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The Olden Time

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Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
September
Year
1882
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The postoffice in Ann Arbor was , lished in 1825 with John Allen i ter. Mr. Allen was then a democrat. He was succeeded in 1831 byhis brother, 3 James T. Allen. He was a Clay wbig. i The doctrine that "to the victor belonps the spoils of offlce,"had not then been j eminciated. In 1832 Anson Brown obtained the i pointment of post master, and removed the postoffice to lower town, now known aa the 5th ward. The upper town folks were greatly agitated over the removal and did not relish the idea of receiving their mail matter from 1ÍE. BKOWN's HAT, that being the way in which he served the upper rillagers with their letters and papers. The people at a public meeting demanded the return of the post office to the upper village. The meeting recomended Charles Thayer for postmaster, and a petition was sent to Washington for his appointment. He received his commission September, 30th, 1834. Mr Brown died early in the same month. Mr. Thayer took posession of the office and soon after removed it to the UPPER VIMiAGE. Mr. Brown was a Jackson dcinocrat. Mr. Thayer was of the same political faith, and has remained faithful to his early oonvietions, until quite recently he has adoptedthe doctrines of the NATIONAL PARTY, [vulgarly styledgreenbackers,] Col. Thayer is a resident of this city and is upwards of 80 years of age. He rotains his physical and mental vigor to a remarkable degree, and is, as he alwayshas been, highly respected in the community. If my memory serves me correctly, Mark Howard followed Mr. Thayer as postmaster. Mr. Howard was a remarkable intelligent young man,[as nrarly nll printers are] and in his day was one of the bent POLITIOAL ORGAKIZEKS in the county. Shrewd, calculating, and sagacions, in all his acts as a politician, nnd seldom foiled in securing the object of his pursuit. but with all his shrewdness and sagacity, he was always to be trusted.uever oonsultiug his own interest to the sacriffce of that of those who trusted to his skill and management in ucting the affaire of the party to which e was allied, and of whieh he was nn cknowledged leader. Mr. Hownrd was whig of the Henry Clav school. He is ow a very highly respeoted influeutial, nd wealthy citizen of Hartford Conn. is an illustration of his thoughtfullness nd foresight, he preserved EIOHT VOLUMES f the Emigrant and the papers that folswed ït, had them bound and donated hem to the pioneer society of this couny. From these papers alone almost the ntire history of the county can be writen. And I take this occasion to gay that f Chapman & Co., the compilera of the ate history of the county, had ounsulted THESE TAPEKS iiore thoroughly, they would have made . more perfect history than they did. Mr. ïoward is an englishnian. He must be ibout 70 yeara old. Georga Danforth succeeded Mr. Howird iu the office. Many of our citizens emember the fat.jolly, laughig Danforth. ïe was a thorough democrat. He died lome 12 years ago. F. J. B. Orane was the next postmaser. He was a very intelligent business nan. He is now a resident of Detroit, ind has passed out of political and busiïess circles. Caleb Clark followed Mr. ane. He died a few years since aged ibout 70 years. Mr. Clark was a republi3an. Henry D. Bennett followed Mr. 31ark. He is a resident of this city, and ïas been fora number'of years the very EFFICIËNT STEWARD )f the university. Mr. Bennett is a demosrat. John I. Thompson was the next ncumbent. He is now an attorney at law n Milwaukee Wis. Mr. Thompson is a -epublican. Richard Beahan followed Mr. Thompson. He held the office but i short time and was suceeeded by Col. 3. B. Grant. Mr Beahan was a demojrat. He died a few years since in Ann Arbor Col. Graat is a son-in-law of ex CJov. Felch. He now resides at Houghton, and is judge of the circuit court. He is a repulican. The next incumbent was Col. Henry S. Dean, who now resides here and is enengaged in an extensive business. He is a thorough republican. The lasn raeutioned were officers in the late war. C. G. Clark followed Col. Dean, and held the office eight years, and was suceeeded in May last by the present incumbent J. C. Knowlton. Mr. Clark is now a resident of St Lawrence, Dakota, engaged in the printing business in that place. Mr. Clark and Mr. Knowlton are graduates of the univeraito, and have the reputation of being staunch republicana. When we go back to the dny when Mr. Thayer kept THE POST OFEICE in the hole in the wall, occupied now as a dye house by Mr. Dale, and look upoi the stately and beautiful building aoon to be flnished and occupied by the post office a building that reflecta honor upon its puilder and owner, K, A. Bcal we feel proud of our beautiful city and its enlerprising inhabitants. r. How often during the last few years have the people of this country been treated by public press and private speech to the doings of this machine, the formation of that one, and the workings of the other one. Each towu, county, and state feels the influence of a body of men, bound together and styled - a machine. Every machine if complete, is expected to be capable of producing a certain variety of Trork ; to receive its motive power from one specified source and itself created for one special purpose. If it fails