Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-08-11
SATURDAY. AUeUsT IL. 1850.
Thirty Years Ago,


riders, then, were to the people what railroads
are at the present day. Postriders carried all
the passengers, collected and distributed the
news" did the banking business for the COM
munhy, carried letters, bundles, and all sorts
of commodities as the wants OF the people
might require in fact, with the exception oil
the lawyers" who once in three months were
wont to make their regular pilgrimage to the
county seat there was but very little business
done with Worcester, save by the ''postrid-
ers" more especially with the northern and
western portions of the county. These post
riders were class of men, that might, in
western parlance, be called "some," that is
they possessed an influence in public affairs
quite equal to that of the leaders of the old
political parties, and not altogether diSsimiar
each one had his particular sphere of action or
"route"-for instance, Ashburnham, Fitch
burg, Leomnster, Lancaster, Sterling, and
West Boylston, constituted one ''route, -
Winchendon, Gardner, Westminster, Hub.
bardston, Princeton, another, and SO on, con-
tanning some six or eight towns to "route,"
or precinct, of which there were about half
dozen in the whole. These routes were con-
sidered the exclusive property of the owner
for the time being, and were treated as rights,
accordingly, as much as we regard the rights
of each other to real estate held in fee simple,
any violation of this rule being Immediately
brought to the notice of the fraternity for in
yestigation; and if, after mature dcliberation,
verdict of guilty" was rendered by full
board, the culprit was held to answer for the
trespass to the full measure of damages and
costs, which in those days was usually can
celcd at the "bar'' of common opinion and
practice.
Once week, one day over, the other back,
instead of three trains day, as now, was
then sufficient to transact the county business
and get the news. The cold Spy" and "Na-
tional Egis" were the only vehicles to trans
nit intelligence from abroad, except what was
especially communicated by the postrider for
which fee of 81 cents was usually exacted
and cheerfully paid. The fee might seem
small in this golden age, but when it is recol.
lected that the postrider knew everybody on
the way, when they were coming up" or go
ing down to visit their relations if sick, how
they were getting along" and what the doc
tor thought, and the like inquiries, we readily
see that enough of such tri1es would amount
to something in the end. But these little ac-
commodations, though quite necessary as
link to connect more important transactions,
bore but a small proportion to the aggregate
of the postriders' perquisites. The banking
huein If tln itU uor nj
most entirely through the postriders, in fact,
no one pretended to go to the bank, without
first consulting the postrider on his route, to
know whether "they discounted freely" and
also whether he would recommend him,
provided good endorsers were procured.
Banking customs were then quite differ
ent from what they now are. If man
wanted money at the bank, he must first
hold a private consultation with the post
which was usually in a corner of the bar room
or in the back apartments of the storekeeper
WHO'RE tie ''post" might usually be seen on
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in going or re-
turning. If the report was favorable, the
next thing to be done was to get two sure
ties such as the ''post' would agree to recon-
mend, then an order on the cashier to deliver
the money to the bearer when discounted,
must be drawn and, when all was ready, the
note, payable in ffty-seven days and custom.
airy grace" together with the order, were
safely deposited in the huge pocket book
of the post, and, after taking glass of bran.
dy, or a little West India, with two or three
"chucks' from Stoughton's bitters bottle, the
parties separated, with the understanding to
see each other again next week, an interval
Of time at that day more remote than the next
train" at present. In the meantime the mat
ter was brewing, the note was before the
directors-a good time was coming especially
ifthe post haG been paid 10 put it through
A whole week, at the shortest must elapse be-
fore the probability of the thing can be guessed
at, and usually several weeks in addition must
pass before the eliminating point in the pro-
cess was reached. AT length the crisis came
though not all at once several prelimina.
ries must be passed through after the note was
discounted, before laying hands upon the
money first, the standing of the several en-
dorsers must be ascertained by the director of
having much the same meaning then as now
in business afiairs-implying, simply thai
twenty five per cent of the loan would proba
bly, be paid at the end of the fifty seven days,
which was all that was required, and not that
these men were actually any better in a moral
point OF view than thousand other men in the
world The next inquiry was the particular
kind of business of each-whether they were
debts promptly--and. finally what they were
going TO do with the money-all of which in
terrogations must be responded to iavorably
by the post before 'good' was subscribed by
the catechiser, in pencil, on the back of the Or
der. The post" has now the key of Sebasto-
pol in his pocket. But before the money is
counted out there are several payments to be
deducted-one of $50, due week before last, in
the solicitors hands for collection-one of $25,
due last week-and one of $37 so, due today,
leaving but small balance to apply to new
schemes besides, No. agreed with No to
let him have $50 out of the loan to help pay up
an execution the bank holds against him, SO
that the "post" will have merely nominal
snm to carry home. This he receives in notes
on other banks, but when paid into the bank
must add from half to one per cent, accord
ing to the tghtness of the money market, all
oil which is SO well understood that there is no
audible grumbling-if, indeed, there is not