The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-08-23
They had hundreds Of boys, tough,
hardy, lightwood boys, weighing from

They had hundreds Of boys, tough,
hardy, lightwood boys, weighing from
seventy-fve to ninety pounds, and
each had to ride 100 miles in canter
in twenty-four hours and carry twenty
pounds Of letters in his saddle bags.
Every ten miles his mounting was
changed, but he was not relieved, nor
was he rested until he had made half
his journey. He had to eat his lunch
on the fly, and at the stations he was
lifted from his pony to fresh one
and was off with word and bound.
These pictures nearly ran me wild and
I longed to 60 west and ride the ex-
press and have the Comanche Indians
take crack at me and miss.
What change has come over tho
world. The English postal system is
only 250 years old. Before that the
kings had special messengers to carry
letters, but the people had nothing
save the passing travellers. Horses
had been substituted for footmen.
That was the only change since the
days wher. the prophet wrote, Glow
beautiful upon tn, mountains are the
feet Of those who bring glad tidings,"
and Solomon said GAS cold water to
a thirsty soul, so is good news from a
far country" If such rude contriv-
ances were lovely then how ought we
to prize our privileges now.
Cheaper and cheaper is our mail
service made as civilization advances.
I remember when letters cost us st,
123, 184 and % cents, according to
the distance they had been carried. A
letter from Arkansas or Texas or New
York was rs cents, and they were
never prepaid. Many time while 1
was the postmaster clerk a poor fell
low would inquire for a letter and if
there was one he would look at it, and
turn it over and handle it while, and
say: ''Well, it's from Jack, I know,
and I would like to take it home the
best in the world, but you will have to
put it back and keep it until I can get
the money" Sometimes he would
borrow it from neighbor and take it
home, and the next Sunday all the
neighborhood would gather in to hear
what Jack said about "The Arkan-
saw"
There were no envelopes then and
no paper but foolscap. This was a
long paper and was called by that
name because the watermark was cap
and bells. The letter was written on
one side and then the sheet was fold
ed in such 8, way that one side slipped
into the other and it was then sealed
with wafer or with sealing wax. The
poorer people sealed them with soft
rosin from the pine. When letter
was not sealed there was no penalty if
it was opened and read by any one,
and hence, it is said, came the word
sincere (sine cerum) without wax and
having no secret nor anything that the
writer desired to conceal. 1t is q
pretty word and has a fitting origin.
Ny father was postmaster for thirty
years. He knew of my ambition to
ride the pony express and so he pre-
pared me for it by mounting me on a
big, long dromedary of a horse and
made me ride the mail to Roswell and
back twice a week during long, hard
winter. I had to make fifty miles a
day and some days I liked to have
frozen, for I was but lad Of twelve
summers, but this service cured me
and since then I have not aspired
any more to that business.
BILL ARP.