Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1957-08-14
Arthur
Says

III you think you have trou-
blcS with the pos offiie, let's
get on the othe: side of the
window.
The Charlotte Chronicle in
1889 reported that a man In
Lexington was surprised to
learn that postage had been
reduied from three to two
cents. Then he wanted the
stamps for less, saying that he
would look around awhile be-
fore buying, but if he couldn't
do no better, he woold have to
trade with the postmaster"
A year later lady went to
the Fayetteville post office "for
Csc worth of stamps and in an
swer to the poStInaSter'S ques-
ton of what denomination.
she promptly replied, 'Presby-
terrain"
Three years C3rlicr Sion D.
Williams of Hollands, N. c..
addressed the following letter
to the Raleigh Chronicle:
Il am a fourth class p. M.
and want to get myself remov-
ed, discontinued, suspended or
anything that will get me out
honorably. l advise all nv
young friends not to be per
suaded to become fourth
class p. M. Not for pay, for
honor, for love of country or
anything else. Ny office paws
about Sl.50 or $500 a year;
that is my income. My outgo
is about $40 year. My friends
advised me to take the position
for the pay and they said for
the information also. ] can
truthfully say tina. the govern
ment has got the pay and |
have got the information.
You see, l had to sell two
three -ccnt stamps for five
cents until Cleveland was
elected; then ne fixed it 50
you could send letter for two
cents; then | had to let my
customers have three stamps
for five cents. ! ,'ould tell them
l could not do that. They
would say, oh, look here, Sion,
| know you can't be that stingy
and hard up just Iur one cent
Then came the special de-
livery. 1t made very little diff
ference to me, FOR my office
had been special delivery all
the time. had 10 carry the
letters around for a mile o.
two before Charlotte, Raleigh
and other places had special
delivery.
People often come to my
house any time IF night and
say, Hello | gr' up out of
bed and 60 to the door. Is
there any mail fDI Emerline,
they inquire. What Emerline?'
| ask. oh, don't goa know EN-
erline, as long as you've been
postmaster here
Then if Emcrliac don't get
a letter. they ask if | ahink one
Will come next week.
- have held all the offices
In the gift of IN" government
or the people from ovcrsecr OF
the public road dov to fourth
class postmaster, md it always
happens that it falls my lot
to held all the posts of honor
that dom pay anything.
II think | have had honors
enough, AID thanking the gov
eminent and the people for the
confidence they have repoScd
in me and for the offices they
have imposed on me, | wish,
with this i:Sue uf the Chrion-
Gle to retire to private life.
told Mr.. sam MD"GCCia | would
give him five dc.lars 10 gel
me out of this job, but he has
not taken the case yet"
Then NJ. Williams added d
p. S.-"If you think this letter
will entanglc me with the gov
eminent any more than am
already, please don't publish
it,"
It's no wonder, therefore. that
some of the postmasterS took
things in :tride.
For instance, there was the
incident which Governor Zet
Vance said was true. A sales
man had told his wife to for
ward his rlail 20 a mountain
post office, end hr went to call
for il.
mo letters here for YOU
said the postmaster
They ought &c have beer
here yesterday"
Couldn't have" said the
postmaster. "Old Brown whc
carries the mail from Wilkes
boro to Roaring Cap got drunk
and didn't go over TO Wilkes
boro for it,"
How about today"
well, nc was sober enough
today, but his wife cut he
hand cooking"
Hell 90 tomorrow them"
Hardly, he never goes on
Thursday"
How about the next day."