Evening star., 1933-08-13
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

Included in the archives Of the Gov
ernment are some unusual documents.
The Star of August 8,
Applicant 1888. prints one of them,
fou n%,. a letter that had just
Aol oniee' been received by the
Civil Service Examining Committee OF
the City Post Office:
Gents: I learn from the daily press
that you have been inQuiring into the
qualifications of a number OF big.
strong men to carry letters. 1t appears
to me like small business for the
Government to hire man to do such
trifiing work as carrying letter about
all day. For $4,000 per annum would
carry the alphabet, and am prepared
to appear before you for any examlna-
! tion-eXcept into my private AFFAIRS
you may order feel enlinently quail
! fed for the position, because even when
child at school. while putting down
one figure often carried another, and l
| have long had reputation for carry
ing tales and news about my nelghbor-
| hood 1 admit that my feet are frosted.
| that I have cornS and bunionS and
sometimes have to use a crutch, but, OF
course, these trifles will not be con-
sidered by the committee. I am thirty
years old. Single-had three wives but
do not know their present whereabouts
no desire to marry again and am
considered by my friends a first-class
dude. After reading what Is here writ
! ten. I feel confident that your COM
mittee will Immediately appoint me
/ alphabet carrier of the Office, as you
/ will thereby not only secure the
services of man singularly gifted but
/ also enable you to save the Govern
ment the salaries ofstwenty-five other
carriers. for if l carry the entire alpha
! bet of course you can dispense with the
services of the above number of letter
carriers hope you will not think me
common Office seeker"
|
President Arthur and q number of
other Government officials were. fifty
President Arthur MAKING
Among the Indians. West 5Var os VI ,t tne h
particular interest in the affairs of the
| Indians The Star of August 10, 1883.
says:
| The presidential exploring party
spent yesterday at Fort Washakie, Wyo,
preparatory to setting out on their ride
| to the Yellowstone this morning. In
/ accordance with the expressed wish OF
| the Shoshone and Arapahoe chiefs,
their people were afforded an opportu-
nifty of calling upon the President at
3 o'clock in the afternoon. Shortly be-
| fore that hour they gathered on the
plains to the number Of about 500
| warriors, mounted upon their hand
some ponies. They dashed forward in
| line for about a thousand yards to
point near which the President stood
| awaiting them. The column then halted
! and several of the chiefs diSmounted
! and approached Among them were
| WaShakle the remarkable chief of the
Shoshones, from whom this post takes
its name, and Black Coal. chief of the
ArapahoeS. tribe which within few
years has been permitted to share the
occupancy of this reservation. The
| President then thanked his visitors for
calling on him, and congratulated them
ON their fine appearance. He assured
them of his interest in their welfare
and Of his satisfaction upon hearing OF
their exemplary conduct and their
growing attention to the practice OF
/ industrial pursuits. His address was IN
terpreted to the Shoshones by an Eng
lish-Speaking member of their tribe.
who bears the name of Norcutt, and
| to the Arapahoes by one of their num-
! ber, who was educated at the Carlisle
School The chiefs then shouted to the
respective tribes what had been said
to them by their Great Father, and the
announcement was received by demon
strations of approval. Both Washakie
and Black Coal made pertinent replies.
| They thanked the President for hon.
oring them with a visit, and avowed
their purpose of living at peace with the
whites and adopting as rapidly as pos
sible their customs and manner of life.
Sharpnose then brought forth an In
| a,I nIo t1,n hviI iy,
the Presidents hands, he presented the
handsome animal to him for the use
Of his daughter. Gifts Of moccasins and
! leggins were presented to the members
of the party. Then followed q war
dance in which ten young Shoshone
braves took part. Eight beat the drum
and chanted weird song to excite the
efforts of their fellows. The dance af-
forded great entertainment to the
| party"