Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-31
OYSTER BAY STIRRED
Lively Fight Over Location of
the Post Office.
TOWN EQUALLY DIVIDED
Ludlum's New Building the Storm
Center.
SCHEMES OF THE ARCHPLOTTERS
Would Remove the Office to Its Orig
inal Location and Have a New
Postmaster Appointed.
SCHEMES OF THE ARcHPLorTERs

Special Dispatch to The Star.
OYSTER BAY. N. Y. July 31.-A fight
that is stirring the village to it's depths Is
on over the postofi1ce situation here, and
while the President has not as yet been
dragged into 1t, one or the other of the
warning factions is certain to appeal to him
for help. The town is about equally divided
over the matter. The fight is to see who
will get the new contract for providing
quarters for the post Office for the next five
years.
Five years ago the oyster Bay post office
was the Joke Of Long Island. 1t was In a
little hole In the wall in the rear of the
butcher shop on East Main street. The
place was SO small that no more than
three persons could get into 1t at a time,
and some OF the progressive citizens started
scheme to have decent building erected.
President Roosevelt gave the plan his ap-
proval, and James II. Ludlum, former
republican leader Of the town, came for
ward with a bid to cree, a new building
and furnish the necessary equipment.
A post office inspector from Washington
came on, looked the situation over and ac-
cepted Mr.. Ludlums proposition. The
present building was then erected on West
Main street at the other end of the village.
The business men in the neighborhood of
East Main street, where the old building
was situated, opposed the movement with
all their might. They argued that it would
take business away from their end of the
town. 1t did. for the new building was
handsome, and several new stores sprang
up around It,
Other Fellows Nursed Their Wrath.
1t cost Mr.. Ludlum about Sc, COO to erect
the building and comply with the depart
ment's requirements, and in return he was
allowed $500 a year rental. For five years
the business men at the other end Of the
town nursed their wrath, and when the
time came this week for new bids to be
opened for another five years rental a
secret but influential movement instantly
developed to have the post office taken
back to its original location. Mr.. Ludlum
put in a higher bid than he did five years
ago and the merchants on West Main street
rallied around him in an effort to keep the
post Office where 1t is.
That there Is strenuous opposition to the
present order of things developed yester
day, when an inspector al rived from Wash
ington and spent day in looking into the
merits of the two sites. 1t is argued by
friends of the East Main street plan that
Mr.. Ludlum's bid is not acceptable or an
inspector would not have come here.
1t Is rumored now that the East Main
street men have won out, and that new
post Office will be erected adjoining the eX
ecutive Offices. This would undoubtedly re-
suit in shifting the center of the towns
business. -.--.
Coincident with the effort to have the
post Office changed a plan is on foot to have
a new postmaster appointed and an appeal
to that effect will be made to President
Roosevelt: The incumbent is Mrs. Annie
Larrabee, who has been postmistress for
the past fifteen years. 1t is maintained by
many that the Office should be in charge
Of man. Mrs. Larrabee's friends, the
other hand say that the effort to GUST her
is simply scheme to use the office as po-
ntical patronage.