Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-03
Rockefeller's Private Postoflice.

Those who some weeks ago read
of the Rockefeller park in Franklin
county, N. Y, as described in let
ter reproduced in the Register and
Leader, will be interested in the
following letter:
MARINE. Ia, June 25.-To the
Editor: In your issue Of June8
there appeared an article on Rookie
feller Park" written by Moses
Lyman of Lakeville. Conn, which
gave an account of William Rocke-
feller's estate of $4,000 acres in
Franklin county, N. Y, near the
village of Brandon. The letter
stated that Mr.. Rockefeller had
bought nearly all the village of
Brandon, and that Oliver Lamora, q
civil war veteran, refused to sell.
The old soldier was not only for
hidden to fish in the St. Regis river
which ran through the Rockefeller
estate, but he was also forbidden by
guards with Winchesters from get
ting his mail at the postoffice. Thus
Mr.. Lamora was prohibited getting
his pension, lest he be liable to i'm
prisonment for contempt of court. 1
My blood boiled when / read this
and l Immediately wrote to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, sending him the arr
ticle. knew if he ever saw it his
blood would boil too. am happy
to say that l received reply from
Mr.. Hitchcock, first assistant post
master general, saying the matter
had been investigated and found to
be true. / quote: The subject was
taken up with Mr.. Rockefeller, who
gave assurance that no attempt
(hereafter) would be made toydeny
Mr.. Lamora emmy othey patres.|
free access to the postotfice at Bay
Pond" The postmaster thereupon
communicated by letter with. Mr..
Lamora, informing him that no OBJ
jections would hereafter be offered
to his visiting the postoffice to secure
his mail.
Yours very truly for justice against
oppression. John Fl. Carpenter.
But this reply of Mr.. Hitchcock
does not 60 to the merits of the mat
ter. 1t does not answer the question
why in the free United States post
office is maintained on Mr.. Rookie
feller's private park, where Lamora
or any other citizen is permitted to
get his mail by the sufferance of
anybody.
Mr.. Rockefeller gives assurance
that hereafter Mr.. Lamora can Sc
cure his mail at the Brandon office.
How does it happen that Mr.. Rookie
Teller has anything to say about
where Mr.. Lamora may get his
mail? Since when has it been a
matter of complaisance on the part
of a millionaire land grabber where
American citizens shall get their
mail?
The courts enjoined Lamora from
entering the Rockefeller premises,
although the river that flows through
was stocked with fish at state ex-
pense. The postoffice department
now arranges that he may walk in a
bee line to and from the postoffice,
providing he does not loiter by the
way nor purloin any of the state
fish from the waters Mr.. Rockefeller
has set aside for himself.
The government of the United
States is disgraced by this whole af-
fair. The administration of Theo-
dore Roosevelt ought not to be
bothered to know what to do with
postofices that can be approached
only by sufferance. The letter Mr..
Hitchcock writes to Mr.. Carpenter
is humiliation to every indepen.
dent American citizen. It is a CON
fession no administration with
American blood in its veins ought
to be willing to make.-Register
and Leader.