Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-01-04
How the Express Business Started.
Josiah Quincy in the Indepe ndent.l


I have just found an old letter, ad-
dressed to me on the 18th of October,
1888, which led to results quite over
powering in their magnitude The
writer is William F. Harnden. He tells
me that he has applied for a post of con-
ductor upon the Western Railroad, and
solicits my influence, as treasurer of the
road, "should you think me worthy of
the office" Harden had been selling
tickets at the Worcester Railroad Depot,
but found this occupation much too sed-
entary for his active nature. He was a
man who wished to be moving. For
some reason, which I do not recall, Har-
den did not get the conductorship; but
his application brought me in contact
with this live, intelligent young fellow,
who wished to be on the go, and sug-
gested to him a new sort of business,
which in the hands of bright man I
thought might be pushed to success. As
director and president of the Providence
Railroad, I was compelled to make
weekly journeys to New York, where the
bulk of our stock was held. The days of
my departure were we'll known, and [
was always met at the depot by bevy
of merchants clerks, who wished to in
trust packages of business papers,
samples of goods and other light matters
to my care. The mail establishment was
at that time utterly insufficient to meet
the wants of the public. The postage
was II cents upon every separate bit of
upon the daily checks, drafts and re-
ceipts incident to mercantile trans
actions. was ready to be of service to
my friends, though some of them
thought my good nature was imposed
upon when they found that [ was
obliged to Curry large travelling bag to
receive their contributions. I kept this
bag constantly in sight on my journey,
and, upon arriving in New York, de-
hvered it to q man whom the merchants,
employed to meet me and distribute it's
contents. Now it occurred to me that
here was an opportunity for somebody
to do, for an adequate compensation,
just what was doing for nothing. I
pointed out to Mr.. Harnden that the col
lection and delivery of parcels, as well
as their transportation, might be taken
by one responsible person, for whose
SoIN1CS GuO Iu0ICIIduGS WOu1U 10 SIdO 10
pay. The suggestion fell upon fruitful
soil. Harnden asked me for special IA
cilities upon the Boston and Providence
road, which I gladly gave him, and with
the opening year he commenced regular
trips (twice week, I think he made
them, bearing in his hand small va
ise; and that valise contained in germ
the immense express business-con-
tanned it as the acorn contains the forest
of oaks that may come from it; but
many generations are required to see the
of the forests, while the
growths of human enterprise extend to
their wonderful maturity in one short
Life. Harnden's fate was that too COM
mon with pioneers and inventors. He
built up great business by steady in
lustry, saw all it's splendid possibilities,
tried to realize them before the time was
ripe, and died poor man at the age of
b. In attempting to extend the express
business to Europe, he assumed risks
hat were ruinous, and the stalwart Yer
nonter, Alvin Adams, took his place as
thief of the great industry which had
risen under his hands.