THE LETTER CARRIERS AND WEDDING BELLS

Walter Wellman.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, July 1, 1897.

THE LETTER CARRIERS.

Uncle Sam's Poorest Paid Servants.

THE FREE DELIVERY SYSTEM.

The Nation ls Very Careful as to the Character of the Men It Employs, but These Government Employees Get but $600 Per Year.

   WASHINGTON, July 1.—(Special.)—Congress is nearly ready to adjourn again, and the letter carriers of the country have again failed to get justice at the hands of the national lawmakers. They have been at work a long time trying to get an increase of pay from congress. They have had several bills favorably reported from committees of the house and senate, but something has always interfered to prevent passage of the acts through the two houses. A great many public men think the plea of the letter carriers is a just one, and I am sure that a great majority of my readers will agree with me when I say that the increase of salary proposed is no more than the just deserts of men who are among our most faithful and useful public servants.

   Probably every reader of this dispatch has had the same thought that now comes to the writer—admiration for the regularity with which the letter carrier comes to one's office or house in all sorts of weather, early and late, and always handling his mail so carefully and accurately.

The Free Delivery System.

   The free delivery system of the United States postoffice [sic] department will soon celebrate its thirty-fifth anniversary. It was on July 1, 1863, that the system was established. At first there were only 49 free delivery offices. Now there are about 600. There are in the country something like 12,000 carriers. They handle in a year the enormous total—the inconceivable number— of 3,750,000 pieces of mail. The postmaster general has certified to the accurate manner in which these carriers do their work. He says the number of complaints which come in concerning misdelivery of mail, delay in delivery, delivery to wrong address and other errors of the carriers do not average more than 300 a year. Up to 1874 the free delivery system was not self sustaining—that is, its expense was not defrayed by the local postage—but at the end of the fiscal year 1875 the local postage outbalanced the cost of free delivery, and up to the present time the system has a surplus to its credit of more than $3,000,000. It is fair to assume that almost all the postal earnings from local postage are due to the free delivery system.

   In cities of less than 75,000 population letter carriers are paid $600 and $850 a year, according to the length of their service. In cities of more than 75,000 population the pay is $600, $800 and $1,000. It is proposed to increase the pay of carriers who have been more than four years in service to $1,000 a year in the former and to $1,200 a year in the latter. In time this increase will be granted as an act of justice to a deserving class of public servants.

   There are substitute carriers in the service who draw the munificent salary of $1 a year, but, of course, this is only nominal. Their actual pay is at the rate of $600 a year when they serve any length of time for a regular carrier who is away ill or away on his vacation. For short trips they are paid pro rata from the regular carrier's wages.

Faithful Service Rendered.

   Letter carriers are the government employees with whom the public has most to do. They visit our homes and offices every day, almost every hour. They are close to the people. They know every one and every one knows them. For these reasons Uncle Sam is very careful as to the character of the men he employs. They must be citizens of the United States, between the ages of 18 and 40 years, and they must be known to be honest, temperate and industrious. They have to give a bond of $1,000 for faithful performance of their duties. Look about among the letter carriers of your city and note if they are not among your best citizens—attentive to duty, courteous, painstaking, good husbands, fathers and neighbors. Letter carriers must provide their own uniforms. They are not permitted to solicit gifts or subscriptions, to talk much or whistle or sing or smoke or loiter while on duty, and they are barred from entering salons during working hours save in discharge of their duty.

Personal Matters.

   Mrs. McKinley, as every one knows, does not enjoy perfect health. For this reason there has been much surprise that she should be so fond of traveling about the country. Whenever the president goes on a journey Mrs. McKinley accompanies him. She is genuinely fond of travel. This is true in part because she loves to see how much the people admire her husband and in part because she really enjoys travel. She is never so well as when on the cars. During the trip of the president and his cabinet to Nashville last month some very hot weather was encountered. Every one suffered from the heat—every one but Mrs. McKinley. She was in her element. She dotes upon hot weather. All she fears is cold, especially drafts. While every one else was sweltering she sat in a closed drawing room of the private car perfectly comfortable and happy. She is a good traveler, especially in hot countries.

   Standing upon a hill on that famous battlefield Chickamauga, General Grosvenor told the presidential excursion party how he and his regiment had been ordered to hold the eminence, how a gallant troop of Confederates came charging up, steadily closing up the ranks that were cut by the bullets from the defenders' guns, and approached nearer and nearer till the men could see the whites of one another's eyes. General John Beatty of Ohio was in command there, and he offered a brigadier general's commission to any one that should capture the rebel flag that a proud young southerner was bearing up the hill in advance of his men step by step, and every step nearer death.

