Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-12-07

in strange land" and commenced life
in the humble capacity of assistant in
the Lafayette Hotel. Atlength he rose
to the position of grocer on his own ac-
count, and in the extreme fluctuations
of trade at the time, he failed, and lost
everything, and was greatly embairis-
sed with debts which he was unable to
pay. However, he rallied and paid his
debts to the last dollar, and in May
1910, with p. b. Burke, he started an
opposition toIIamden's express, between
Boston and New York. From this
move has grown the well-known insti-
tuition of Adams & Co.'s express. The
necessity of the express by this time had
been discovered, and soon after express
companies sprung up with great rapid
ty throughout the country.
On the lst day of April, 1885, an ex-
press was established between Buffalo,
Cincinnati, st. Louis. and intermediate
points, by Henry Wells, VIM. G. Fargo,
and another person. VIM, G.. Fargo is
a native of Onandago Co., n. Y, and
| =
great California express which has for
wavded thousands of millions of dollars
to the Atlantic cities.
Henry Wells, in connection with
James W. Hale, started letter express
! between New York aad Boston, which
soon extern ed from Chicago, ILL.,, to
| Bangor, Me. This express carried let
tie s at the time at about one fourth the
Government r les, and found it to be
very profitable business. The officers of
the Government were determined to
break down this letter express business,
and arrested Wells & Co.'s messengers
| daily. Bonds were promptly given,
and the messengers were enabled to
make their regular trips, and in the
suits which the Cover. ment instituted
against the express, the express in every
instance came out Of the contest victo-
rious. Mr.. Wells made proposal at
the time to Major Hobbie, First Assis-
tant Postmaster General, to take the en-
tire mail service of the United States,
including delivery, at five cents per let
ter. Major Hobbie saw in this event,
about about Ii, 900 postmasters thrown
out of employment, land could not enter
tain the proposition. This opposition of
the express companies against the eX-
horbitant rates of letter postage, backed
by large portion Of he people of the
United States, resulted finally in the
adoption of our present cheap rates of
postage, which have proved to be more
remunerative to the Government than
the old eXhorbitant rates.
The express companies relinquished
their opposition under the new order of
things, and Congress enacted laws for
bidding express companies to carry let
ters without their being enclosed in
prepaid envelopes, which is the law at
the present time.
We come now to eall more particu-
larly of the express Companies doing bu-
siness at st. Adams. In 1910, Major j.
"A. Pullcn was ,Harnden's express mes
senger between Boston and New York !;
in 1S41, between New York and Phila-
delphia and in 1912, between New
York, Albany, and Troy, via Hudson
River steamboats,.
In 1S43 Harnden having sold out the
Hudson River Express, Pullen g. Copp
started on that route for themselves. in
1913 Mr.. Jacobs started an Express
from Albany to Montreal, Capt. e. II.
Virgil acted as his Express Messenger
and Agent about year and then with
N. G. Howard purchased the line. His
route was by the Lake Champlain
Steamers during navigation aad in the
winter season he staged it through Yer
mont. In 1S45, Pullen of the New York
and Troy line, united with Virgil of the
Troy and Montreal line and formed a
through Express line between New
York and Montreal, under the style of
Pullen, Virgil, & Co.
In 1856, Pullen, Virgil d Co. CONSOLE
dated with competing line, CT which
, VIM. A. Livingstone was the chief man
ager, and the route recame the proper
ty of the joint stock express, under the
style of the National Express Company
with a capital stock of $3.50, 900. Major
Pullen remaine,. director of this EX-
press Company until 1867 when he re-
tired poor. AT the beginning of Captain
Nirgil's intercourse with Canada in the
capacity of en- eXpressman, the field was
not very promising of an abundent har.
vest. He had peculiar people to deal
with in Canada, people who were slow
r to believe in the eXpediency of the new
p enterprise, but being a man of great eX'
perience, sagacily, and tenacity Of pur