The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-20
THE "ExPRESs'' BUSINESS OF THE
UNITED STATES.

The Express business is one of the most
curious of American enterprises. There
are now three great houses in this coun-
try, to whom we owe the foundation and
the advantage of this business. Wells s.
Co., Harnden & Co., and Adams & Co.,
whose principal Offices are in the city of
New York. These companies operate be-
tween Boston and New York, New York
and Washington, and New York and AL
bany, Montreal, Buffalo, Cincinnati, and
Chicago. They all have agents, who are
travelling night and day over their lines,
which not only connect these distant
points, but have numerous off-shoots and
branches to every town of consequence in
the Atlantic and Western States.
In New York they take orders from
their customers to call and receive their
packages. These are collected in wagons,
and brought to the Offices, receipted for,
marked, entered on way-bills, and des-
patched by the first boat or railway train
after receipt. The messengers travel with
these goods, having iron safes, on board the
steamers and railway cars, besides being
well armed. The charges are very moder-
ate, and the expedition is great. On
Wells & Co. IS Northern and Western line
large amounts Of money are annually car
ried-at least the sum of twenty millions
year-consisting chiefly of the remittances
and exchanges of banks, brokers, and
merchants. This company pays about
100000 per annum for freights, and
about $4,000 more to agents and clerks.
They have, in the last two years, ex-
tended their operations abroad; and as they
are, perhaps, more enterprising than com
mon, they have established their own firms
in Paris and London, and have agencies in
all the principal towns of Europe, and an
express line between New York and Cali
fornia, with resident agent at Chagres
and Panama. In Paris they have the finest
office in that city, and maintain a free
reading room for the benefit of the Ameri-
cans there. In London they have place
of business equally useful. They receive
orders for the purchase and transporta-
ton of every kind of goods. They will
carry paper parcel as large as your hand,
or fill a vessel with tons of freight.
Money is RENTED by them in all d.
rections, drafts are bought and sold, col
lections made, and every advice and
assistance given to travellers. The con-
venience of these arrangements is begin
ming to be felt by the public.
The effect of these Express lines upon
the business of the interior is curious
one. Instead of our country merchants
purchasing heavy stocks in the spring and
fall, they now purchase principally for
cash, and all the time, whatever articles
they want; thus proportioning their outlay
to their business. One of the richest deal
ers in wool in the city of New York said,
the other day, that with the Telegraph and
Express lines he did not want store any
longer. His immense operations were con-
Quoted in small office. Both the late
and present Secretary Of the Navy have
found these lines the most convenient and
economical medium of forwarding their
dispatches to the Mediterranean; and we
trust that they will, in time, be favorably
noticed by all the Departments.
Wreck Lake Huron.
| DETROIT, MrcpiGAN, June II.