Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1905-05-17

Instead of. referring the matter to
the fourth assistant postmaster gen.
eral. Mr.. Bristow Can Official reputed
to be disobliging in delicate matters
of this sort) as is customary in the
affairs of fourth class postoffices, Mr.
Payne himself sent an inspector to
investigate. Before the inspectors
report came in, Mr.. Payne, by what
urgency it is impossible to state,
took matters into his own hands and
ordered the Brandon postoftice
closed. The effects were removed
to Bay Pond, a settlement exclusive
ly made up of the Rockefeller men
age, four miles distant in the heart
of the estate. The personal request
of private citizen had sufficed to
move a postoffice from a point where
ii was needed to a point where
it wasn't. Bay Pond already had a
postoffice of its own.
To the Brandon people this seemed
an injustice. Some of them even
went so far as to say the government
had been inhunced by Mr.. Rookie
feller's position and riches. They
got up a petition for the return of
their postoffice. Seventy-four peo.
pie signed it; number, by the way,
considerably in excess of the Bay
Pond population. The petition
went to Washington and was pigeon.
holed. Brandon came to under.
stand that it could tramp to Bay
Pond for its mail, or it could go with.
out. 1t tramped. And it tramped
over roads lined with signs anounc-
ing that this was William Rocke
feller's private park, and warning
tresspassers away under penalty o.
the law. That is. the United State:
was maintaining postoftice to which
Mr.. Rockefeller might, if his claims
we're made good, deny access to any
person distasteful to him. That he
did not deny such access perhaps
speaks we'll for his wisdom.
On the whole, the Rockefeller EN-
ployes were not disobliging to th'
Brandon people in the matter o
mail. The postmaster at Bay Pom,
even went beyond the requirement
of his office, often sending mai
down to Brandon by one or anothe
of the railroad hands. But the rap
of their postoftice ranked in III
minds of the Brandon folk. On
day last fall Oliver Lamora sent hi
son to Bay Pond after a newspape
which he expected. The son re
turned empty handed. Thereupo
the old man shouldered his rifle an
set out himself. At the postoftic
he found William Rockefeller an
Flanders, the watcher Lamora de
clares with glee that Rockefeller i'm
mediatly stepped behind his employ
and maintained that strategi sntoio
through the proceedings. Not tina
there was any danger, says the oil
man, for he only brought the wea
pom to protect himself against Nh
= Rockefsller's wild deer. Lamor
demanded his paper. The post
master instituted a search. found
, in corner where it had been mis-
T laid, and delivered it with an apo
ogy.
Early last winter inquiries wer
set afoot in Washington by Collier
as to the reason for the removal @
the Brandon postofice. Fourt
Assistant Postmaster General Bris
tow knew nothing of the case. II
instituted a search and found tn
petition with the ~ names. An in
spector was dispatched to Brandon
He reposted and early in the year
: on recommendation of Mr.. Conrad
who had taken Bristow's place, tn
: office was re-established. Just a
present Brandon seems to be a littl
ahead in the game with Rockefeller
William Rockefeller does not seen
to be an object of personal hatred
as for instance, his neighbor, Orland,