Of the pie
/ Finally the FIRE was made so hotfor Mikey by
representations made to the First Assistant
/ Postmaster General Johnston or his chief
/ clerk Mr., Marsten that Mikey was forced to
! let out the contract to competitive bidders
When the bids we're opened for the stamp
Mikey had been paying 32 cents each for
/ the highest bid was under eight cents each
/ and Mr. Herman Baumgarten's was the
lowest at $3.50 cents per gross, or about
SIX CENTS EACH
This opened the eyes of the First Assis
tant Postmaster General and his honest
/ chief clerk, Mr. Marsten, and while they
I marveled much, no doubt they took no fur
ther action. And herein they are censurable,
| provided Charles Emory Smith, Mikey's
friend was made acquainted with the affair
/ which we rather think he was from the
! high character of Messrs. Johnston and
| Marsten.
/ In the bids which we referred to last Sun
/ day for the stamp Mr. Herman has been
supplying at rs cents each without compe-
/ tition by any other stamp dealers, represen.
tations were again made at the Office of the
| First Assistant Postmaster General and
Mikey was ordered to invite bids The
award was made on Monday last very
quietly to a Philadelphia firm for a superior
| self-inking stamp entirely different to the
cheap and simple article heretofore being
furnished by Mr.. Baumgarten. This has
been officially corrected-the award is not
yet made ED. GLOBE
The point, however, is not in the grade
style or even price of the stamp, but in the
| official action of Mr.. Lewis, who in viola
| ton of law, has been purchasing not only
| rubber stamps, but other post-ofice sup
| plies Including the all-important item Of
| ink from those whom he selects as his
| favorites.
1 Mikey Lewis is not thus violating law for
any particular friendship he has for Mr..
Herman Baumgarten, the Cincinnati ink
/ house, and others. Nor is he serving the
| Government for his health.
There are considerations" in these mat.
tiers for Mikey, and it is a notorious fact
that these considerations are freely talked
about in First Assistant Postmaster General
Johustone's Office.
Mr. Marsten has been waited upon by
contractors, or gentlemen desiring to bid
on supplies being furnished Mr.. Lewis
department, and strong circumstances filed
against the methods pursued by Mikey of
assuming the authority, in violation Of
law, Of dealing with whom he likes and
/ paying outrageously high prices for the
| articles needed as in the rubber stamp
/ cases cited.
| The typewriter investigation into this
| man Office is on file in the department
| and has never been printed He appears
| TO be eimmune and can do about as he pleases
/ with the taxpayers money. He has become
/ SO bold that he has now on foot a project to
/ lease the Bush building under the pretense
! that he has not floor space enough in his
present quarters in the old rink In this
proposed enterprise he is being ably as
sisted by Senator Mason's private secretary,
| Mr. Brown, former department employe
and an old chum Of Mikey's.
This Bush building has one story under
ground and Is VIGOROUSLY unsuitable for
the purposes for which Mikey wants it.