to accomplish the object for what it is intended, it falls short of its mission and therefore is of no use. That there nhould be medicines no onc will deny. The rapidity with which work must be done in this fast age, makes it impossible for the necessary amount of labor to De performed without the aid of machines. Therefor machines are a blessing to the world at large as well as to cvery inhabitant of it. But every blcssing lias its corresponding curse. Machines are constructed to convert the golden grain of a thousand wheat flelds into a blessing to the race ; but machines are also made for the conversión of that same product into intoxicating liquor. Machines are made to convert the products of the cotton fields of the south ; the wooly covering of boasts into fabrics of utility and warmth that the nakedness of man may be covered and he be protected from the cold of winter. Machines onnvurt, thfi ore of the mine into articles of use and convenience that slied warmth in a thovisand dwellings, throughout the length and bredth of the qivilized world, hut the ore of the mine ia wrought by machines into deadly weapons of distructiou, by which human lite is destroyed by thousands. Machines of inferno] and debolieal construction are created that spring death upon the seagoin? vessel, tha swiftly raoving train, or the faucied security of the mail. Like to an ocean going vessel is the republic in which we live, it is spreadintf its way across the ocean of centunes ; the first station has juat been passed and joy has gladdened every heart to welcome its celebration, freighted with the weal or woe of a nation. It carries on its broad deck over flfty millions of people, and still as inany more can flnd weloonae here. She has met dangers in the flerce winds that have battled against her. She has met dangers in a bloody mutiny that at one time deluged her deck with seas of blood, and lessened her crew by over ri fe millions of her bravest and best. Pestilence has hovered with its dark wings over her. The hand of Jfhe assassin has twice BtrncK ner capiam 10 me uc. h But she still pursues her oourse across y the unknown sea. Hope has sprung up where despair once had its seat. Success has seemingly perched upon her banners. ( But there are looks of alarm among her f' crew. Anxiety is pictured upon many a face. The strongest winds, the keenest perceptions are elouded with the I sion of an awful truth. They know that iu the miscellaneous cargo that erowds her spacious hold, an infernal machine is stored, that threatens every moment to wreek our noble vensel. How it was ever smuggled across the deck they do not know. Eternal vigilence was the watchword when her cargo was taken aboard. The closest scrutiny was exercised ; the greatest care was taken ; how it got there no one knows save the instigators of the infernal deed. They know it was not brought on beard intact, they can teil of the work that has been done on board when all were lulled to sleep, and were not dreaming of danger. Yes, the machine of political corruption is in the hold of the grand old ship of state, and no one can teil when ite clock work will iguite the combustible material of paasion and ambition that is near at hand to receive the spark. It may be to-night, when the sky is without a cloud to mark its beauty, while the nioon is tracing its pathway of light across its bossom and shedding radience upon the sea below. It may be in the years to come, after all its present crew have fallen into their last long sleep, and sunk into the sea of forgetfulness. But whether to-day or twenty years henee, -come it wdl as sure as the sun goes down in the western sky, and the battlemcnts on high, it will come unless some hero of a clorious present, or an unknown future rushes down the open hatchway, seizes the monster evil, benre it to the deck and in the full sight of her crew and passengere, entinguishes the park and ainks it into the bottomless sea. We may think such a oatastrophe is the event of the possible future. We may rely in the principies that have come down to us from a glorious past, but the test is not what we have done, but whnt we are doing now, - that shall decide the question for us and enable us to fix the date of our possible calamity. When the representativo men of the nation, representatives became chosen as such, can openly plunder the treasury of millions on millions of dollars. When star-route thieves can steal with impunity, - cali to their aid the pronnounced apostle of all that is infanious, atheistic and unholy ; and by his aid, escape the penalty of their crimes. When virtue seeks the companionship of vice and urges familiarity, then it would seem it would need no skillful physioian's diagnosis of the case of the diseased republic. The remedy lies in the hills and valleys, mains and monntains, that diversify the surface of our land. It is in the exevcise of the first conceptions of the condition of our country ; its dangers, its needs, and then the application of the remedy at whatever cost. It is in the intelligent vote of the country, controlled by reason, directed by justice and truth, and the rescuing of the functions of the government by pronioters of public good, rather than private greed and gro velling self -interest. It lies with you, voters, to see whether the republic reaches the harbor of national sïiccess, or is wrecked by political corruption.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat