The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-04

Romance of Former Postmaster
General.

General.
Washington letter to New York Sun.
While Postmaster General Henry C.
Payne was receiving a number of call
ers in the large room adjoining his pri-
vate office recently the centre pic
ture in the upper row of nineteen por-
traits of former postmasters general
which adorn one side of the room fell
with crash to the floor. Mr.. Payne
stepped forward to see what damage
had been done, but was anticipated by
Travus Ross, a colored usher who for
nearly thirty years has been chief usher
to the postmaster general. Ross pick
ed up the picture, turned it toward the
light and, with a start of surprise,
cried:
why, it's the picture of Return Jo-
, nathan Meigs. Well, well, well. Ex-
cuse, general. but did you ever hear
/ the story of Return Jonathan"
mo" answered MIR. Payne, Il don't
believe i ever did"
The chief usher then related the
stody of Return Jonathan" of Ohio.
who was postmaster general from 1914
to 1923. 1t was soon noised about the
department that the picture of Jona-
than had fallen from the wall once
department a long time was seen to
take a slip of paper from his desk, add
a figure To an already long list and
return the paper to the pigeonhole.
Inquiry revealed that the picture of
the postmaster general from Ohio had
a habit of falling from the wall fire.
quently. The circular frame in which
II is encased is quite heavy, and the
picture, being hung near the floor, has
never been seriously damaged. 1t has
been noticed that the picture never
falls except when there are prominent
visitors in the room. and also that
the chief usher is always on hand to
pick up the frame. 1t has been noticed
also that he never fails to give a start
of surprise and say:
why it's the picture of Return
Jonathan Meigs. Well well, wen. Ex-
cuse, but did you ever hear the story
Of Return Jonathan"
The chief usher tells the story of Re-
turn Jonathan very well indeed. His
hearers never fail to evince interest
and sometimes when the narrator has
been especially eloquent and touching
In the romantic passages of the story.
he Is rewarded with a burst of APP
plause. Some of the clerks in the de-
partment, who have remarked upon
the frequency with which this partic-
ular picture falls, have been heard to
remark that the chief usher has the
nail trained" However this may be
the picture invariably takes a tumble
shortly after the entrance into office of
new postmaster general. and at in
tervals during his administration when
ever visitors of unusual importance
happen in the room where the portraits
OF the nineteen defunct postmasters
general hang on the wall.
Ross story is that Jonathan Meigs,
when quite young man, had a falling
cut with the young lady to whom he
was engaged. After months of weary
waiting, he decided that he was at
fault, and sent a message to ask If
she would take her unworthy sutton
back. To this touching appeal the
young lady replied by the two words:
Return Jonathan" Meigs was so
overjoyed at the constancy and kind
ness of his lady love that he had a
special act of the Ohio Legislature
passed enabling him legally to adopt
the word Return as a part of his
name. and his title appears in full on
the gilt frame of the falling picture
as Return Jonathan Meigs of Ohio,
Postmaster General. 1914 to 1928"