Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-19
Can't. Enitc,s AddreSa.

Capt. FNItc'S 1ddFeSS.
| Mr.. President and Gentlemen: In behalf of
the splendid corps of men who are employed
in the Sixth division of the railway mail service
| and with whom have the honor to be associa-
! ted, extend to you, gentlemen of this conven-
tion, a cordial aud heartfelt welco ne to our
| territory.
| You stand to-day within the ancestral walls of
the railway mali service, on territory that has
become historic in its annals; for, within the
| geographical bounds which separate this divi-
sion from those supporting it the east,
south and west, the vision of such service as
this, first dawned the mind of the late Col.
George B. Armstrong, under whose able man
agement, untiring energy, and gigantic labors
that vision became a living reality, and the
commercial and socal world was provided with
the nucleus of what has since become the most
rapid and efficient mail service known in the his
tory of nations. Like many other Improvements
which have overturned old methods, and plowed
up the beaten pathways marked out by genera
tions, this one was the child of necessity.
War, with its CHASTITY record of blood broken
hearts, ard desolated homes, had come upon this
people, and thousands of brave men had sepa-
rated from the loves, that, like clinging ivys,
had twined around their hearts. All the old
avenues of communication had been cut off, a d
the thoughts that had been telegraphed from
heart to heart as the loved clasped each
others hands, had now to be written opt On pa
per and transmitted for hundreds of miles by
mail. The volume OF letters, passing to and
from our armies, grew 30 largo that 1t as i'm
possible 10 distribute and forward them prompt
ly, aud tons Of this class Of matter accumulated
at the larger Offices on the military frontier,
where it remained day after day, week after
week, while hungry hearts were wait
ing anxiolsly around tie camp fire,
on the marches, or in the smoke of battles, for
the words of love and cheer they contained. Ii
was no ordIn.try occasion. An army OF a million
IF mel had voluntarily left their homes to bat
{ for the psrpetuIty Of q government under
which they had been bonn and reared, and the
tender rootlets of which had been rourished by
the blood of their sircs. Home, family. friends
and all pecuniary interests had been given up
freely IN tedience to that loyal sentiment
which held full sway over the sOns Of the North,
and now when hardehips pressed heavily upon
them they turned instinctiyeiy toward home for
words of comfort and encouragement; but to
them those homes were silent, though they had
spoken In the most tender tones.
The trouble grew out of the fact that the army
had been placed on q war footing, while the
poetoGice department continued 10 do business
in the old way, and at t old stands, until that
business created bl5 ckade which the interest
of the country, the salvation and tranquility of
the army demanded should be raised. At this
critical juncture the originator of this service
partment, and instructed to secure the necessary
room and men to insure prompt distribution
and speedy forwarding of the mails, and while
engaged In this labor he thought out the system
now known as the Railway Postal Service.
Everything begins with infancy and developes
with age, if founded on merit and demanded by
| the exIgencies of the times. The necessities of
| the overnment during these years of war, de-
manded promptness in ali its departments, and
a postal service which could be blockaded
whenever an emergency arose was practically
useless, because 1t was pregnant with embarass-
ments and dlsappointments. The old system of
discharging mails from the trains
at distributing post)ficss where they
were held twenty-four hours, or more, in order
to receive distribution so crude and unsatis-
fac ory as to compel like delay, for the same
purpose at the next i distributing postofice, was
an impediment to ali business transactions, and
it is difficult to understand at this time, why the
posja, authorities were then so backward in
adopting a system so feasible and full of promise
as this one was. A statement of the principles
upon which the railway postal service was to be
based, coupled with reasonable demonstration
that the same could be executed should have
insured its acceptance at once; but it took many
months of hard labor to induce the authorities
to give it trial. The first railway postofce was
established on the Chicago i Northwestern rail
road between Chicago, H., and Clinton, Iowa, in
1854, and the system, though crude, soon gained
| the confidence of the business public
| and the approval of the postal authorities
These .ints being gained, its expansion follow
| ed, and ere long it was firmly established upon
| all the trunk lines of the country. Distribu-
| t ng pOstoffices became things of the past. and
the mails were kept In motion from the offices of
| or GIN until they reached the offices of destlna-
ton. The system being thoroughly established
| it was found that it could be made more effec
tive by TAXI 1t from accommodation trains and
placing it on fast express trains, in order that
the mails might travel as fast as passengers, and
his friend. who had died, the business interests
of the country, and the Importance Of the mails
| demanded further reduction of time, and lar
ger facilities for handling them, and then ''the
asst mair' loOmed up on the horizon. Another
epoch in the service lad been he'd,
and time and space yielded their scepters
to tn resolution and energy of man. Under
the fast mail system, st. Paul and New York
| moved up twelve hours nearer each ogher, AID
ali the financial and business interests of the
| more largely benefit ed than the general public
| realized. But congress failed to make the ap-
preparations necessary to maintain this splendid
| service ard it MAS therefore discontinued.
A step backward was forced upon us which
must, sooner or later, be regained, for the great
| Importance of the interests developing 40 rapid
ly lii the west, northwest and sout west demand
close aud quick coInm nicaiion with the COM
mercial and tinsncial centres of the country.
This can be secured through judiciou-ly ar
ranged fast mail service'' which will not only
bring the extremes of the country INTO c.o>er