Who Will Be Postmaster?-This Day In Norwood History-August 21, 1903

Norwood People Will Soon He Likely To Know—Three Men Now The Principals

Popular opinion seems to be that the successor to William J. Wallace as postmaster of Norwood will be named very soon, perhaps before this paper is printed, and that the name selected will be one of three,—Frank A. Fales, Edgar L. Bigelow or Perley Thompson. Popular opinion, as far as we have been able to learn, goes- a step further and practically eliminates Mr. Bigclow from, the contest, leaving Mr. Fales and Mr. TJiompson as the two favorite candidates, with the chances, many think, in favor of Mr. Thompson. It was rather necessary that the candidate should have the support of Norwood’s leading and most representative businessmen, and this, it is understood, Mr. Thompson, has .secured. It is by no means certain, however, that Mr. Fales will not get the position. He has probably as large a following among all. classes of people as any man in town. His eminent fitness for a public position of this kind is acknowledged by friends and enemies, and he has a wide acquaintance with all the roads and turns of politics.

Beside him, Mr. Thompson is, of course, the merest amateur. In fact, Mr. Thompson!! is no politician and lays no claim to being one. His “pull,” if the word is allowable here, is social rather than political He knows leading & and representative men in the town and out of it and is held in high esteem by men outside the town whom the average Norwoodite has never met and never even seen.

The situation as regards Mr. Thompson and Mr. Fales is a somewhat peculiar one. A warm personal friendship has existed between Mr. Fales and Mr. Thompson, and what little experience Mr. Thompson has had in Norwood politics has been as a Fales man. Mr. Thompson hits not at all changed this attitude. He is making no personal fight whatever against Mr. Fales. He is simply in the field with the idea, “May the strongest man win,” and he naturally hopes that the strongest man will prove to be Perley B. Thompson. Perley is well-liked by all kinds of people, but the strength lie has developed is somewhat of a surprise. It was not supposed, when his name was first mentioned last week, that his candidacy was a very serious matter. Towards the close of the week, however, the flattering support he received from representative men led him to enter earnestly into the thc lists as a candidate hopeful of winning. The street talk has been nearly all Thompson this week, though Mr. Fales’s friends are hustling, and as usual Mr. Fales is the same grave and quiet man lie always was, saying little, but keeping up a powerful thinking.

Just where Mr. Wiliamson’s chances come in no one at present seems to know. Mr. Halstead continues to be mentioned by a few, and it is said by some that he would be very glad of the position if he could get it. Neither Mr. Halstead, Mr. Nead, Mr. Pratt, nor a number of others whose names have been mentioned, appear to have just that social and. political backing which it is necessary that a successful candidate should have.

The general public will indulge the wish that they could be allowed a little more influence in the matter, but most of the candidates named are good men, who would make good post-masters. Whether the public could pick out any better men than those who have been trying for the past two weeks to get the appointment, is an open question. Most people will agree that the post office would be in safe hands if in the hands of cither Mr. Thompson, Mr. Fales or Mr. Williamson.