The crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1877-1878, 1877-09-13
ADAMS, THE EXPRESSMAN.
The business Success that Made Him and III,
Associates Millionaircs.

The business Success that Made iiim and Ills
Associates Millionaircs.
From the New York Sun.
Last evening Mr., William b. Dins-
more, Mr.. John Hoey, and large num-
Der of merchants and cxprcssmen left
this city for Boston to attend the funer-
al services of the late Alvin Adams, the
founder of the Adams Express. In 1910
Mr.. Adams was not worth adollar. Last
week his express carried in one day
S27 100000, the security for which was
simple receipts. In 1870 with the as
sistance of one man and one boy he did
what little there was to do. To-day the
concern Of which he was parent employs
$1,000 persons. Mr.. Adams was one of
the few Of whom it might be said, He
was one OF the most remarkable 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 was John Hocy, who for
thirty-sevcn years was an intimate, and
ut Mr., Adams's death stood high in the
councils of the company. On the eve Of
his departure to attend the funeral Mr..
Hocy was asked to give some rcminis-
cences Of Mr.. Adams and the early days
of the great enterprise he began, In
reply, Mr. Hoey said Il would be glad
at some other time to tell you the facts
of this romance, but | am hwrying off
to Boston. When Mr. Adams began to
carry parcels and letters between Bos-
ton and New York there was no rail
road. He came to Allyn's Point, and
thence direct to New York. He had Il
singularly pleasant face and frank,
manly bearing, that attracted peopleand
bred confidence, so that he soon got his
share OF that kind of patronage"
Did he travel much himsclf?"
"No; he travelled a short time only.
Then he hired messengers; but his per-
sonal bearing and genial manner did
much to win customers. 1t was every
thing in fact. After Il few months he
induced a young harness maker named
Dinsmorc to come to New York and
open an Office. He did so; and at first
he kept the books, delivered the letters
(for which they got % cents cach) and
the parcels, made out the way bills, and
collected the freight"
"Wcrc you with them them"
"Oh no; l was a cabin boy on the
Sheridan, packet between New York
and Liverpool | got in with gang of
boys, and in short time We five made
a corncrin counting papers. Wecomt-
ed, mailed, folded, and shipped all the
papers printed in the city. Mr.. Bennett
took great fancy to us. One of lis was
Jerry Bryant, the minstrel. While |
was doing this | made the acquaintance
of IN cXprcssman named Bccchcr. He
was running little Connecticut express,
and offered me four dollars Il week and
steady work. accepted, and we took
an Office with Adams. At that time
Edwards S. Sanford was in the habit of
asking for job. Finally Dinsmorc let
him help make ont Il way bill, and little
by little he worked in, till he was made
agent in Philadelphia, and Dinsmorc
and | ran the New York end. Adams
staying in Boston"
WAS Mr.. Adams the chicf?"
"Oh yes. And he was the sole one
known, too. He and his manner made
everything"
Were You successful at iirst?'
Not ut ALL 1t was 1916 before we
began even to sccour way clear. 1t was
a constant struggle, A thrcc-dollar way
bill was Il wonder
At first billsand letters were the prin
cipal freight, but parcels began to come
in, and after Il while trunks, boxes, and
bundles. This ncccssitatcd II porter,
but for long time II boy and whcelbNr-
row did all the collecting and distribu-
ting. Then they gotta horse and wagon
ii step which was pondcrcd long before
it was taken.
Mr.. Dinsmorc had graduated from the
happy-go-lucky harness maker into the
calm and portly President of the com
pany. That position he still holds, as
he does large amount of the stock.
Mr.. Hocy, who used to count newspa-
pcrs and deliver letters, was made Su-
pcrintcndent of the great establishment,
married the dramatic favoritc, Mrs, Rus
sci, and is to-day Long Branch mil
lonaire Mr., Sanford, whose eager
plcadings for job enlisted the sympa-
thy of Dinsmorc, has left off bill stick
ing. He was for a long time agent in
Philadelphia, then turned his attention
to the American Telegraph Company,
then the Western Union, married Il
daughter of the veteran icwcller, George
Downing, and still lives, very rich and
fortunate man.