Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-02-20
the POSTAL SERVICE.
History OF q Useful 4 mer.cen Institu

I
History OF a Useful 4 mer.cen Institu-
tion.
/ The American postal sgstem has been OF
f, such slow growth that The successive phases
ct les de selopment have nee Impressed the o,
selves deeply on public attention.. A succipct
and able article ny John u. B.shop In IN.
Magazine Of marian Hi,tor,, recounts tho
history ~ this growth, leaving the reader
astounded oy the exteEt precision, thorough
ne3s progressive changes OF the ssrvics.
In 16T the court OF Boston appCint.d JShs
Maynard TO carry and deliver lstter.. 20 lyle
parliament established a postofsce for the
colonies, New York being the chief once The
rates for sixty miles carriage ws-e for single
letters, pence, for double pence. and Tor
one ounce I shilling pence. To 1853 Bepja.
mn Franklin was appointed deputy postmas-
general for che colonies. lie originated the
fret fast mail, consisting Of . line Of stage
coaches from Phiisdelph!a 70 Dostop, 70 run
every week They were the woadcs Of the age.
Tie postal rates 1t the lut century were 0
cents for less than ~ miles 8 cents for uuder
o., 10 cents for less than 100, and 90 on up TO
% cents, for 200 miles. and % cents for ear
rage OF Tver - miles A single sheet OF
pspor constituted q letser, two stssss two let
ters, and three sheets three letters They
rere Invariably folded without envelopes. A
aheet owing to this count, vas generally writ
ton In the finest penmansh p and not seldom
the written page was written across, 90 that
each single sheet had eight pages Of writing.
Newspapers were charged cent for 100 mica
Postage-stamps were Introduced In ls41, be-
fse which time oil letters were paid for In
oh ,itlav At Ia on ~
delivery. One hundred and siIty sorts Of
stamps have beer issued since 1874. IN lbs
the whole postal department a. Washington
was conducted BY the postmaster general and
ssslstant and one clerk.
Tbs first locomotive used b. ths mail service
was on the Deleware and hudson Caual com
psny's road In Pennsyivs,s In ls29 The
South Caroline Ia.Losd company follower.
toon stter. But ssa regular carrier OF ye
NAL the railroad did not become Q factor tiiI
1885, when the road from Washington TO Bal
timore was opened But so short were tn
lines Of the road, and so discon nected, u AT q
remained FOR long time q pSoblem wtetheT
ahe stage-coaca was not more servs cable
The speed obtained was inferior, sB1 the Dc.
lays very vexRtlous. But these trouS - wesn
steadily overcome as lines Of Rad beejims cor
soliiated.
Ir 1851 occurred the famous REDUCTION CT
postage to three cepts for all disa .Dess less
than threj thousand miles Mai sv,enn wsr,
appointed - early IS 1870, but shia branch t,i
the .stem grew into form very slowly. IL
1852, however, began the sbsointe revelation
OF oui whole system Of mail service. 10 was
The device and Wit Of q Missouri clerk 10 tts
Office at 81 Joseph-Wlllism " Davis. he
devised and was allowed 20 orsnte the firt
postotnee car ever used Ths OIL lw and ,ediol
distribution and forwarding OF fssters fro
general offices nov ceased. The woIS
was done on The car, AID le'fsrS few acro,s
public service ever Hcfors exia<s6 which d.
manded such Combination OF Iens ral info :
nation with minute knowledge. The clerk q
charge OF car must know MT only all tie
offices on his route, but all the OFFICES In tho
United STATES In his division. and he NUT
know Tia shortest routes 10 the same.
The reinarkable growth aud success OF tie
postal Service is startling, ~ being an eIamr
OF tho power of the state Ia compstition vi h
individual enterprise. II is A. atsolute n :.
nopcly at the sane time 80 that while to .
'iaissez fairen advocate It is an illustrate u
OF what ne calls hsurp patton, It 10 10 an sd,s.
cate OF the sOcistist'c idea OF the state an \.
lustration OF wat he hates III One, the p3t.
tai service III estrates admirably that nsitt .r
Of these nartiSs Is working on any other bass
than Sc ltiment Walker has probably hit -
near the mzrk - possible vbeI he uadsrtst q
to show vtat the scope Of the state 10 mugh
wider than has been JUDGED; bat that al
changes that deduct from individ dual and DO 90
over tSrollective enterprise shouid he ms lie
with extreme caution. Our school systcm Q I'd
santSfion OF cities have 'stely in large s.
gre heea THIS transferred Whether tue
rNiroads and te!egrsphs win stin continue 90
sass more and more into governmental etp.
Q sl Ia a problem Of comm0a sense.
The future OF our p Istsl service 10 epiten siy
IN The line Of Increased facilities for rapid
transit and uniform rate OF | ssht for Il.
letters. But there viii be q new probam