Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 207, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1914 — Postmaster Thought Five Days Was the Limit [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Postmaster Thought Five Days Was the Limit

CHICAGO. —Chicago lost a championship the other day. The decision was made against Assistant Postmaster John M. Hubbard. He vigorously controverted a statement by Daniel Vaughan, publication clerk of the United

States department of commerce, in Washington, who declared that the gold medal ignoramus resides in this city. According to Mr. Vaughan, a Chicago man received from the department several days ago a copy of the publication of 1,400 pages, entitled “The Commerce and Navigation of the United States.” On the left hand corner of the envelope was the usual legend, “Return in Five Days.” Mr. Vaughan received a letter

from the Chicago man, who said he had been sitting up nights to read the publication, but had been unable to do so within the “five days.” He asked permission to keep the book three days longer. “If the ignoramus championship is to be awarded on such a faux pas, then the championship rightfully belongs to an Indiana village postmaster,” said Mr. Hubbard. “Not long ago a traveling salesman asked whether a letter had arrived for him. The drummer was keen to get the missive, as he expected it would contain a check to cover expenses, sent by his firm in New York. When the postmaster informed him that he had received such a letter, but had sent it back, the salesman was furious and demanded the reason. “ ‘Wai, my friend,’ said the postmaster, ‘that thar letter said on the front, “Return in Five Days,” now I calkerlated that the letter took two days to come from New York, and it would take two days goin’ back. So you see, I could keep it here only one day.’ ’’