The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-12-23

VIE outgoing postmaster retired
1 IN disgrace, but that fact did not
seem to deter the hosts of young and
old who asked their congressman TO
recommend them to the president
for appointment. In fact, in less
tnan a week the whole town seemed
TO be afflicted with a sort Of mad
ness-an unappeased hungering for
Office bordering on frenzy.
The first move Of the bondsmen was
TO install one of their number acting
postmaster until the vacancy could be
filled. He was a rotund. rosy-cheeked
farmer with a slight incline tion toward
politics. He had not learned the de-
livery boxes until ne became saturated
with a consuming desire to remain.
There was something fascinating about
it,; mething infectious. He contract
ed dangerously severe case of 6esiring
Office at the very outset.
In the meantime down the ravines
and lanes came trooping, fguratively
speaking. large portion Of pu.sating.
anxiously throobing Pamunkey to line
up in front of the post Office building
and gaze wistfully at the structure.
The acting postmaster cid not live
within 16 miles Of the post office un-
der consideration. but distance in his
case seemed to lend enchantment to the
view. Between handling the mails and
rustIing for signatures in his petition
with an occasional dash into the eoun-
try 10 keep his wife informed as to his
progress, he was kept pretty busy.
The G. A. r. element had a candidate;
the Germans centered on a man; the
panish-AmericHn soldiers thought
they ought to be recognized; the Irish
wanted to know what was the matter
with them; the young politicians want.
ed to have something TO say in the mat.
ter. and the ladies, bless their innocent
sous. thought they knew something
about handling reluctant congressman
and mai. matters.
Although mails went out of Pamun.
key on fast flying trains, they were
not swift enough for applicants. The
aid of the electric current, as subserved
by the Western Union Telegraph com.
pany, was invoked for greater speed
The second day after the vacancy wa.
announced the desk Of the congress.
man for that district was piled high
with telegraphic applications, which
were followed in the next mail by more
lengthy messages at lighter tolls.
The congressman moved slowly in
the matter, as his denomination anC
election was close at hand He die
not desire to make mistake just al
that critical juncture.
The Nicaragua canal was a mere
trifie to handle in comparison to tn,
Famunkey post office. He could fear
lessly vote to refuse to seat a fellow
member of congress with a plurality
of wives, but the good people of Pa
munkey presented problem Difficult
of solution.
About the time he had his mine
made up in favor of one candidate
along would come a voluminous buncl
of papers in support of another candi
date, which sent him to sea again
One candidate was denounced as al
outsider, another had never done any
thing for the party, a third was
very recent convert to the party prin
cip.es the congressman represented
and therefore needed proving, and S,
on. Each candidate had his friend
and each had his enemies, and tn,
enemies seemed more ready to speal
and more persistent than the friends
At one time the congressman ha,
reached such a dire state of distres
that he had about made up his mint
TO have his private secretary writ
/ the names of all the candidates OF
slips of paper, place them in a hat
shake them up. close his eyes and pull
out a name, hit or miss. and take hi
chances on the result. relying on hi
guardian angel to guide his hand t
the right piece OIL paper. He mus
have doubted the constant attendanc
of that invisible presence, for on sec
oud thought he abandoned the who'll
scheme of settling the troub,esom
question and attempted to put tn
matter aside for a new Inspiration.
That inspiration came sooner thar
was expected. The congressman. VIII,
was a general in the great civil wal
brushed aside the papers with an i'm
patient hand and went out for stroll