Different Manuscript Cancels From A 4th Class Post Office And A River Resurrection.

I have a small puzzle concerning a manuscript postmark.
Williams' California Town Postmarks 1850 - 1935 lists one use of a manuscript postmark for the 4th class PO at Martin's Ferry across the Klamath river in Humboldt county, Cal.
Fortunately, Schuyler Rumsey auctioned that cover and has a scan.



A few years ago I found another manuscript postmarked cover from Martin's Ferry, a Nov 13, 1882 Registered letter with a different manuscript postmark (different handwriting) addressed to Philadelphia, which postmarked the cover with their large receiver.





I'm guessing the postmaster/ferryman was busy at his other job when the Registered letter was mailed, and that Mrs. postmaster/ferryman handled that business.
My question is, how common was that occurrence?

Here is a map of where Martin's Ferry was, before the PO name was changed to Weitchpec. The crudely traced blue is the Klamath River, which had all four dams removed in the last dew years, and last year shocked everyone when nearly 10,000 salmon returned in 2024.



Here's a YouTube video of that resurrection.

There's also a Martins Ferry post office in Ohio. Without a state designation (or a detailed study of period covers from the Ohio office), hard to prove which office it is from.

littleriverphil:




Every postmaster was required to have someone designated as their assistant postmaster, which required a sworn oath and bond. It was not a salaried position, but necessary because there had to be someone available at the post office during regular operating hours who was properly authorized to handle transactions in the absence of the postmaster.

In most "small" fourth class post offices, especially those which were operated within a home or business, a wife or brother or other family member was often brought into the position.