Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-10-19

ton. He created the first post master general
known TO history. IN the person of Leonard, Count
of Taxis.
The post Office was introduced into England
from Italy, but under ecclesiastical auspices The
popes nuncio the chief functionary 1t was
but litle used in this FORM and was al length flung
aside as of the papal encroachments The office
OF post master general in England enjoys the hon
or OF being created by Elizabeth. who conferred
1t upon Thomas Randolph gentleman OF distinc-
ton IN the foreign service of the Queen where he
had acquired, may presume, a knowledge
OF the mail establishment of the continent.
But 1t long anterior to this,-as early as
the reign of Charles H--that the popular move
megts brought the post office into existence in a
merica as convenience of the people, character
in which it had never originated in any nation or
country before. A post office was established in
Boston, under John Hayward, by the Colonoial
Court, in 1877 and in Philadelphia under Henry
Wady, by order of William Penn, in 1913. The
Virginia Assembly gave Mr. Neal patent as post
master general, in 1662-which never went into
effect. But in 1900, Col. John Hamilton OF New
Jersey, obtained patent from the colonial govern
ment for post scheme for the whole country
which he carried into successful operation, and for
which he obtained indemnity from the English
government, when it suppressed by statute
of Anne, in 1910 The iustrious name of Frank
lin, first appears in connection with the American
post Office in 1897. He was then appointed post
master OF Philadelphia, and was commissioned as
one OF the two deputy post master generals of Brit
ISL North America in 1853 The length of the
post roads in the thirteen colonies was then 532
miles, North Carolina having the most New Hamp-
shire the least and New York 81 miles After
improving and charging the service, and returning
10 the British crown, as he says, three times as
much clear revenue as the post offices in Ireland,
he was dismissed as deputy post master general
" by freak of ministers" in l774. But in the
next year July 90, 1875, he was elected post mas
ter general of the united colonies, by the unanl-
nous vote of the Continental Congress
An advance of fifteen years brings US to 1890,
the official documents of which exhibit through
some meagre details the extent of post Office ope-
rations of the first year of the present government
of the United States. The whole mail service was
comprised in twelve contracts, and consisted of a
line of posts from Wiscasset to Savannah, with
branches TO Providence and Newport to Norwich
and New London, to Middletown, to Pittsburgh,
TO Dover and Easton, to Annapolis and TO Norfolk
and Rlchmfond-upon no portion of which was the
mail sent oftener than tri-weekly, and on much of
it but once in two weeks. Between Phiadel phia
aud Pittsburgh complete tour" was performed
once in twenty DAYS. The annual cost of the whole
service was S22,7O2O7. The number of Post Of
fees was IS, and the length of post routes was
1875 miles.
If with this service of the first year we compare
that of the fltyeighth year OF the government, we
shall find the growth of this institution in the Uni
ted States, in the number of its Offices the length
Of its routes and the frequency of its mails une-
qualed in rapdlty and extent by any other nation
since the beginning of time-ldaj. s. b. Hob6ie S
Report.