Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-06-20
The Rise and ProErcI> Of the Expires.
RuRiuean,

of borrowed money:
The term "express system is properly
applicable only to the method by which
the express business is done in New York,
the Middle, Southern and Western States.
In the Eastern States the business is done
by a very large number of local expresses,
on short routes and independent OF each
other. No less than l30 minor expresses
run from only three offices In Boston.
for conducting the express
business are organized under the laws OF
the State, with capital varying from S25o'-
900 to S3,OOO,OO0.
In 1880, when VIM. F. Harnden under
took to establish package express between
Boston and New York, the feasibility OF
the enterprise was probably suggested by
the fact that the stage drivers on the var
ious roads out from Boston were in the
habit of carrying and delivering small par
GELS, and of executing such commissions
as were entrusted to them, and consequent
ly the like was done by railroad conduc-
tors. Harnden's enterprise was not at
first SO successful as to encourage or even
rccompense him but the establishment OF
the Cunard line of steamers between Boston
and Liverpool caused such an increase In
the number of parcels from and to New
York, as to stimulate him to continue and
extend the business he had begun.
In 1910 he extended his line to Philadel-
phia. In lS4l he undertook the establish
ment of foreign express to Liverpool,
London and Paris, but this, not proving
successful, was soon discontinued. The
same year he attempted to run an express
on the river from this city to Albany, but
the steamboat companies did not favor the
enterprise, and the difficulties were made
known to the author of this paper, and he
undertook the Albany agency. 81 sug-
gested," the paper continues, to Harnden
the expediency Of running an express to
Buffalo, and as facilities of transportation
would permit, to Chicago and the far West;
but he had so little faith in the feasibility
or success of such an enterprise, that his
answer to my proposition was "t you
choose to run an express to the Rocky
Mountains, YOU had better do it on your
own account; I choose to run an express
where there is business.
After giving a history of the Adams Ex-
press, the paper states that the first attempt
to run an express from Albany to Buffalo,
was made in l84l, before there was any
continuous line of railroad or stages on the
proposed route, the messenger travelled by
rail to Auburn, by stage to Geneva, by rail
to Rochester, to Lockport by stage, and
thence TO Buffalo by private conveyance.
The through trip, at the quickest rate, oc-
cupied four nights and three days. "For
eighteen months I performed all the then
multifarious duties of express messenger
and agent, as well as those of proprietor;
for two-thirds of that time l did not lose
trip, and out of twenty-one nights have
spent eighteen on the road" The trip at
first was made only once week, then
twice week, and, in ls43, daily COM
munication was undertaken.
For more than year after the Western
Express commenced running, one carpet
sack held all the valuable packages, and
medium-sized trunk all the rest Of the
freight. In lS42 the country demonstrated
that letters could be pro6tably carried at
low rate and to the Express, more than to
any other direct agency, are the people in
debted for the decreased cost and the in
creased accommodations of postal arrange
ments. An account was given of the estab-
lishment of expresses with the West, the
South, and California. In 1850 the Wells
& Co.'S and the Livingston Fargo & Cos
Expresses were consolidated into one joint
stock company, under the name of the
American Express Company, with cap
ital of Sl50,000, which has since been in
creased to S3,000,OO0.
The business on this line west of Buffalo
is still carried on in the name of Living
ston, Fargo s. Co., and that east of Buffalo
in the name of Wells, Butterfeld & Co.
Wells, Fargo & Co.'S California Express,
organized in 1852, has capital of S2,-
600, 600 the United States Express Com
pany a capital of $l,OO0,00O; the New
Jersey 81 100000 the Eastern Sl0OO,OOO.
The annual expenses of the Adams, Amer
lean and United States Companies incurred
in the transportation of freights and the
salaries of agents and messengers, amount
to no less than $l0,000,000. The single
carpet bag of 1889 has grown into more
than thirty cars forwarded daily from the
East by the American Express Company
alone, while the Adams and United States
require at least an equal amount of trans
portation. The American Express conveys
freights over 5000 miles day in direct
line. while its messengers travel daily over
10000 miles.
The influence OF the express on the
business of the country was ably treated.
1t might be said that with the aid of the
telegraph and the express, a gentleman in
almost any part of the Eastern, Western
or Middle States. wishing to give recher-
che dinner party, has the market of the
country, from the Atlantic coast to the
Rocky Mountains, at his disposal. The
immense amounts of money used by the
Government in all its varied operations
throughout the country are now conveyed
by the express, which also conducts the
entire exchange business of the country.
Names and Ages of the Survivors OF
the Revolution.
James Barnham, on the St. Louis, Mis-
souri,, roll, S32 33 per annum born in
Southampton county, Virginia, May 10,
1884 age 80 years and months.
John Goodnow, on the Boston, Mas
sachusetts, roll, at SAG 81 per annum; born
in Sudbury. Middlesex county, Massachu-
sets, January 80. 1892; aged lO2 years