davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
A POSTOFFICE SCANDAL OF
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

tion in consequence Of having 10 dis
patch the mails at unreasonable hours
of the night and morning. VIII you be
so good as TO be particular in stipulating
how often and at what hours, either late
at night or early in the morning. you
are engaged with the mail through the
in what proportion to advance your com
missions.
information as 10 the condition in which
the mails have arrived at your Office
The contractors have given me the most
positive assurances that they VII; have
boxes so contrived and fixed as 10 Sc
cure the mails from being exposed to
the weather. and 1 will not fail TO re
mind them Of the necessity Of complying
with those assurances. The mail Is of
too much Importance to be carried any
longer under the drivers feet. and /
shall endeavOr to prevent II in the fu-
ture. I am, j. HABERSHAM.
Postmaster General"
A later letter TO Postmaster Washing
ton was as follows;
You viii be allowed to charge 30 per
cent commission on the two winter
quarters in which you are engaged with
the mails three times a week at O'CLOCK
in the morning. which is a very unsea-
sonable hour to be Obliged to rise at, and
certainly entities you TO an increased
compensation.
"A new postofhce bill is before tho
Senate. II that passes. your commits
sions must be changed conformantly in
all future transactions OF your office.
BE so good as to forward your &C
counts as soon as possible am, etc,
-. HABERSHAM,
Postmaster General"
II is not known when Lund Washing
ton was born. Neither is his exact re
lationship to the President a matter OF
record. His place OF birth was prob
ably Westmoreland county, Va. He was
associated with Washington in matters
of business from 176i, and during The
entire Revolutionary War acted as his
confidential steward and man of bust
ness. Through this entire connection ne
was entrusted with the most important
affairs Of the general, and he seems 10
have executed his trust with rare s.
deity and good sense.
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
BLONDE HAIR AND HOW 1T
HAS FIGURED IN HISTORY

attain a close resemblance to Napoleon's
son, she found difficulty with her hair.
The hair was wrong" she said; 'it was
too red. and, of course, too long I
tried at least twenty wigs. None OF
them gave me the look OF the Eagles
son. He had the blonde hair of his
mother's race. II was soft, abundant
and golden No wigs could copy IT, And
so. at last, brought myself 10 tit is
never easy for a woman to sacrifice her
hair-and had my hair cut TO the right
fashion. Then came the question OF tom
ing il 10 just the right shade OF the
Eaglet's hair, of which have lock.
faded now, but golden still This was
merely a question of the coiffeur's art
The thing was done"
All persons who have rich, auburn
colored hair are found to be gifted with
a charming disposition. The most de-
voted OF husbands are said to be red
haired: hence the reason a club OF girls
in Munich. members OF which pledge
themselves. rather than marry any but
young men with red hair. TO die old
maids.
The earliest mention in history OF red
hair is that OF Esau. King David had
hair OF a rich auburn OF rudy hue The
Turks are great admirers Of red hair.
but the Persians abhor It. Out Of every
1876 English speaking people three are
said 10 have red hair. Prince Albert,
the consort Of Queen Victoria, had hazel
eyes and hair Of dark auburn.
II is not often a red-haired hero IS
selected for a novel. but David Harum
had hair of this color. The humorist
Artomus Ward had vivid red hair. on
top Of which he usually wore small
skullcap.
TIL, Book Lover tells story Of the
eccentric Alferi whose hair once get
him into trouble. One night az the house
of Prince Carignan. the poet S long. flow
inz auburn locks swept a cup from he
sideboard against which he was leaning.
on being told that be had spoiled the
set OF rich china tea service. and might
as we'll n. e broken the whole set. with
out q word he promptly swept the whole
service 10 the Goor. Once ~ a theater
in Turin a lady seated near him ex-
pressed her great admiration Of his
beautiful locks that had fallen close 20
her hand. The poet spoke not ~o~d.
but the next morning the lady received
q parcel which contained a lock Of the
hair she had 50 much admired and which
the poet had clipped OF close TO his
head no billet accompanied the gift,
and the manner OF conveying il said as
plainly as words could do If you like
the hair. here it is. hut for heavens
sake, leave me alone!"
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

