The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-12-15
From the Express messenger.

1000 Paid by the American Express Company.
| On Tuesday, November 20, Messrs Wells,
Butterfield & Company, 62 Broadway, paid
fifty thousand dollars into the hands of John
j. Cisco, Esq, Assistant Treasurer of the
United States; being indemnification in full
for the non-delivery of two boxes of gold
coin, receipted for by the Agent of the Com
pany at Dubuque, Iowa, Sept. 18th, 1855,
for transportation to this city. 1t will be re-
membered by our readers, that We stated at
the time that upon opening the boxes they
were found to contain only lead, yet they
were apparently in the same order in which
they had been received by the Agent. The
Government gave the Express Company a
| stipulated number of days to identify the
| robber and recover the money, and SIS, 600
reward was offered by the losersfor that pur-
pose; but the last day of grace Nov 20, }
came, and no discovery having been made,
Messrs. Wells, Butterfield & CO., Though
satisfied that the fraud was not committed
while the boxes were in charge of the Ex-
press,) paid the fifty thousand dollars to the
Government officer appointed to receive it.
This was noble example. 1t is the larg-
est sum ever paid by public carriers for a loss
and the handsome manner in which the
American Express Company have stood up
| to it, is an honor to them and to commercial
good faith.
Where is there a state, bank, or an insr-
rance company, that would meet a loss more
promptly? We challenge Europe and Amer
lea to show more honorable instance. Fifty
| thousand dollars is large sum, but fortu-
nately the wealthy Express Company who
have paid it are very able, and it was taken
from their surplus fund. We believe it to
be simply the truth to say, that if the loss
had been half million of dollars, it would
have been met with equal certainty; the ag-
gregate property of the stockholders exceed
ing eight millions.
| The entire transaction, from first to last.
demonstrates how important and indispensa-
bic good, substantial Express Companies are
for the security of public moneys when in
transitu, as we'll as for the safety of funds re-
mitted by banks, bankers and individuals
The Post Office Department, it is well known
is not responsible for similar losses. If A or
sends 500 or any other amount of mon
ey by mail, and it should be distracted or
lost before reaching destination, he can OBJ
tain no redress: yet, when Uncle Sam him
self sends his valuables by Express, he ex-
poets the Expressman to pay for them if
lost. Consequently, it is much better to re-
init money by a responsible and honorable
Express Company than by Mail.
The PREss.-The Boston Transcript gives
a very striking instance of the influence of
the Press, in mentioning that, correspon-
dent of that paper having alluded to the lack
of a perfect Bible in the Appledore House.
on the Isle Of Shoals, soon after the proprie-
tor of the House had fifty Bibles sent to
him: We recently had singular proof of
the benefits of advertising, in the prompt and
generous response of the public to a brief
statement published among our items of To-
cal intelligence. of worthy family in need
OF assistance. Our paper had hardly been
published, when a dozen or so of benevolent
individuals from different parts of the citv.
called at the Office to render their assistance
very remarkable instance of the power of
the Press in influencing the public mind oc-
CURED last year about this time, when the
death OF two or three prominent gentlemen
was announced and the cause of their disease
was attributed to oysters. The next dav.
scarcely an oyster was sold in the whole
city, and the oyster men would not have re-
covered from the paralysis which their bus
mess had suddenly experienced, if thew had
not resorted to the same means of cure
which had occasioned their hurt They pro-
cured certificate from some respectable
physician, to the effect that oysters were not
unwtolesome, and the day after it was pub
ilshed, oyster eating was again resumed, and
the trade in bivalres went on again as usual
without interruption.-N. Y. Times.
* By the amended Maine Tavv IN w.,