The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-26
THE EXPRESS BUSINESS.


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Some Account OF the Oragi" and Progress OF
Exprssses-Vhe Facilities, Extent a"d Modus
DIN, randi ~ The Busiaess-SOtices Of PrOmi-
nent Expresses Sc, &c
The express business Of this country, which centres
mainly 10 the city of New York, Ia unparalleled p any
county In world and has grown the indispen-
sable ty Of all branches Of trade and
It's scar rsiy twenty years since liam +. aarnden,
then clerk in rab Dad toke, office, first conceived tue
hea of runpipg exorees between New York and Bos
bon for the Accommodation of the business thai
cay; yet the system has been extended that ,h
exprees companies transact in distant cities any business
which the party employing them could HI nself perform
and this 100, with regularity, MY and economy
which department of national or city govern
ever attained The Of these companies
they carry anything, any where, for any body
within, Of course, tne bounds Of law. They enable tn
city merchant TO deliver goods al the door o
bis unknown customers house in a distant State,
and s pay by return express The farmer
send mis- produce market, and realize qnick aug
returns from the freshness of his edibes delv
promptly by express drafts, notes. bills OF exchange
and debts collected "h fai,h'uness to the employ
ers interest which perhaps he coad himself excel;
orders the purchase of goOcs filled with the silI
Of experienced adopts all Of packages from box o.
arches elephant, arc Transported with mechanical
precson bank exchanges TO the amount Of lions Of
dollars daily sfey aat promptly careed i'm 3ortan
letters, be Yipg them stamps wnsrewith TO pay the
Tor the privilege, often sent packages
10 secure the earliest delivery which the regular mails do
Afford and in Short all descriptions Of business
able which be trans ased betEeen distant places
are despa ched with much cerAiay the de-
livery of CITY tai,ors bills she doors of hs
bsuses The business is a. ways conducted with the
scrupoous exactness lis very nature insues this,
that the emp Dyes are, as it were, many intelligent
chimes, working regularly DAY after day, and
year after year, keeping good time, neve,
Tagging, and not requiring to be wound up.
box is sent to q certain address, and the recipient
cannot DO found, 1t is always easily recovered by the
sender at any time within FIVE years after wards il
party fa 70 pay bill. draft he s waited upon
again and again, 80 long there the slightest posi-
lily Of his paying package is lost in trausu--shich
rarely nap ens-it cam by the thorough system
tanned, be traced to the last employee who Tad il, al.
though may have travelled thousands OF miles, aud he
charge lie few shlngs for its portton if by
accident Of any kind q package Of money be lost, the
amount is readily made good without the trouble Of law
suit " railroad is 70 be opened, the express com.
panjes called upon to furnish business If q mail route
ID 10 be opened the continent penetrating Chs was
of the West and the haunts of the savage with mail
stages running route Of nearly three thousand mites
with the regularity Of cockwok the express companies
furnish the and, to the establishment OF the world
perform their contract to the letter.
England may be coniented with her old fashioned rail
road carriage, with numberleas delays France may be
Eatsned with the nsssagrses ,mpsrialss, government
monopoly behind the age Prussia may avail her
self OF the mails, and Germany-proeressive
6efmany-may attempt 70 follow in our foot
steps In this regard; but of Can approach
the perfection of system, which me embod!men. OF
mathematical certainty.
city merchant sells bill OF goods to a man in 10 va
Or Nebraska. ali that no needs out his bill
and mark his box, ana hang letter ''U' ga" st
hs door, AM in twnkins exceeot team drives up,
be goods tumoied into ~agoa, the bill is taken ami
gwen, and the seller trouble himself no
more u0tl tie in is safely deposited his
pocket or toe syptta ling expressnan aums his goods
the sdewak again, with the nfor that cus
toner is "dead" "dead broke, "cant pay,' "won'
pay }" "doat ike the goods, case may
be- the merchant mas had no more noube than if
had sent ais csrtmI the street with bundle,
hut nue more expsase, with the additional security
If his goods lost the way no recover thsir
value lhe OF business which is transacted 10
ihis way ocaeujable tor the express companies per-
meate the intricate ramoatiops of the States like
tnreaos Of SPIDERS wep, and transact business to the
amount of cents hundreds Of Thousands Of doiass
with equal and attention.
Our express Lusness typical OF the age in which we
lve II could exist other, and would be of more
To The age Of stage coaches and ns than spinnpg
wheel and self acs1g egg Matching machine to Fifth
belle The system is brought down such nice.Y
thai presents delivered from distant friends al soe:
fed holidays, and children conveyed 10
boaro ing schools With the fon1nss and OF paren:
Affection duly supplied in consideration of sGnary do
lars aud cents; and would hardly be astonishing
spoud of the enerprsng companies in view Of the
fact that marriage is but civil contract set work in
thorough business to supply husbands and wivea
from separated points, equazDg the supply demand
by juolcous transportation from districts unduly popul
ted wish either This no viewer, might be too risky
business company mulcted in 81, 500 da
Dages to boy in their charge, injured by the
ing with an accident. Who esttnafe the value which
anxious swans and maids would set upon their lives aud
limbs just at The OF entering bissful ranks of
marmonyS Possibly 1t is this business reflection aloue
which has prevented thus far this legitimate carrying
out Of the thorough principle which the business is
conducted One thing is certain-if it would pay would
be done.
Commencing with tho employment Of Que man carrying
parcels between New York and Boston, the express bust
has extended antl thousands almost tens of thou
sands employed while the sphere their operations
lie only limited by the habtabe globe The business has
ors1ohed out into banking, passenger, shipping, ex
Changes city expresses baggage expresses and other in
nuniefable ccnvenences to trade, and has instead of
wapg Tor the telegraph and railroad and fast stcamboa
actually gone ahead OF tham and compelled them come
up the exgences Of the times II is thus that buidnp
magnificent commodious Offices usiog ahe fastest CON
vs,ancer securing of business ability, educating
them and keeping them, and beating the Post Of;c Do
paItment with all its monopoly and the treasury OF the
country 10 back it, that the express business has grown
up vita the rapdi.y of mushroom and the stability OF
IN oak driven into existence b. the sheer force Of cha
rac,er Of The men who controlled it, ng the con
adeDce of the community and presenting in the complete
ness Of its operations the most praseworhy monument
Of the spirit Of this democratic age to the unparae
ed Advancement of the NE aEnn mr. nrnss