~ LONDE-HAIRED persons are, as
X rule. sensitive. impuls.ve
changeable. and assertive, and
are supposed TO be more refined. es-
thetic and spiritual than dark haired
people. At least, this is inferred from
the fact that all, or nearly all. famous
paintings represent angels with blonde,
golden, or iaxen hair.
In 1873 a scientist declared that
blondes were fast becoming extinct ow-
ing to the want Of certain necessary ele-
ments in the modern makeup. At any
rate. blonde hair is less seen than form
erl-.
According to good authority only /;
per cent OF the inmates Of Auburn, y
Y. State prison are blondes.
Correze, Allier. Haute. Grouse and
other districts of France are frequentcd
by merchants for the purpose Of buying
from INDECENT women their long hair.
The usual price is from 81 to Sc for the
back hair-the only part cut on-accord-
ing to quality and colcr Blonde hair
brings the highest price. but is chiefly
obtained in Germany. Switzerland. Swe-
den. and Norway In Victor Hugo's
Les Miserables" this custom of selling
the hair is noted in this passage:
cone day they wro;e her that HttI5
Coset:e was quite naked; that she want
ed a flannel skirt ana that the mother
must send al least zen francs for she
purpose. She crumpled the letter n
her hands all day. and at nightfall went
to a BARRIERS. al the corner Of the street.
and removed her comb. Her splendid
IiEh; hair fell down to her hips
What fine hair the barber OK
claimed.
What will you give me for ito she
asked.
Ten francs
Cut 1t on
Sylia. the Roman tyrant. thought him
self to be an extraordinary looking
man because his hair was golden. ole
Bull. the Norwegian violinist, was some
times called the "FlaXen- haired Pasa-
mini" Thomas GainsbOrough, the ia
nous English painter. was a blonde.
Thorwaldsen, the Danish artist and
sculptor. had yellow hair. described by
Fra AIbertus as the color OF a sun
burned tow" Queen Victoria in her
girlhood is described by Miss Porter as
"a beautiful child. with cherubic form
OF features. clustered round by glossy,
fair ringlets.' When Sarah Bernhardt
played the King of Rome, in striving TO
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
NEWS NOTES.

Grom the ''SPringyille Breeze
We're pleased to state that Mr. Wren
And wife are back. and at the Eaves
The Robins occupy again
Their summer home at Maple Leaves
The Gardens restaurant reports
A fresh supply of anglcworms.
The Elms-that fav'rite Of resorts
Has boughs 10 rent on easy terms.
We learn that Mrs Early Bee
Is still quite lame with frosted wings
Ye editor thanks Cherry Tree
For sundry floral offerings.
Down Cistern-way a water-spout
Has been source OF active floods.
We hear of rumored comings out
or some of Springville's choicest buds
In case you run across Green Lawn,
Don't wonder why he looks so queer
T is only that he's undergone
His first short haircut of the year.
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

orders out the wrecking gang on itz
sinister errands.
Next to the chief dispatcher sits the
train-sheet man. J. G. Beekley. In front
OF him is the time schedule. showing
what the regular trains are supposed to
do; spread cut on his desk is the train
sheet which shows what they are actual
ly doing. The train-sheet is a long piece
OF ruled paper divided into two parts
one-half for the west and the other for
the east bound trains.
The names OF each siding and station
are printed down the side OF each half,
and the train-sheet man marks in eacn
the time when a train left and arrived
az every station The train sheet is THIS
n panorama. and Mr. Beckley may show
you how to trace a train right across
a State. A glance from the tine table
70 the train sheet and the operator
knows exactly what every wheel on tia
road is doing.
The other dispatchers are G. r. Lee AMI
R. Rollins, who handle trains south ct
Washington; J. F. Turner and G. +.
Runkle. who handle trains north OF
Washington: d. Ritterbusch is manager
OF the telegraph Office H c. McCubbtns.
". J. Southworth. F. s Reynolds. z. ).
Pitcher. William Skinner. and " T,
Bollins are operators who handle all
railroad kilograms. except those per-
taining 10 the movement OF trains. J.
J. Cooper holds one Of the most i'm
Do-tant positions in connection with the
telegraph ofice-that of trainmaster.
The Office messenger force is Composed
OF Masters Taylor. Robey. Harvey. Rip
pie. HutchesOn. and Welsh.
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
Few People Who Roll Along, in Comfort
in a Modern Railway Coach Give a
Thought 10 the BUSY, Brainy Man at the
Other End of the Line, Whose Slight
est ETToT Might Send Them to Death.

