The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-15

horn as the mail coach came over the dis
tant hill was the most inspiring music that
ever greeted the small boys ears. ''Oh, if
| could only drive that team and crack
that long dashed whip and blow that bugle
how happy would l be-" 1t was the ultima
tum of my hopes, and my ambition. re-
member when a book came out that
was called "Ten Years Among the Mail
Boys" and it had pictures representing
the PONY Express" that Wells Fargo
had established from st. Louis overland to
California They had hundreds of boys,
tough, hardy, lightwood boys, weighing from
seventy-five 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 a the stations he was
lifted from his pony to a fresh one and was
off with a word and a bound Those pict-
ures nearly ran me wild and | longed to
go west and ride the express and have
the Commanche Indians take crack at
me and miss.
What a change has come over the world
The English postal system is only $50
years old. Before that the kings had spe-
cial messengers to carry letters, but the
people had nothing save the passing trav-
elers. Horses had been substituted for
footmen. That was the only change since
the days when the prophet wrote "How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of those who bring glad tidings," and Sol
ONION said: ''As cold water to n thirsty
soul, so is good news from q far country"
If such rude contrivances were lovely
then how ought we to prize our privileges
now.
Cheaper and cheaper is our mail service
made as civilization advances. | remember
when letters cost us II, - ID, IS 81
and 20 cents, according to the distance
they had been carried. A letter from Ar
kansas OF Texas or New York was %
cents. and they were never prepaid Many
time while l was the postmaster's clerk
poor fellow would inquire for letter
and if there was one he would look at it,
and turn it over and handle it Il while,
and say: We'll, it's from Jack, l know,
and | would like to take it home the best
in the world, but you will have to put 1t
back and keep it until l can get the
money Sometimes he would borrow it
from Il neighbor and take it home, and the
next Sunday all the neighborhood would
gather in to hear what Jack said about
''The Arkansaw.'
There were no envelopes then and no
paper but foolscap. This was il 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 folded in such a 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 a 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 De
sired to conceal. 1t is a pretty word and
has Il fitting origin.
My father was postmaster for thirty
years. He knew of my ambition to ride
the pony express and 50 he prepared me
for it by mounting me on big, long drom-
edary of horse and made me ride the
mail to Roswell and back twice Il week
during Il long. hard winter. | had TO
make fifty miles day and some days |
liked to have frozen. for | was but Il lad
of twelve summers, but this service cured
me and since then | have not aspircd any
more to that business. BILL ARP.