The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-02
That Is Last Wish of Veteran
Topeka Mail Carrier.
POstOffice Pays No Attention to
Sick Mans Desire.
TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE
Not q Mark Against Man
Known Over Entire County.
ssThey Kick Me Out to Make
Room for q Democrat


After more than "a years of. service
as a rural mail carrier, during all of
which time not one black mark was
recorded against him, William r.
Comstock now learns that there is
very little sentiment in the postoffice
department, but he does believe there
is much greed for patronage there.
They could not wait for me to die.
They had to kick me out to make
room for some Democrat, said the
aged mail carrier, whom half the
people of Shawnee county know and
like.
MT. Comstock was in bed i'll when
he made-the bitter complaint. He has
been i'll since last June. During the
summer he waSs taken to hospital
and underwent 4 severe operation. He
has been confined to his bed two
months. That he will ever recover is
doubtful, for in addition to his present
illness and severe injuries he received
in the service of the Union army dur
ing the civil war, which left him par
TALLY parAlyZed. are the natural In
firmaties of life Of more than 20
years. And then, too. the heart has
gone out of him. Hope. which springs
eternal in old age as well as in youth.
has been killed. True. 1t was just a
little hope; but it Is hope which sus-
tains when all things else have failed.
Now this prop has been taken from
him. His crutch has been kicked from
under him by part of that govern
ment for the preservation of which he
fought and went through life a cripple.
Stil Has Hopes.
1t was such an insignificant little
hope! Just a dash of sentiment and q
little waiting on the part of the post
office department would have kept 1t
alive. In June, when he was taken ill,
he hoped to be back at work in July.
In July he looked to August for inn
provement. But 1t was October before
he was able to work and then only for
a month. November was spent in a
hospital. Now he is home at 1912
Guthrie avenue. All this time he was
hoping-hoping that he could be back
at work. 1t was not the salary he
wanted-he was paying that to q SUBJ
stitute. It was his ambition to die in
the harness-to be doing something
to have his name on the government
payroll whether 1t meant anything
financially or not-untif the time he
was called.
1t is abhorrent to be thrown alive
| into the worlds discard. There il
| solace even in a pretext of being USE
| full and as long as the old mail car
rier's name was carried on the gov
eminent pay roll he found this solace
He could talk OF getting back to work
Gin the spring." He did this and found
comfort in it until December FL. Now
he does not hope to be working "ir
the spring"
The Inspectors Report.
This is not a premortem obituary
ago Monday Mr.. Comstock was talk
ing of getting we'll and going back tt
work. He was not thinking Of am
other possibility. But on Decembel
from w. o. Rigby. postmaster. follow
ing a postal inspectors visit to Com
stocks home:
United States postoffice, Topeka
Kan, Dec. 81. 1914.
ders from the department, you are in
structed to return t. duty at once
! or submit your written resignation t,
me for transmittal to the department
otherwise it will be necessary to drol
your name from the rolls withou
prejudice. This is on account of you
absence in excess Of one hundred ant
fifty days, the maximum leave withou
pay allowed a rural carrier in on
calendar year under the provisions o
section 733 of the p. L. & r.
Advise me promptly of your desire
i w. o. RIGBY. Postmaster.
i This letter was received four day
before Christmas. He ceased talking
of when he would be well again
Christmas day the discharged veterai
telephoned to ]. W. Thurston. win
has been his business adviser a mum
Der OF years. What he told MI
ThurstOn was relative to wishes h
desired to be carried out after hi
death.
departments action have ON the serv
Ice given the patrons of rural r0ut
No. Z, for which Mr.. Comstock IN
been carrier since the route WAS frs
created?
The auhrtffufe. who has heen d