dispatcher. He clicks-"Copy three" or
five, or six, according TO the number of
trains which must receive the order.
When the operator at the way sta
ton hears this, he turns the train or
der signal-the little box of light near
the track-which no train may pass,
aud answers the dispatcher in Wash
ingtOn. Red displayed" The dispatcher
then knows that all trains that approach
that light will be running under the old
orders and will be held and notified of
the new ones as soon as they arrive
Then after looking over his train sheet
he sends the new order. He knows at
glance down and across the magic
sheet where every train is. and. more
than that. practice has taught him to
guess with absolute accuracy where ev-
cry train will be at a certain hour
barring accident.
Quick Wit and Quick Action.
If. for example, train is running on
schedule time and yet has not passed
certain station at the proper moment,
the dispatcher follows il closely. His
train sheet shows him that it passed
the last station at 1855; IT is due at the
next station at 1906. II is now 10: 30
and the train has not been reported.
lie calls up the station at which it is
past due" and asks for its where
abouts. The telegraph operator knows
nothing OF it. Finally. conductor comes
in and reports a breakdown. This neces-
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
A Cool Head a Quick Wit, and Steady
Nerve Are the Three All Important Re
QuirementS Needed bu the Train Dis
patCher for Great Railroad System, and
Generally He Possesses All of Them.

apoplectic saratogas, and suit cases.
with foreign hotel labels, are being
loaded on trucks; stentorian shouts OF
"Weelmington, Bawltmoar, Philadel-
phyu, New Yawk, an awl points
noarth," echo along the corridors, and
the sense of motion. of the delicious
waiting to be off is in the air
The Dispatcher's Room.
SO far you've only seen the muscles
of the road; upstairs is the nerve CEN
ter. You plunge into an overpowering
wave of sound as you enter the big
room. Men are sitting. vestless and
collarless, at half a dozen tables ranged
near the windows, and active little mes
senger boys dart in and out the door
with kilograms The chatter OF eight
or ten of the telegraph instruments is
stunning at first Git doesn't so much
deafen the ear as II deadens the mind
The layman can hardly think connect
eddy. The old dispatcher, however, will
tilt his chair against the wall, pull his
green eye shade over his face. take =
fresh grip on his corncob, and tell you
what each wire is talking about The
more instruments are giving tongue the
better he can work.
Plays Chess With the Trains.
The man at this key is the chief dis
patcher. F. p. Holmes. He moves all
trains By special telegraphic orders.
Every train that leaves the station is
located in what are called classes, d"
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

states special orders, which must be
quickly thought out and sent at top
speed
The chief dispatcher sits with his
finger on the key and his eye fixed upon
the train sheet. a maze of figures to
those who do not know. but which shows
to him al a glance where every train on
the line is. Now he wires a train per-
mission to go to a certain station: the
next moment a station ahead of the
moving cars tells him that the track
has been washed away By the rains: o
gang must be sent 70 repair the track
and the train held until everything is
safe ahead. Care must be taken not to
send three trains into a siding which
was only built for one. But. mind. this
man has no stenographer 70 transcribe
his orders when he has determined how
he wants his trains to run: he has no
dispatcher 70 telegraph other messages.
for the general manager has said that
the dispatcher's shoulders are broad
enough to hold the entire responsibility
of the safe passage Of every train on the
road IN his division.
One Man Among Many.
Clearly. the train dispatcher is one
man in a million. He holds thousand
lives in the crook of his right fore
finger every hour. His work calls for
nerve a cool head. and superb self
reliance. The trick" is eight hours
long, and the train dispatcher is not
supposed TO eat. and If he does IT is or
the Fly" This is the man. too. who
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

