The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-04-25
81 YEARS IN The
POSTAL SERVICE
James c, Kerr Of Chicago Is
Holder Of the Record.
COMMENDED BY HITCHCOCK

Saw Probably tho oldest IL Not the
First Strike Among Postal Clerks.
Was Born at Mentor, O., tho Birth
place of President Garfield.
James c. Kerr, a clerk in the mail
ing division Of the Chicago postoffice
has sent IN his resignation after sixty
two years In the postal service, which
is the record. Kerr is going back to
Ohio, his native state, to spend the re-
mainder of his days with relatives. he
is now eigbty-four years old. He en-.
tered the service eleven years before
the outbreak Of the civil war. Post.
master General Hitchcock has written
him personal note of commentator.
Kerr was born in Mentor. o., the
birthplace of President Garfield, April
Is. 1923. March /, 1850. Kerr entered
the service as clerk in the postotfice
at gainesville, o. Two years later he
was transferred to Cleveland, where he
remained for one year. Sept. 10. 1853.
he was appointed clerk in the Chica.
go pOstOfice. where he served. except
for period of six months, when he
was out of service, until 1861, when he
was transferred to Pittsburgh. In the
latter part of 1861 he was sent tc
Washington. From there he was de
tailed to open postoffice at Norfolk.
Va, for the delivery of soldiers mail
during the war. In December. 1868. he
returned to Washington and remained
until the close of the war.
Had Many Assignments.
Kerr's next assignment was In the
railway mail service as an extra clerk,
performing service alternately on the
line between Washington and New
York and between Washington and
Weldon, n. C. For three months he
continued on this run. when he was
appointed chief clerk Of the Cleveland
and st. Louis railway postoffice. with
headquarters in Indianapolis. After
three years he returned to the railway
mail service headquarters in Washing
ton as chief clerk of the Washington
and Lynchburg railway postoftice and
the Baltimore and Ohio railway post
office lines. After three months he
was assigned to the Missouri. Kansas
and Texas railway postof1ce, holding
one run for three years. From there
he was sent to Chicago, his last billet.
an Chicago" Kerr says, Il saw
probably the oldest if not the first and
only strike among postal clerks. Post
master Cook was a banker, besides be-
ing postmaster. He was accustomed |
to pay his clerk hire in the scrip OF |
his bank once every three months. |
The postoffice department refused to
allow Cook for his clerk hire. but he |
kept this information from his clerks |
and reduced their salaries and made
the reduction apply to the compensa-
ton that he had paid for the preced-
ing quarter. More than this. he took
the notes of clerks to cover drawbacks
from future salaries.
Tells of Strike.
zone afternoon the clerks took a
holiday and went to the theater.
When they came back there were sew
eral wagon loads of California mail
that had come around via the isthmus
of Panama. When the clerks saw the
mountain of work before them they re-
belled. A man named Knowles led
the revolt by throwing down the mail
he held in his hands. There were half
a dozen westerners in the crew, and
they all went out. leaving the other