St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-14
Tie Northern Pacific qciU FolJotc acith q
Connecting Fast Mail Vest.


fast mail train from the east and makes the
opening of an era when the importance OF
quick communication with the metropolis of
the northwest is recognized by the govern
ment- The citizens were not unmindful Of
this substantial recognition OF our
growth and importance, and when
the fast mail came laundering in at 1922
eight minutes ahead of time-a' large con-
course of people were gathered to welcome
It, The locomotive wheels had not ceased to
reyolve when the mail sacks came flying out
of the postal car and were as quickly trans
ferred to the mail wagon, which Immediately
started for the. postoffice at a speed that
brought it there in three minutes.
JUDGE GRESHAM SPEAKS.
Meanwhile the crowd had surged back to
the paror car, which contained the dis
tinguished party who accompanied this in
augural trip of the fast mall and as the
local committee came out loud calls were
made for Postmaster General Gresham, who
came to the car door and was introduced by
Mr.. P. H. Kelly His appearance was greeted
with three cheers and in response to a de-
mand for speech, he said:
GENTLEMEN-I am pleased to meet
you on this suspicious occasion
and to assure you that the
belief expressed by some that this fast train
is only temporary arrangement is entirely
unfounded. This. expedited train is no tenn
porary arrangement The great northwest
is entirely worthy of these new conven-
fences. The fast mail train you now have
will not be taken from you"
FRANK HATTON.
First Assistant Postmaster General Hatton
was then called for, and after being intro
duced by Mr.. Kelly and gracefully acknowl-
edging the cheers which greeted him, spoke
as follows:
az am glad to meet you, gentlemen, and
hope you will not think any the less of me
because | have been introduced by Demo
crat who has been making desperate eff
fort to get himself appointed postmaster of
st. Paul on the ground that he is the only
Democrat in the city who can read real good
and the only one who can write at all. Gen
tlemen, / congratulate you on the accom-
plishment of this great scheme and trust it
will be means of advancing
your material interests and adding
to your comfort and convenience
A number of leading citizens of st. Paul
were introduced to both Gen. Gresham and
Mr. Hatton, and few old acquaintauces of
both stepped up and were gracefully recOg-
nized by the postal dignitaries, who showed
their qualification as politicians by calling
them by name and making inquiries about
members of the family and other acquaint-
ances.
By this time the train was ready to start for
Minneapolis and pulled out of the depot
seven minutes ahead of time.
THE DELIVERY OF THE MAIL.
In the city great interest was manifested in
the delivery of the first mail and the post
office officials did their best to satisfy the
high expectations of the public. Superin-
tendent Hardecker received the mail per-
sonally at the depot and was passenger on
the flying three-minute trip to The postoffce.
Arriving here the mail matter was handled
with great dispatch, and before o'clock the
carriers were on the street delivering the
mail which had left Chicago not thirteen
hours before.
The business men especially were congrat-
ulating themselves upon the increased ad-
vantage of fast eastern communication, but
arrangement.
WHO WERE ON THE TRAIN.
The members of the party who came up on
the train were as follows:
W. S, Gresham, postmaster general.
Frank II. Hattoh, first assistant postmaster
general.
w. B. Thompson, general superintendent of
the New York mail service.
James E. White, superintendent of the sixth
division railway mail service.
Chas. E. Fargo, general superintendent and
vice president of the American Express COM
pany.
Roswell Miller, assistant generel manager of
the Milwaukee road.
F. w. Palmer, postmaster of Chicago.
H. C. Payne, postmaster of Milwaukee.
Ed. Sanderson, miller, Milwaukee.
DR.. o. N. Nixon, of Chicago.
c. II. Dennison, of the Chicago NeaDS.
Fred B. Stevenson, of the Chicago Tribune.
Among the citizens of St.
Paul who met the train
at Hastings and made the triumphal
entry with it were Dr. Day, postmaster, Ed
S. Bean, chief head clerk of the rail
way mail service, Capt. Reeve, Supt. Case
and Messrs. Scott and Hathaway, of the
Milwaukee road; also o. NJ. Laraway, post
master at Minneapolis.
THE TRIP FROM CHICAGO
The train left Chicago promptly at 3
O'Clock yesterday morning. 1t was COM
posed OF one engine, two mail cars, one bust
ness car and the parlor car "Pacifc." The
postal party occupied the parlor car and re-
freshments were served in the business car.
The first stop was made at West Union,
sixty-two miles from Chicago, which point
the train reached at 40 a. m, and was
side tracked to allow train to pass. From
there the train went through to Milwaukee
without stop, arriving at 5 30 a. III. The resi-
dents of Milwaukee, by the new arrangements
receive their eastern mail early in the morn
ing instead of at noon.
Between Milwaukee and La Crosse the
time made was: Oconomowoc, 6:20 a. m.
WATERFOWL, 6:34; Columbus 7:16; Portage,
1;4S; arriving at La Crosse at 1888; seven
minutes ahead of schedule time
Leaving La Crosse at 1888 the train
reached Winona at 1850, having gained
by that time seventeen minutes
on schedule time. At this
point Gen. Gresham received a few callers in
his car. crowd of prominent citizens and
newspaper men met the train, and the en-
thusiasm was general. Among the callers
was Postmaster Sinclair. From Winona to
st. Paul the trip was made in three hours and
thlrty-two minutes, the only halt made be-
tween Winona and st. Paul being at Hast
ings.
SCHEDULE TIME.
AS previously stated, the fast mail train
leaves Chicago at 70 a. M, arriving in
Milwaukee at 5 90 a. M, at Oconomowoc at
$40, Portage at 1850, and Lacrosse at II 100