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June 11, 1925
RANDOLPH - The Randolph post office goes to a second class office on July 1st according to advice received by Postmaster Helms from Washington. This raise in the rating of the Randolph office is based on postal receipts, which do not include money order business. For the year 1924 the postal receipts at Randolph were well over $8000, the highest in the history of the office here, and this figure raises the rating from third to second class.
The new rating means that the postmaster’s salary will be $2,200 per year, and that two clerks may be employed at a salary of $1,700 each. Miss Albers will remain in her present position as assistant and an additional clerk will be chosen by competitive examination. Applications for this examination will be received by Postmaster Helms until July 8, the date of the examination to be announced later.
At the time F. R. Stewart retired as postmaster the salary, based on receipts, was $1,600 and the department allowed $25 per month clerk hire and $20 per month for rent, with a small allowance for heat and light. These sums were inadequate for the service needed and the postmaster had to pay from his own pocket anything in excess of the allowance.
At the time H. L. Peck turned over the office to Mr. Helms in the early part of 1916, the salary was $1,700, with clerk hire at $33.33 per month, a building with a tenyear government lease was provided, and heat, light and fixtures were included in the rental. During Mr. Helms’ administration the business of the office further increased to allow an $1,800 salary and $46 for clerk, the postmaster paying from his own pocket anything above $46 for his help. Thus it will be seen that the business has had a gradual increase. With the present advance in third class rates, in parcel post rates, newspaper portage, etc., the Randolph office will undoubtedly remain in the second column.
No change will be made in the present equipment, which is as good and better than many of the second class offices in northeast Nebraska. Bloomfield has been in the second class for a year, Hartington for about two years, and Wayne, Creighton and Plainview are other nearby towns that are also second class offices.
June 11, 1925
RANDOLPH - What might have been a very serious fire was averted by Mike Wintz and Tony Backer at the Buol filling station about midnight last Saturday. The fire started from a small motor used to pump gasoline which became overheated and set fire to the drip pan.
Mike Wintz was overcome by the fumes while fighting the flames and was unconscious for about an hour. A doctor was summoned and artificial respiration was used to bring back normal breathing.
The fire was discovered when Scott Van Slyke drove into the station to get some gas for his car. Smoke was seen pouring from the opening in the jacket of the pump, coming up through the pipe leading into the basement.
Both Wintz and Backer grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to the basement which was rapidly filling with smoke and fumes from the burning gas and oil in drip pan. Backer was unable to stay in the fumes and was forced to retreat. Mike used his extinguisher very effectively and succeeded in putting out the flames, but not before he had breathed a large quantity of the gas fumes.
He was overcome by the fumes and is still feeling some of the ill effects of his experience.
