Athens Weekly Review Thursday, August 13, 1925
Completes Twenty Years Service With Government As Rural Mail Carrier MACDUFF LARKIN
On Monday, August 10th, Macduff Larkin, veteran mail carrier from the Athens postoffice, completed twenty years service with the Federal Government. Mr. Larkin, having reached 60 years of age, retires on a pension The twenty years spent in the service have been filled with many events. Mr. Larkin was appointed shortly after the rural carriers bill was passed and rural routes established. His service dates from the institution of rural mail carrying and he is the first man from this office to retire on a pension. Mr. Larkin has in his possession the original papers appointing him as carrier. The paper is dated October 7, 1904 and is signed J. L. Bristow, fourth assistant postmasters general. The appointment was effective November 1, 1904 and Willis S. Bruce was appointed as his assistant. The salary for that year ranged from $504 per annum for a twelve mile route to $720 for a twenty-four mile route. Mr. Larkin has kept a record of the territory covered during all these years and has traveled a total of 161,650 miles or several times around the world. During his twenty years service he has worn out four buggies, one gig, two mail wagons, two Ford cars and has killed two horses. He relates a funny incident that occurred shortly after he bought his first automobile. There was a lake on his route that he had been in habit of driving into each day to allow his horse to drink. The first trip he made after securing a car, he had been so in the habit of driving into the lake each day that he sent his Lizzie right out in the middle where the engine went dead. Early days were not particularly safe for the mail carrier but throughout the twenty years Mr. Larkin was never held up. He says that only one time did he get so much money that he was afraid of bandits and he stopped along the route and borrowed a gun before driving into town. The first trip he made he had to literally cut his own road. When he stated on the route it required from eight to nine hours to drive it but now he frequently covers it in an hour and a half. Mr. Larkin has literally turned gray in the service. When he started on his first route his hair was black, but twenty years have brought the frost that comes with age. He could give on estimate of the number of money orders that he had written, but said there were very heavy in the days when whiskey was sold. Liquor could not be sent by mail and frequently customers would have the whiskey shipped in Mr. Larkin's name. Although sixty years of age and entitled to the government pension amounting to forty-two per cent of his salary, Mr. Larkin says he does not intend to quit work. He expects to find something to keep him busy, but he will allow someone else to take his place with Uncle Sam. Mr. and Mrs. Larkin are now enjoying a stay at Galveston taking advantage of the last vacation at the expense of Uncle Sam.
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