The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1905-05-12
the posTMAsTER's TRUE STORY.

WHICH cENTERs ABOUT AN APRIL
FOOL JOKE.-[FROM THE PATHFIND-
Err
mo letters for you tonight" said
the little old postmaster, in his CHEEKY
voice: Come in, won't you? It's
side the little Office, though it wasn't
just in accordance with the postal reg
ulatiOns. and took seat on the table.
"First-of-April jokes? Well, ought
to know something about 'em. Didn't
you ever hear the one about the dogs?
Queer If you didn't. Everybody in
Sellersville knew about it. l was the
laughing-stock of the town for two
months. But that was before your
time. Ha, ha! Jim Snedaker never
sees me to this day without saying,
"Well, it was like this. 1t was
when was a young man. I've held
this Office, you know, from one admin
iStratiOn to another, going on 30 years
now. I got the idea into my head
that I wanted a dog, a Newfoundland
dog. I asked every farmer that came
to town IL he knew where could get
q likely pup. But no one knew. FL
nally told Dock Bird what L wanted
He was horse doctor in those days,
and travelled round a good deal. l
said to him, Dock, IN give you So if
youll find me a nice Newfoundland
The boys began to joke me about it,
and they kept it up until at last was
so sick Of hearing Newfoundland dog
that wouldn't have had one as gift.
zone night was just clerk in
the postoffice then-when [ was dis
tributing the mail found five letters
in 1t for myself. 1 had never had so
many before. Charlie Stone, who was
postmaster then, saw them and smiled.
you've got heavy mail, tonight,
George said he, and I heard Jim
Snedaker and the other fellows snick-
eriDg outside. | opened one of the
letters. 1t was dated New York and
it ran something like this
ment in the Herald. have got seven
as fine Newfoundland pups as you ever
saw. Say the word and 1 will ship
them. Price for the litter, 800.
''Saw my advertisement iii the Her
AID said to myself. What can he
mean. 1t must be the letter was in
tended for someone else.' 1 opened
the other four. No, they were evil
IDENTIFY all meant for me. They were
all aOOuG ike UQe uTSu, anu Uuey Ouer-
ed me from two to dozen pups each.
Meantime the boys had been watch
ing me through the window, and when
I had finished they all broke into a
laugh. 1 knew they must be at the
bottom Of the joke, but pretended
not to notice their hilarity. AS soon
as they were out of the way, however,
1 took Herald out OF someone's box,
and waded through the want columns,
At last my eye rested upon this an
nouncement: And here the postmaster
got down lis scrap-book and showed
me yellow clipping in it that read:)
wanted-seyen Newfoundland pups; price
vile, N. Y.
"Then saw it all. knew some Of
those boys had gone to the expense of
that advertisement simply to worry
me. l made up my mind not to he
worried. But the next day brought
larger number of letters, and the next
more yet. For a week the current
kept up, and at one time l found l
was receiving nearly half the mail of
the office. Letters came from >Louisi-
ana, Texas and the far West, Offering
me Newfoundland dogs at prices rang
ing from SIS to 1925 each. Several
correspondents said they had no New
foundlands, but could sell me terriers,