Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-05

The story goes that Abner Mckinley was
compelled to leave Washington and give up
his brokers Office here during the last ad-
ministration or stand the gaH Of page
write up in noted New York newspaper.
The paper in question sent its represen-
tative to the White House with proof slips
of the expose and the condition was i'm
posed that Abner would have TO leave
Washington and give up his brokerage or
the expose would be published. Abner
packed up aud hied him over to New York,
where he continued his manipulatious at
long range aud became millionaire One
of his "old pards" aud friends, August w
Machen, Superintendent of the Rural Free
Delivery, mourned the se everance Of their
Damon and Pythias iusep parable intercourse,
but their mutual grief was somewhat as
suaged by Abner's frequent trips to this
city, and during his short stay on these
trips these brothers in Rural Free Delivery
boxes mingled their griefs and their hopes,
while enjoying the broad avenues of the
Capital City behind Mr. Machen's spanking
team and that handsome vehicle which
came from Philadelphia Immediately after
the Smith Transfer Company, OF that city,
secured a fat contract for horse hire through
Mr. Machens department.
Previous to Abner's departure from
the scene Of his manipulations, and in the
early days of the administration he and Mr..
Machen could he seen daily in the old post
office building They would walk arm in
arm as lovingly as a pair of Maltese kit
tens. In the evenings they rode, as stated,
behind hlr Machen's team in the beautiful
Philadelphia vehicle
These daily aud nightly conferences
eventually bloomed into a letter-box con-
tract for Abner to supply the free delivery
service for four years from July /, 1897, to
June 90, 1901 In this engineering the fine
Italian hand Of Gus" was all-predomina-
ting. He pulled the wool and hair over
General Gary's face so that the latter was
actually blnd-folded. In the FIRST year
after this contract had been consummated
nearly two hundred towns received the
free delivery service-in many instances
forced upon the people because Abuer and
Machen had letter-boxes to sell to the Cow
ernmeut, and Uncle Samuel was sure pay
no discount, no delay.
In the new building on the avenue the
intimacy and courtship Of these two gentle
men became a subject of common remark
among the clerks. why in thunder they
don't get married and stop spooning in
public" Every day when Abner was in
the city the two cronies were seen together,
waltziug up and down the fourth Aoor cor
ridor, arm in arm, talking and gesticulating
in a mysterious manner. What was the OBJ
iect of their profound conversation? Il
finally developed ia another letter-box con-
tract for four years, from July I, 1901, to
June go, 1905. This time the boxes are to
be made of steel, manufactured by the
Bond Company of Adrian, Mich.
In the Evening Star. Machen's organ
the Superintendent Of Free Delivery prom
ulgated a statement that steel boxes were
low the fad in the free delivery service,
handsomer and more durable; that the
Government paid for those boxes and was
therefore entitled to the best"
What is the ulterior motive behind all
this contract for steel letter-boxes2 To dis
card all cast iron boxes and supplant them
with the new steel box, approved by a COM
mittee Of experts engineered by Mr.
Machen, who knew no more about the mat
ter than a COW does about Sunday. The
possibilities Of this new contract for steel
boxes is simply incalcnlahle, If these two
promoters can prevail upon the minnie
N-DA = A~aoAAANM ~ aNRAARAAaAN AAAN AnbuNy AOA
steel boxes. Several million dollars are in
the scheme
AS an indication of the way the wind is
again sheering around Macheus way the
GLOBE will mention the fact that several OF
its best posted iuformants have recently
mysteriously dried up the fountains of their
information, and they now bow distautly to
the GLOBE A quiet investigation developed
the cause and satisfied US that these gentle
men and others have good cause to be
MAcHENrTEs. There is hardly man Of in.
duence whom Gus has not secured by ap.
pointments of the friends or relatives OF
such IN the Rural Free Delivery service
We are compiling list of those officials al
present holding down soft snaps who Sc
cured from Mr.. Machen appointments in
the Rural Free Delivery for their sons
daughters. nephews. nieces, sisters, brothers
and other relatives. When Gus had packed
the service and applications still kept pour
ing in which he was unable to handle, hC
made weak bluff with Postmaster Genera
smith to postpone the Civil Service ordel
until January !, placing his appoiutees II
the classified service. Gus knew tina
FOulke would take alarm at this attempt anC
would prevail upon the President to ISSUE
the order Immediately The scheme worked
beautifully and Gus was saved from the
-reproaches and hostility of the men o.
'Aooence, " whose relatives we're still un
provided for He referred all these lat,
-comers who got left to the Presidents pre-
mature action. which was entirely unex
pected He was sorry, but what could h
dor Gus is a deep one and those who dea
with him are aware OF. the fact But he ha
-overreached himself, and some Of the dis
appointed ones are coming around agai
with the facts Of his manipulation O
things ia the Rural Delivery.
The President will readily recall his
experience as a Civil Service Commi'
sioner with August w. Machen and tn
latter's cavalier manner of telling him ths
he (Gus) was running his department {
suit himself" There is not a doubt of
now as then Mr. Machen is the Who'll
ching in the Rural Free Delivery as th
following card" issued to his henchme
throughout the country will demonstrate:
Form No. 2SO3
osT OFFICE DEPARTMENT. OFFICIAL Carl
pupAT RRRR- -DEI IVERV SERVICE