, 1858-01-15
The Express Business in the United States.

.
States is of very recent origin, compared
with almost every other extensive business
in the country, Only the telegraph is Of
later date We doubt if the actual extent
of this business, any more than the history
of its origin, its founders and its conduc.
tors, is known to very large portion of
the community. 1t is for this reason that
we have decided to condense from the New
York Tribune of the 10th inst, an article
that we have reason to believe accurate in
its details on this interesting subject.
Prior to the operations of railroads there
were no expresses, so called; the business
now performed by that useful class of per-
sons being then done by stage drivers and
wagons We have no stage drivers now,
alas the day! He was a celebrity in bis
time, and as much looked up to as squire
or parson; and full as much trusted with
matters of Importance They did all the
carrying of valuables from place to place,
and when they had to come down from
their box, a good many of them turned ex-
pressmen and some Of them railway con-
ductors.
The first freight and parcel express ever
known in the world, was announced by
VIM. F. Harnden in the daily papers Of
New York and Boston, in February, 1889,
and commenced running on the fourth day
of March of that year, between those two
cities, fia the Boston and Providence Rail
road aud Long Island Sound. He was a
native of New England ana relinquished a
conductors berth on the Boston and Wor-
cester Railroad, to commence, upon his
own account, the project which has since
made his name famous. He was young
man at the time, full of Vitality and encr-
gy, which experienced no diminution until
the time of his decease, in l847 or '48. 1t
was Haruden's custom, at the outset, to
carry his express in his hand A valise
held it ALL He would go from New York
by steamboat to Providence, and thence by
the railroad to Boston.
In May, 1910, Alvin Adams, Vermont
er, and Mr. Burke, started an express in
direct competition with Harnden's, under
the style of Burke & Co. After few
months of "up-hill work. Burke retired,
and Mr.. Adams executed all the business
of the opposition" himself. He was its
messenger, cashier, receipt.clerk, label-boy
and porter He employed no wagon, nor
did Harnden, until year or two elapsed,
for they had only small and valuable par
GELS to deliver in those days.
In the same year. Harnden made Dexter
Brigham, Jr., his New York agent, and n
few weeks subsequently they executed arti-
cles of copartnership under the style of w.
f. Harnden & Co. Brigham was the first
expTessman ever located in New York
His original express Office was in the base
ment under what was then Hudson's Read
ing Room, at the corner Of Wall and Mas
sau streets.
Soon after becoming partner, Brigham
went to England, and established the first
express line between the United States and
Great Britain. At the age of sixteen he
was land surveyor in one of the Southern
States. Aftcrward he became conduct
or on the Boston and Worcester Railroad,
and it was there probably that Harnden
formed his acquaintance Before becoming
local agent of the express, Brigham had
made many trips as messenger
In lS4I Harnden & Co., commenced the
first express lines ever in use between BOs-
ton and Albany, Albany and New York,
New York and Philadelphia.
Their line from New York to Boston
was ria Stonington aud Providence, and
Adams & Co.'s ria Norwich and Worces-
Ter. The two expresses have continued
running over these routes ever since.
In the meantime, Alvin Adams had
taken for partner Ephraim Farnsworth,
and installed him in charge Of the New
York Office. W. B. Dinsmore, now Presi-
dent Of the Adams Express Company, was
clerk there at the time, but soon succeed
ed Farnsworth as partner, and the latter
stepped out. Upon becoming Adams
partner, DinSmore removed the express
Office to Wall street. His only assistant
(says the account we are condensing,) was
boy named John Hoey; (who, We may
here remark, is now man Of no small
mark, iu the express business.) The Gus
tom House department (or business Of
hurrying through the New York customs
the importations of Boston and Philadel-
-: .,orobantsN now nprformel for the