~ NE of the most interesting parts
of the machinery of a great
railroad system is usually miss
ed by those who pass over the line.
On the second floor of the Pennsyl-
vsnia Company's depot in Washington is
tho dispatcher's office. To reach it you
have to pass through the waiting rooms.
People have often started from here on
lcrger Journeys than they thought.
There used to be a star let into the
floor Of the front waiting room to mark
tie SPOT where President Garfield fell
when he was shot by Guiteau. II you're
lucky while waiting for your train you
may hear veteran railroaders tell grim
stories of head-on collisions, of red
ughts where white we're expected, of
sidings overcrowded. of hot boxes, of a
wLiskered rail on a down grade and
parted trains on the up. and better still
of unsung engineers who stood at their
tarcttles in the hour of danger and died
with their engines like so many sea
captains going down with their ships.
PcrtIy conductors walk about in blue
coats and white caps. Outside beyond
TIE train shed you can hear way
freight engine snoring exactly like a
gigsutic old gentleman on a hot after
noon. Engines are queer things anyway
and there's a deal more TO them than so
many steel plates, bolts and rivets-
Flat steamer trunks, hand satchels.
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

and each Of these divisions has a Ger
tain valre First class eastbound trains
have the right of way over all other
trains on the time schedule First class
westbound trains have tho right OF way
over all excep; first class eastbound.
Eastbound second class stand next.
Westbound second class and eastbound
third class, respectively come at the
bottom of the list. There is a code re
500 rules, applying 10 almost every pos
sible contingency which engineers. train
dispatchers and conductors are required
TO know. The ukase OF the general man
ager has gone forth that all watches
carried by trainmen. and all clocks In
the various telegraph offices, shall cor
respond TO the second.
Many Rules to Be Followed.
The dispatcher must be familiar be-
sides with rules governing direction.
right Of way. taking of sidings. clear
ance from stations. responsibility, pro-
tecting passenger trains. tagging. the
use of torpedoes. and crossing double
tracks Then there are rules relating
TO the conduct Of employees on almost
every occasion. economy in running
trains. the care of company property.
the care Of perishable freight, ard OF
live stock. the comfort Of passengers,
registering trains and half a hundred
others. all equally necessary for the
smooth running OF the big road and the
discipline of the system.
Dispatcher's Oder Is Law.
All special orders supersede the time
table. The carrying out Of orders issued
by the dispatcher is imperative. Special
orders regarding the meeting points OF
trains, time orders. the right Of way.
work trains. orders 10 run ahead OF
regular trains. annulment of orders. tho
running Of trains in sections. and the
taking OF sidings.
On an imperative meeting order each
train goes to the station designated.
and the first one 20 reach the spot
waits the coming Of the other. Time
orders assign a station until a certain
hours. After the specified time elapscs
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

TT APPEARS that scandal is no nov
city in the Postof1ce Department.
Fifty years before A. w Macnen
was born. before rural free delivery was
dreamed of. Washington had default
ing postmaster. His name was Wash
inEton-Lund Washington-and he was
a relative Of Gen. George Washington
and one of his trusted associates in the
Revolution.
Postmaster General Joseph Habersham
appointed Lund Washington postmaster
Of this city in 1895 The relative of the
great general proved 10 be an excellent
officer. He showed all the enterprise
which has characterized Mr.. Machen's
extension of the rural free delivery. He
had a letter carrier named for the city
and doomed the business Of the Office
so successfully that he applied for
raise in salary before he had been post
master six months. and got II.
Lund Washington evidently could not
stand prosperity. The pay of the Office
vas so good that he was able to indulge
unfortunate and Incorporate habits TO
excess. which caused his downfall on
January %, 1893. when he was dismissed
a. a defauIter. An advertisement in the
National Intelligence of October Is,
1905. shows that he was confined in pris-
on for debt at that time. But debtors
prisons were full in those days Robert
Morris. the great hnancier Of the Revo-
luton. and James Greenleaf, the million
aire. became bankrupt and were deprived
Of their liberty as insolvent debtors.
When Mr.. Washington assumed charge
Of the local postofice there was much
strife between the eastern and western
portion OF the city. Both parts OF the
town wanted the postoffice. but Mr..
Washington located Il on Capitol Hill
I'm Square 72s. near the extensive real
estate interests Of his distinguished
kinsman. The building he used is not
standing. but the material in it is said
to have been used in the construction
Of a stable in the rear Of the Gen. n. c.
Ordway's residence. near the corner of
First and East Capitol Streets.
Postmaster General Habersham want
ed the Washington Postofice located
midway between the Presidents home
and the Capitol. but Postmaster Wash
ington had his own way. and scored
victory for the Capitol Hill faction Mr..
Washington's letters requesting an in
crease in salary brought the following
reply from the Postmaster General:
General Postofhce.
philadelphia. December rs. 1876.
'Lund Washington. ESQ:
"Sir:I have received YOU letters on
the subject OF an increased eompensa-
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
THE BIRD ORCFIES TRA OF THE POTOMAC

