Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-13
T.. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.
ADAMS, THE ExPRESsMAN.

The Business Success that Made
n1m and His Two Associates MIL
New York Sun.
In 1910 Alvin Adams was not
worth dollar. Last week his ex-
press carried in one day $27,000,-
900, the security for which was
simple receipts. In 1910, with the
assistance Of one man and boy, he
did what little there was to do.
To-day the concern of which he
was parent employs nearly Is, 900
persons. Mr.. Adams was one of
the few of whom it might be said,
"He was one of the most remarka-
bic men in the country" Like
Vanderbilt and Astor, Mr.. Adams
started with nothing, and died
leaving an estate valued at many
millions Of dollars. Among his
earliest associates wss John Hoey.
who for thirty-seven years was an
intimate friend, and at Mr.. Adams
death stood high in the councils of
the company. On the eve of his
departure to attend the funeral.
Mr.. Hoey was asked to give some
"reminiscences Of Mr.. Adams and
the early days Of the great enter
prise he began. In reply Mr..
Hoey said: 81 would be glad at
some other time to tell you the
facts Of this romance, but | am
hurrying off to Boston. When Mr..
Adams begun to carry parcels and
letters between Boston and New
York there was no railroad. He
came to Allyn's Point and thence
direct to New York. He had a
singularly pleasant face, and a
frank, manly bearing that attracted
people and bred confidence, go that
he soon got his share of that kind
OF patronage"
Odd he travel much himself?"
"No; be travelled a short time
only. Then he hired messengers,
but his personal bearing and genial
manner did much to win customers.
1t was everything, in fact, After
u few months he induced a young
harness-maker named Dinsmore to
come to New York and open an
Office. He did so; and at first he
Kept the books, delivered the let
ters (for which they got twenty-five
cents each and the parcels, made
out the way-bills, and collected the
freight"
"Were you with them then?"
ooh no; | was a cabin boy on
the Sheridan, packet between
New York and Liverpool. got
in with a gang of boys, and in a
short time we five made a corner
in counting papers. We counted,
mailed, folded and shipped all the
papers printed in the city. Mr..
Bennett took a great fancy to us.
One of us was Jerry Bryant, the
minstrel. While / was doing this
! made the acquaintance of an eZ-
pressman named Beecher. He was
running a little Connecticut ex-
press, and offered me four dollars a
week and steady employment, q
accepted and we took an office with
Adams. At that time Edward s.
Sanford was in the habit of coming
III and asking for a job. Finally
Dinsmore let him help make out a
way-bill, and little by little he
worked in, till he was made agent
at Philadelphia, and pinsmore and
| ran the New York end, Adams
staying in Boston"
"Was Mr.. Adams the chief ?"
"0h, yes. And he was the sole
one known. He and his manner
made everything"
"Were you successful at 6rst?"
mot at all. 1t was 1916 before
we began even to see our way clear.
1t was a constant struggle. A three
dollar way-bill was Il wonder"
At first bills and letters were the
principal freight, but parcels began
to come in, and, after a while,
franks, boxes and bundles. This
necessitated q porter, but for Il
long time Il boy and.a wheelbarrow
did all the collecting and distribp-
~. fIil.... IL - . L ..-. III