Evening journal., 1913-05-16
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Lunch Counter in the
New York POStOffiCe
By Holland.

It was in the latter part Of the ad-
minlstration Of President Chester A.
Arthur that General Benjamin r.
Bristow visited the postoflce at New
York upon some business with the
postmaster. the late Henry Pearson.
After the business had been com
pleted General Bristow said:
81 have often thought that ! should
like to see the place in the corridor
Of the postofice where the pieman set
up his lunch-counter at a time when
/ was secretary Of the treasury at
Washington
Postmaster Pearson laughed heart
ity, saying that he had almost for
gotten the incident but he knew the
place well. and he went with General
Bristow to a corner of the corridor,
which had once been pre-empted by
a yender Of pies, cakes, rolls and
frankfurter sausages. II was at that
precise spot. many years later, that
the pedestal and bust OF Postmaster
Pearson were placed to commemorate
his great service as postmaster OF
New York
The story. as told afterward by
Postmaster Pearson, was narrated to
him by General Bristow himself. It
was practically in these words.
About a year after General Bris-
tow became secretary of the treas
ury I should say early I'm 1876, he re-
ceived a communication from a man
In Nebraska, who claimed to have
been one of the first to suggest Cen
eral Bristow's name as that OF the
man upon whom all good Republicans
would be glad to unite as a candi-
date for President The man said that
he was going to Washington I'm the
course of a few weeks. and while at
the capital he should call upOn the
secretary of the treasury.
General Bristow did not pay any
attention TO this letter All cabinet
officers al one time or another receive
letters I'm which the writer's state that
they have come out for this or that
cabinet officer as Presidential candi-
date. Brstow himself received a
great many letters. first and last of
that kind
"But this man did turn up in Wash
ington at the time he said he would
and he called upon General Bristow.
He had letters of Introduction. When
General Bristow read them he found
that the man had been candidate for
Congress I'm one OF the remote
Nebraska districts some years earlier
but had been defeated OF course
this fact justified General Bristow
in paying some attention to him
1.-The man said he had come to
ask a special favor of General Bris-
tow. He said that It was one that
could be granted. while il would not
be necessary TO turn anybody out of
Office TO make the place for him.
General Bristow asked him what
tho favor was which he desired the
secretary 90 grant
10. isn't much. the man replied.
Occasionally when / have been I'm
New York and have visited the post
Office. have noticed that they
haven't got any lunch counters in the
corridors. J made some inquiries and
found that YOU, as secretary of the
treasury, are the custodian OF the
New York postoliicc building, so you
have authority TO give permission for
anyone to establish a lunch counter
in the corridor 7 want to ask you
to let me set up a lunch counter
there There are thousands OF per-
sons who pass through that corridor
every day Will make my lunch
counter very tempting to look at. II
they patronze me once. they will be
pleased 10 patronizze me again. 7
ought 10 make comfortable living
and save some money
General Bristow. in the kindness
of his heart gave the necessary
order The man set up a lunch
counter in the main corridor. lie
placed upon it heaps of pies, dough-
nuts. cakes and sandwiches, but to
his astonishment and dismay. instead
of getting any patronage, everybody
who passed through that corridor
excepting an occasional small boy
made fun of the lunch-counter. The
lunch-counter got into the news
papers The reporters made all man
ner of fun OF the poor fellow. so THAI
at last. after sticking II out for a
while. he was compelled TO give w
his lunch-counter. and went back tC
Nebraska an almost heartbroken man
That was the end of any attempt tC
establish restaurant in the CORR.
dors of the postofiice. General
Bristow heard of the attempt of the
defeated candidate for Congress from
Nebraska to feed the hungry at small
cost in the corridor of the New York
postofice and II was his recollection
of the incident that led him to ash
that he be shown the place where
the poor fellow had tried to make q
living and 10 save a few dollars by