Show i ONE WILDCAT POST PAID I A Humorous Cttlien Devise a Scheme to Bounce a Postmaster The postmaster here died about ear ago and considerable trouble has been experienced in finding a new one who I would be satisfactory and competent says a Guntown N M correspondent I ot the New York Sun For a long time there was no appointment the diminutive diminu-tive weekly mail being opened on arrival by the first man who happened to get itt it-t length the people concluded to petition pe-tition tor the appoint of Sam Duff who keeps a saloon here He was a Jackson Democrat and his standing in the community com-munity was good Tae only other men in the town who had the facilities for I keeping the office were another saloonkeeper saloon-keeper named Fritz and a grocer who also kept liquor named Beebe Aa the request for Duffs appointment was almost unanimous it was supposed that I he would get the place but alter awhile Beebe was appointed as the special I agent at Santa Fe explained because Duff kept a saloon and it was against the policy of the administration to appoint aalooticeepers Tnat made i everybody mad Beebe had never been popular was unable to read or write and was moreover a very stupid fellow not more than nalfwitted as some I people said To get even with all hands the citizens citi-zens held a meeting and put up a job which was some time coming to a head Beebe in the meantime had received his i commission and was doing his best with i I the mails One day last week old Herrick 1 Her-rick Price who used to live in Tenne I see drove up in front of Beeo s place hitched his horses and yanked a young I wild cat outOl his wagon The beast was frisky arrdAigiy apparently not dangerous On his collar was a card i bearing the address ITo I-To the President of the UnitedStates I from the Grateful Democratic Citizens I of Guntowu X M A natural curiosity I curios-ity Democratic from tip to tip Feed him and treat him gently He is used to i luxury t i Pulling the beast into the postotGce old man Price et1B what the postage ion Ion i I-on him would be Beebe didnt Snow He had never handled any wild cats be i i fore Well Price cad He bail mailed one to Mr Arthur and before his day the boys had sent a bear TO lien rant t He wanted to know what the tax would be Beebe opened a book and ore niini t to read Then he 10 Ee S xtne wildcat wild-cat and next at Prce At Itrngt h stammered out something to the rtfee = that it woad probably be about ten stamps Price bought the stamps stork them on the cats collar and tarim bun over to the postmaster with an njuuc tion to be careful of him That afternoon when the tuailcaricr came along he refused to take the ant I mal B ebe swore that he should because J be-cause the postage had been paid The i i drivrr said he would lick Beebe first whereupon the postmaster who was a I i man of nigh temper struck the driver I in the face A tight ensued and while it wa in progress the wildcat got mad and ran into the grocery where he I crawled under a counter When Beebe I am the mailcarrier had settled their diterences the former went after the i cat but was soon warned by the ani maij demeanor that mtimncy with him I was not safe Uy this time the town i was on the outside watchng the fun i i The driver and Beebe tried various ex penmentb in the hope of getting the beast out but without success until at length they hit upon the plan ot putting put-ting a big leather mailbag near him with I a niece of ineaf in it the idea being that he would dash into the bag for the meat 1 and they could then close it quickly i and thus have him curtly done up fur I his long journey Tne plan worked to perfection and a few minutes later the crowd in front had the pleasure of see I ling tne driver and Beebe emerge carry j i lug the bag containing the compliments of the citizens of Guntowu To itnphfv matters Beebe had attached to the bag a I card on wlm h the mailcarrier had written writ-ten i i 1wpLLDCIYititCIDC FT I 1 I When the bag had been deposited in the wagon and the driver bad whipped 1 up his norsej anlt vanished the citizens called on Beebe and congratulated him I on his success iu his new place Then all hands went away and awaited developments devel-opments These came today when a special I agent arrived deposed Beebe and commissioned I com-missioned Duff as postmaster He said it was a choice of evils but that in a town like tbis it was necessary to have a man who know the difference between I fourth class matter and live stock When the wildcat in the big reached SanaFa nobody would touch the beast I and at length on the advice of citizen the mailcarrier threw the whole outfit into a cistern from which the bag and I the defunct wildcat were fished the I next morning Duff is now doing the honors here for the United States government gov-ernment and everybody is happy except ex-cept Beebe |