The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-06

Postofice Inspector John p Clum has
the honor Of having first established free
delivery of mail in the r-,E gold re-
gion of the United States. The expert
nent was made al Nome. Alaska. more
than q year ago, and has been carried
on most Of the time by the efforts OF the
inspector and other officials. tt Is hoped
TO install q regular system soon
Fred Lockley. il. and Ben Taylor. mail
carriers at Salem. Oregon. got leave OF
absence for ninety days and went on q
trip TO Alaska. They reached Nome
and found q most aho-a:uable mail sys-
TEN IN vogue. the only sort possible
under strict legal construction They
found people waiting il line for several
hours. and business ra-alyzed while the
distribution IVES going on. EIr. CIum
Tas in Nome. ard under his authority
the two carriers organized routes and
delighted the population by making dis
tribuuous IN she business section. IN
writing to the Postal Record Nj
Locksley told OF the JOY Of the people
among other things he wrote
The first establishment on my route
was boat anchored II Snake River. the
Minneapolis. which was used as private
hospital and boarding house. It was one
OF several other similar business Ioca-
items on my route The nigh cost OF bus
ness lots building material and labor
caused boats 20 be pressed into service
Tor business purposes The Qu5ckstep
Restaurant and Hotel was conducted on
board boat attached 10 the shore By q
gangplank- The Pacific Cold Storage
Company employed the steamer Lotta
Talbot as their place Of business
You often read OF the p0stman being
an eyer-weicome visitor ! never knew
what that meant before. Welcome is a
very mild term for the enthusiastic re-
ception we frequently received. One
man on my route was so worried by not
hearing from home that he was almost
ready 20 pull 10 stakes and leave. He
mad not heard from his wife since his
arrival, and he fanCied some one with
similar name was receiving his mail ]
took his name, and next day handed him
i've letters from his wife. welcome.
Well. rather
The general delivery was said to be
the largest IL the United States. and I
presume It was, Is in large cities most
OF the mail IS handled through carriers
boxes or substatiOns- IN the Nome gen
eTal delivery the alphabet was divided
into over seven hundred division For
example, II required seventy boxes 10
case the letter B.
The declaration Of John F. Jewel. Of
Illinois, that he is willing to take the
dangerous pest of consul on the island
Of z1daE1iniGUe- Is not exactly uniore in
the annals Of the state Department.
There are always people longing for the
chance TO take positions Of peril and
discomfort for the sake OF having
Government Job Several years ago a
young man from South Carolina fancied
he was a valuable man for the consular
service. He applied for berth al Gum
DO CT some such unknown place in At
RIGA. and some newspaper men went
With him TO the department TO keep the
joke from exploding Meanwhile the
present lieutenant governor Of South
Carolina. WHO was q newspaper man
here at the tine. wrote an article about
the young man and his aspirations and
added the cheerful information that in
the past twelve years twelve nicely en-
banned cCrpses had started back from
GumbO al Government expense shortly
after the arrival Of the ConsuIs eacn
year-oT rather as much Of the remains
as could be secured after an annual
feast 70 a little mud god. The young
fellow was going 10 be the thirteenth
and was undertaking II without the hind
foot of a graveyard rabbit. These fright
fuI facts" did not terrify wouId-be
ConsCls and there were several more ap-
plicatiOns the next week The young
man is keeping books for a cotton mill.
he did not vote for the newspaper man
when he ran for lieutenant governor. /
and declares he is not going to vote for
him for governor this year.
Mr Merritt O. Chance. private secre- /
tary TO Secretary Root, is one Of the
best known men in the War Depart
ment and has earned his reputation by
steady. courtesy. thorough efficiency. and
constant willingness TO help all who
have business with the Office He has
CEIy been in his present position for q /
few months but is by no means a new /
man in the national service He vas F1r (
several years in the PCstofhce Depart /
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