The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-13
THE NEGRO PROBLEM
IN TWO CONTINENTS
CONTINUED from Page Ten.)

'Oh, by the way, you, Mr.. Postmas-
ter. it looks nightly like our pa
triotic Confederate congress is going
10 extend the age and other limita-
tions in the matter Of exemption from
military service. Let me see, how
cd are you, anyway? Don fail to
let me know by return mail-postaye
Doesn't cost you anything,"
Upon receipt of which the poor fell
low. who. doubtless. hates the smell
of ~Eunpowder like the birthstone Of
The hereafter. lies very. very quiet,
glad enough to play postmaster at
nothing a month and board himself,
If need be-. Just SO he'll avoid con-
ScriptiOp.
A letter to q Texas postmaster Of
Gate OF December u, 1863. is also
luminous with light upon the strait
ened condition Of Southern affairs. 1t
is in reply to one from the postmaster
explaining that he hadn't made out a.
report for nine months because he
didn't have a blank to make it out on,
and hadn't been able to communicate
with the department. owing to the
Federal possession of the Mississippi.
Il have to inform you that this is
the first letter received from you for
4 year" writes the postmaster gem
eral. In fact. very few letters have
been received from offices west Of the
Mississippi river during that period"
The blanks ordered have been
put UP and forwarded continued
Keagan's letter, except the wrapping
paper, Of which there is scarcely
enough in the department necessary
to put up the blanks sent out. I ex-
pect a limited supply shortly, and ii
possible, will send YOU some
An entry in the summer OF 1864
grotcSuuely shows the state Of ragged
shiftlessness TO which the postoffice
department was rapidly being re-
duced. Some CRATER had written to
the department for q lot of stamps,
and Reagan that he cannot
81 nd them without a bond being ECU
larry filed. He then continues:
II am unable to find, anyhow, that
. have eel been appointed post
master anywhere. Will YOU please
inform me, at YOU earliest cOnven-
fence, Why YOU are acting. and what
has become of John ID. Slater. who,
appearS to be the regular postnas-
ter
one must indeed go far to find a
more striking instance Of southern
courtesy thar thus to address an ad-
VentUrer who had evidently walked
nto a post office deserted by it's Off
cial. taken possession and called on
the government for stamps. The in
cident evidences. however. the shift
less condition into which things were
rapidly falling in the Southern Con-
federacy. Appomattox WAS due in
less than a year.
The last entry in these records is a
letter from the moribund post office
department appointing a postmaster
II is written with all due fornality
as though the appointment would
endure forever and the very depart
ment building was not even ther
rocking to the roaring guns Of Gran
After stating to the appointee. Bal
lard =. HyltOn, Of Floyd Court House
Va. that everything is satisfactory il
adds that his commission will be for.
Warded as Soon as the department
receives a copy Of his military ex-
emptior. lin accordance with the
usage of the department"-the las
time the usage was ever used. Hylto1
never had a chance to draw a day!
salary even in Confederate paper.