The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-30
minutes in time and two cents in
money is worth ten dollars to any
mother who loves her child.

mother who loves her child.
The mails are blessed privilege, and
one that was almost unknown to our
fathers. One hundred years ago there
were but seventy-fve postoffices in the
United States, now there are nearer 75,-
900. 1t is not generally known that
Ben Franklin was the first postmaster
general in this country, and held Lis
office for twenty-one years under the
British government. One mail a week
was considered quite enough between
the large cities. I remember when one
mail week was the allowance ir our
country towns. BY and by we got it
twice week and felt our consequence.
Four times day we have it in Carriers
vile. remember when the sound Of
the stage horn as the mail coach came
over the distant hill was the most
inspiring music that ever greeted the
small boys ears. "Oh, if I could only
drive that team and crack that long
lashed whip, aud blow that bugle how
happy would I be-" 1t was the ultima
tum of my hopes, and my ambition. I
remember when 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 over
land to California. They had hundreds
OF boys, tough, hardy, lightwood boys,
weighing from seventy-ive to ninety
pounds, and each had to ride 100 miles
in a 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 balf his journey. He had to eat
his lunch on the fly, and at the sta
tions he was lifted from his pony to
fresh one and was off with word and
bound. Those pictures. nearly ran me
wild aud I longed to 60 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 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 when the
prophet wrote "HoW beautiful upon
the 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 q far country" If such
rude contrivances were lovely then
how ought we to prize our privileges
now.
Cheaper and cheaper is our mail ser
vice made as civilization advances. I
remember when letters cost US 81, 123
1s2 and 25 cents, according to the dis
tance they had been carried. A letter
from Arkansas or Texas or New York
was 25 cents, and they were never pre-
paid. Many time while I 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 awhile and say: swell,
it's from Jack, I know, and 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 a
neighbor and take it home, and the
next Sunday ali 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 a long
paper and was called by that name be-
cause the watermark was a 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
a 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 (siuce cerum) without wax and
having no secret nor anything that the
writer desired to conceal. 1t is pretty
word and has fitting origin.
My father was postmaster for thirty
years. He knew of nay ambition to
ride the pony express and so be pre-
pared me for it by mounting me on a
big, long drotnedary of horse and
made me ride the mail to Roswell and
back twice week during long, hard
winter. / had to make fifty miles day
and some days I liked to have frozen,
for I was but a lad of twelve summers,
but this service cured me and since
then 7 have not aspired any more to
that business. bill ARP.