   "We made a rush for that color bearer," said General Grosvenor, "but just before we could reach him he fell mortally wounded. We pulled him up to the top of the hill and put him against that tree there. He was a beautiful boy, fair as Adonis, and he died with a smile on his handsome face."

   "But what became of the flag?" asked some one in the party.

   "Oh, as to that," replied General Grosvenor, "the young color bearer had had the presence of mind the instant he felt the bullet in his breast to throw the standard backward among his men and down the hill. We never secured it, and some one of us missed the chance to win the promised commission."

   WALTER WELLMAN.

BOY PROVES HIMSELF A HERO.

Only 14 Years Old, but He Rescues an Aged Woman from the Flames.

   GROTON, N. Y., July 1.—Floyd Thomas of Morgan Hollow, a 14-year-old boy, imperiled his life to rescue Mrs. Hunter from her burning residence. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hunter, both of whom are more than three score years and ten, lived in a small house surrounded by a piece of woods. While the husband was absent from home the house caught fire, and Mrs. Hunter, who is an invalid, was unable to extinguish the flames or make her escape from the building.

   She screamed for help again and again, but no one appeared to assist her, and at last, growing desperate, she rose from her invalid chair and attempted to reach the door. She immediately fell to the floor in a semi-conscious state, while the flames were rapidly cutting off all chances of rescue.

   Young Thomas, who lives on an adjoining farm, had been picking strawberries, and, reaching the brow of a hill, saw the flames issuing from the Hunter cottage a short distance below. Dashing down the hill, he rushed through the flames, almost stumbling upon the prostrate form of the aged woman. He threw his coat over Mrs. Hunter's head and lugged her into the yard, when she revived sufficiently to exclaim, "God bless you, Floyd; are you injured?"

   "Not to amount to anything," answered the brave boy, while smarting keenly from numerous burns.

   The little house and its contents were nearly destroyed before further assistance arrived.

State Will Purchase Land.

   ALBANY, July 1.—Commissioner Babcock and State Engineer and Surveyor Adams, two members of the forest preserve board, met in this city and decided to purchase 15,000 acres of land in Essex and Hamilton counties at $1.50 an acre. Lieutenant Governor Woodruff, the other member of the board, was not present at the meeting.

Seth Low Indorsed For Mayor.

   NEW YORK, July 1.—At a massmeeting [sic] of prominent citizens of Brooklyn last night the Hon. Seth Low was unanimously indorsed [sic] for the candidacy of mayor of Greater New York, and a committee of 50 was appointed to look after his interests in the campaign.

BURGLARS ON SOUTH HILL.

Money Taken From E. Frank Squires' House In the Evening.

   Tuesday night, it will be remembered, that it rained like a thunder shower all the evening. At the home of E. Frank Squires on South hill [beyond Pendleton Street, Cortlandville] all the family except the oldest son, William, were gathered in the parlor, where Mrs. Squires was playing upon the piano. The doors in the rear part of the house were not locked and some of them were open, it not being supposed that anybody would be out upon such a night. At an early hour, Miss Nettie, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Squires, went up stairs and retired.

   A little after 9 o'clock William returned from the village. As he approached the rear door he saw a man go out and disappear in the darkness. William went straight through the house and inquired of the family in the parlor who the man was who had just left the house. No one knew that any man had been there and they were inclined to laugh at him and think that he had seen a spook, but he persisted that he had seen some one. They looked around the house, however, and found everything undisturbed as far as they could see, and concluded that if William had seen anybody it was one of the men employed on the farm who might have returned to the house for something.

   When Mrs. Squires went to her room she found a bureau drawer open, which she was sure she had left closed. She looked for her purse and it was gone. She became suddenly converted to William's belief that he had seen a strange man. As the others of the family had gone up stairs she said nothing to them about it. In the morning she found her purse empty in the woodshed. It had contained about $7. When her aunt, Mrs. H. E. Carmichael, came down stairs she told her of it and advised her to look for hers.

   All ridiculed the idea that any one had been up stairs to Mrs. Carmichael's room though, especially as Miss Nettie was up there, having just retired before her brother came. But in a moment Mrs. Squires returned from a second look about the woodshed and brought with her Mrs. Carmichael's purse, also empty, which she had found there. It had contained about $20. The burglar had entered her room up stairs which was just across the hall from Miss Nettie's. That young lady had that night, contrary to custom, closed her door after retiring. Had it been open she would probably have heard him. Nothing else is missing. There is no clue [about] the intruder.

