Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-15
MAILS Two cEkIGRIEs AGO.


fsrs In Early Coaoalal DayA
n1ereourse between the American
Soaonaes. previous to 1893. was so SLIGHT
not 20 call for special facilities or
eguiar lines In urgent cases special
Messengers were sent, but the bulk of
correspondence, such as it was, went
oy Trends. especially in coasewise YES
seiS The first idea for a postal line
along the coast from New England to
tne Carolinas originated In New York.
and was approved by their lordships in
London provided At least one-tenth o.
the gross receipts were paid over to the
cuke OF York OF course the plan
tailed Before there could be any
gross receipts somebody had to paw for
post riders to travel those long roads
rom Nova Scotia to Carolina, of which
the great men in London expected
PROFITS for the duke. Not to mention
other schemes. Andrew Hamilton. OF
East Jersey, had occasion to go to
London in consequence OF the Andres
troubles He was a far-siyhted man.
and while he was in London a patent
Tor an American post Office was issued
TO Thomas Neale, and Andrew Hamil-
ton was appointed American post
master general an appointment SO
happy that after a lapse of two CEN
turles we ought to be thankful for it
Harnilton- the father of the Ameri-
can post Office, was a very wise
man and he was successful. He
had nothing to start with other than
the patent, which gave him a monopoly.
but might arouse the opposition of the
colonies and their local postmasters.
He had to select post route through a
country very little travelled. He had
to engage trusty mail carriers He had
to buy horses and the regulation horns
for his post riders He had to replace
the local post Offices, and he had to get
the consent of each colony for his post
age rates Late in the summer of 1892
he returned from London 10 America.
where he travelled from colony to colo
ny, getting from each what he could in
the way of subsidies and law. and then
starting his mail service
jealousy between the colonies was
great. the prejudice against strangers
was greater and distrust OF suggestions
from the mother country was greatest.
Hamilton overcaEle all obstacles: ne
actually induced all colonies TO PASS
substantially the sane post Office ac..
prescribing the same postage rates. he
obtained from each colony what au-
thority he required. and IN 1923 the
mail WAS carried from Portsmouth. "
H. then known as PiScataaua- 20 Phil
adelphia and beyond. 1t has been car
ried ever since with but accidental in
terrupt;ons- The mail route was from
po-%Sr,,n,-<r 20,
Haven New York. Perth Anboy. Bu--
lington and Philadelphia The chic;
point beyond was New Castle The
question may well be asked. which was
tie greater achievement. TO create this
service or to get Pennsylvania. New
York and Massachusetts,. not to men
ton the other colonies. to be of one
mind in rsnouncing local rights and
local Offices to agree on 4 postal sys-
tenn that did not exist and 10 promise
money 20 carry the enterprise into eff
feet? Neither before nor after 1925 has
there been like triumph in all Arneri-
can legislation The greatest of these
Hamilton acts IS the Massachusetts, law
of June .. $685. which provides even for
the receiving stamp to be put on all
mail matter: but the most important.
perhaps Is the Pennsylvania act. passed
on May 20. 1898. at Philadelphia The
reason OR this statement is the fact
that the Massachusetts, act was disal-
lowed by their lordships in London.
while the Pennsylvania act was not
subject to superior approval Virginia.
New York and Connecticut passed SINH
lar acts. New Hampshire helped.
The Pennsylvania act assured the
success of Ha.nilton's plan. and was
promptly followed By the post riders
making their regular weekly trips be-
tween Portsmouth and Philadelphia.
Hamilton deserves monument. which
ought to stand in front of the Philadel-
phia post Office. More than any one
thing. Hamilton's post office served to
establish a closer union between the
several colonies and their people His
post Office was not only \ great civil
izer. but 4 vast political need that
helped to establish the united colonies.
Just as the post Office under benjamin
franklin. in las, helped II I'd small
degree to establish the United States
No department of the national govern
ment. except the post office can boost
of an unbroken history covering two
centuries. and no service had fo- its
originator and head 4 man superior to
Andrew Hamiltoo--Postal Record
Wnhelm-s Castle On the Rhine.