The Washington herald., 1910-07-24

up just as if a cyclone had went thru
If, but finally they found the appoint
ment in bureau drawer in the attic,
where it had laid for 10 these many
years When Eph showed she appoint
ment to the P O. Inspector, he merely
glanced at it, after Eph and mis- wife
had went and spent three hours hunt
ing for it The inspector then asked
Eph how many stamps he had on hand
and Eph said he didn't know becuz they
was so stuck together with the hot
weather that it was impossible 10 count
EN-. The P. 0. inspector asked Eph
how It happened that the dating stamp
of the Bingville postoffice had the date
on it Of May q, 1903, and Eph said
the only reason he could give was that
the date had not been changed since
that time Eph explained that il was
such bother 10 change the date of
the stamp every day that he had got
IN the habit of only changing the year
every Il months. >but the last two years
he had forgot 10 change it at all.
The Inspector asked Eph if Bing-
vile was a good money order office
and Eph told him NO" that he had
not issued one money order sinst Bing-
vile had become a money order office
and that the people round Bingville
didn't seem to put much confidence IN
money orders. Eph didn't tell the in
spector how it allus made his head
ache to try 10 make out a money order
and how he had never succeeded III
making out one correctly, for which
reason he had told the patrons of the
p. Q. that the money order department
had been discontinued.
The Inspector desired to know If Eph
had delivered many special delivery let
tiers during the past year. Eph told him
that he had not been bothered much
by special delivery letters, for which he
was very thankful. Eph told the in
spector that unless a special delivery
letter was very special, he allus let it
lay around the office for a few days
after it was received until he had a
chanel to send it to the person to whom
it was addressed. especially if they
lived some distance outen town.
Eph was asked by the inspector if
he had sent in his last quarterly re-
port yet, and Eph told the Inspector
that he had got little mite behind IN
making out his quarterly reports, be-
ing as the last one he had made out
was the third quarter of 1909, but that
he hoped to ketch up on the reports
before next winter.
After the P. Q. inspector had finished
his examinashion, Eph took the oppor-
tunity to ask him a few questshions
relative to conducting the Bingville p
0 to the best of his ability. Eph wanted
to know of the inspector if a letter
came to the office for some person
whose name couldn't be read on the
envelope, was it proper to tear open the
letter to see If the contents would
throw any light on who it was for
The Inspector told Eph it was very
wrong to do a thing like that and
against the law; that the proper thing
was to send the letter to the dead letter
Office and let them open it there. Eph
then asked II there was any ObjecShion
TO him reading the postal cards which
came to the office and the Inspector
said the postmaster had no right to
read postal cards which passed thru his
hands. Eph was a good deal grieved TO
learn this. If he can't open letters
which amt addressed plain and can't
read postal cards, there won't be much
satisfacshion for him in being post
master of the Bingville postoffice. The
postoffice here don't pay him more than
SIS or $40 year, and II the y. S.
government is agoing TO take away all
privileges from Eph, as you might say,
what use is there OF him continuing 10
be postmaster
The P o. inspector staid all night
with Eph and went on to Hardscrabble
the next day. Eph says he wasn't bit
more expecting that P. o. Inspector
than he was expecting the end of the
world, but he calkilatee the next time
he comes around he will be ready for
him. Eph he reelSons P. O. inspecting
Is q good cal a matter of form and be