BRISTOL-WOOD.

Brilliant Wedding at the Home of Mr. and Mrs. Delos Bauder Last Night.

   One of the most brilliant weddings that has occurred in Cortland this season took place last evening at the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. Delos Bauder, 32 Lincoln-ave., when their accomplished daughter, Miss Margaret B. Wood, was joined in the holy bonds of matrimony with Mr. Thomas P. Bristol, one of Cortland's most popular young business men.

   The ceremony was performed at 8 o'clock in the front parlor beneath an arch of daisies and cut roses in the presence of about 125 relatives and friends of the contracting parties. Promptly at the appointed hour McDermott's orchestra, which was stationed in the library began the wedding march and the wedding party entered the parlor in the following order: The ushers, Messrs. Frank E. Brogden and G. Harry Garrison of Cortland; the maid of honor, Miss Emilie Cowles of St. Lawrence, S. D., cousin of the bride; the bride leaning upon the arm of her father, Mr. Bauder. At the altar the bride was met by the groom and his best man, Mr. Fred D. Carr of Cortland, who had entered from the hall. The ceremony, which was the beautiful and impressive one of the Episcopal church, was performed by Rev. Amos Watkins, rector of Grace Episcopal church. Most hearty congratulations were then offered, and an elaborate wedding supper was served.

   The bride's gown was of white satin trimmed with duchesse lace, and she carried a bouquet of bride roses and maiden hair ferns. She looked exceedingly charming, and her beauty was the remark of all. Miss Cowles, the maid of honor, wore a becoming gown of white organdie over yellow silk and carried a bouquet of yellow roses.

   The presents, which were of a great variety and many of them very costly, were displayed at the home of the newly married couple across the street from the home of their parents. The groom's gift to the bride was a beautiful pearl, emerald and diamond brooch. Among the gifts was a full case of solid silver from the mother of the bride.

   Mr. Bristol is a popular and enterprising young business man, proprietor of a leading merchant tailoring establishment and haberdashery at 79 Main-st., and the bride is one of the most charming and highly esteemed young ladies of Cortland. They have hosts of friends here and elsewhere, who extend to them the most hearty best wishes and congratulations.

   They drove to Homer last night and boarded the night train for a trip to places which have not been announced. After Aug. 1 they will be at home at their new home, 32 Lincoln-ave., which has been elegantly furnished for them.

   Among the guests from out of town were Mrs. J. A. Bristol, Misses Clara,

Elisabeth and Julia Bristol, Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Page and Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Page of Athens, Pa., Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Connor of Chicago, Mrs. F. E. Barnard, Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Wheeler and Miss Grace Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Wheeler of Greene, Mr. and Mrs. P.S. Knapp of Syracuse, Misses Edith Horton of Owego, Mabel Crane of Horseheads, Mary Stlllman of White Plains and Josephine Van Denberg of Lyons.

Cortland Park.

At the Park.

   The weather is warming up and getting just right for spending an evening at the park. The Cortland City band will give a concert there to-night. The vaudeville entertainment will be given in the pavilion as usual, and it should be borne in mind that part of this is out of doors and free to all. Cars will leave at convenient times.

BREVITIES.

   —Band concert at the park to-night.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—D. E. Shepard, will celebrate, page 4.

   —Will not the party who referred to "Toronto" in letter of June 29 make himself known? It would be such a great favor.

   —The lawn social given at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Chorley, 18 Garfield-st. last night by Lincoln lodge, I. O. G. T., was well attended and nearly $6 were realized.

   —The inclemency of the weather interfered very much with the ice cream social given by the Clionians at the home of Miss Annie O. Collins, Monday evening, but notwithstanding that, a neat little sum was realized.

   —There is a good sized crowd at Elysium park to-day attending the missionary rally. Eighty-six people went down on the special train on the Lehigh Valley road this morning and teams have been going and coming all day.

   —The jury in the case of The People against George A. Johnson of Groton in Justice Kelley's court yesterday brought in a verdict of not guilty of petit larceny in stealing chickens from Henry Ellsworth. The prosecuting attorney was I. H. Palmer, and Thomas H. Dowd was for the defendant.

   —Mr. Charles Schellinger of Truxton, who was formerly employed in the meat market of Daniel Reilly, died Monday at Oil City, Pa., of inflammation of the bowels, at the age of 26 years. The funeral was held at the Baptist church in Truxton at 10 o'clock this morning.