TINE woods and orchards in and
about Washington are now
sounding with a bird chorus. The
season of song in this section Of the
country begins with the jaunty piping
of the saucy little English sparrow anf
erds with the fuIl-th-oated soprano YES
pers OF the warblers.
The full bird orchestra. though com
posed OF a number Of performers. Is no.
heard for more than two months OF tho
entire year. Toward the middle OF Marcel
the blue bird and the robin join IT,,
chorus. the latter bringing his sweet
lyric "whiff." Toward the middle OF
March the Iarks are stirred to utter
their melodious call in the meadows. II
IS not until the first OF Nay thai The
voice of the brown thrasher can be dis
tiEguished. Bird lovers OF Washington
are glad to hear It. for he is one g. h
ncst finished musicians in the entire
chorus. His song seems TO be moro
studied, so 10 speak. than that Of arv
other bird native 10 the suburbs of
Washington. 1t has been called By the
poet "a dramatic lyric without words. ~
The catbird appears about the last OF
May During the same part OF the month
the Baltimore oriole. drunk with tho nov,
wine of spring, chants madIy n midair
like yellow-clad balcony serenade- of
tho middle ages.
The Robin and the Catbird
The bassoon OF the dove. invisibl-
spirit of the woodlands. forms the bass
of this bird orchestra. Before the mid
die of June the robin has ceased TO sing.
and the catbird begins to sound his penv-
ish aaaahhhhh- aaaahhhhh- aaaaahbhb'
the scolding cry which gives him the
name he bears
Lovers OF birds nave learned to prize
each for some peegliar quality. The
Unusual length. richness anl variety OF
the brown thrasher's song mark him out
from other birds. He likes nothing let
ter than TO perch on fence rail or well
NJ in a tall tree and pour forth his song
balancing himself the Will with head
erect and tail down. When n finishes
his last sustained note he looks down.
peering through the vista OF leaves Ike
the unfeathered songstress. and It must
be added songster. on the theatrical
stage Those who are not famiIa- with
the brown thrasher's music might easily
mistake IL for that OF the catbird. The
songs OF the two birds are alike in
length of range. but the catbird lacks
the strong dramatic quality OF the brown
tbrasher and the rich passionate Gerth
and the almost human articulation Of
the thrashers notes.
Both birds have a low. contemplative
call. reserved for their mates. and which
Is wonderfully sweet. II Is rarely, how
The Washington times., 1903-06-21

the superior train proceeds. while the
inferior train. not having made the sta
ton, lays back on a siding.
Right of Way Regulations.
Time orders are generally given 10
passenger trains in order to help freight
slow. This prevents delaying passenger
trains. Right OF way orders simply re-
vcrse the rights as given by time tables.
Fer instance. II a dispatcher has one or
more passenger trains of inferior rights
on time. he gives them right OF way
b. sDccial order over the delayed super
inr tram. and The delayed train must
keep out Of the way OF the inferior trains
that are c. time.
Inferior trains may be given orders
to run ahead of superior trains from
one station to another. II a superior
train is given an order TO run an hour
late all Inferior trains are given one
hour OF the Superior trains time Thus.
all inferior trains receiving the order
add one hour 20 their time as given by
the time table less five or ten minutes
Clearance time.
Caution Necessary at All Times.
Special orders may contain one or
more movements. and all trains men
tened or concerned must be furnished
with cc0y OF the order All orders
arc cert 10 the telegraph Office ahead OF
the moving train. The Office that is 10
receive the order is called up" by the
The Washington times., 1903-06-21
WHAT THE MARQUIS WROTE.

Il know girl with teeth of pearl"
You from the older poets quote;
But Il know one with purse Of gold,
And she's the one on whom / dote.
Is what the English marquis wrote.
ROWAN DOUGLAS.