Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-30
AUGUSTUS OLDEST ExPREssMhN.
J. W. Harlow 6egan This Business Beiore II e
War ard Has Continued.

business nearly 40 years ago Augusta was
very different place from what it is TODAY.
AT that time there were only five or six men
In this kind OF business where now they can
be counted by the score. That was long be-
FORE the war and before the great fire which
destroyed nearly every business house in
the city.
81 was young man when l started in
the business" said Mr.. Harlow. ..At that
time there were only few men IN the bus
mess. Thomas Rines did the larges, bust
ness, and then there were Asa Burns, father
of Granville Burns, who did trucking for
30 many years in this city, John Garland
and man by the name of Powers
81 remember distinctly the first day /
put my express wagon on the street. l did
so with considerable trepidation, for the
men who had been doing the business for
80 many years were older than | ard more
experienced, and my fears were not less
ened when l heard Rines tell fellow ex-
pressman that they would give me Just
three weeks to remain in the business
Well, the three weeks have heightened
out into nearly 10 years and am still at it"
~ ears ago the eNpressmen used long
drays. They were heavy carts, and hard
the streets now, for we have learned to
manufacture a much lighter and at the
same time strong cart / had not been in
the business long before Tom Rines sold
out and gave up the business. He was
great Adventist, and gave up the business
to preach. He was a good talker, and
made quite stir in those days. 'Rines
hill, one of the principal thoroughfares in
no pit OF ba
for many years in that vicinity.
''In 1862 | received the contract for do
ing all the government trucking in tli.
city. took G. G. Burns into company
with me, and we did all the trucking for the
government in this section until after the
close of the war. Those were busy times,
can assure you. There were four or five
different camps to haul provisions and
clothing to- and it seemed at times as if
there was no end to the work. The hours
of labor were not taken into consideration.
We worked early and late, and hardly
found time to do the work. OF course, we
kept great many teams. During that
time l carried millions of dollars back and
forth between the express office and the
camps, and never to my knowledge lost
dollar.
- W men LIle SCiuIeTS were pau III luSy
generally sent remittance home. For
convenience the Eastern Express Company,
now the American Express COmrauy, used
to have an office at the camp grounds. The
envelopes which contained the money, after
they were sealed, would be thrown into a
bushel basket Sometimes there would be
several baskets full. | would deliver them
to the main office on Water street. Col. Ii.
tendent of the company at that time
my business kept me out of doors at
all hours of the day and night. One morn
ing, Just before light, as | was coming down
Water street, noticed an envelope beside
the road, whish looked as if it had not been
opened. got off my wagon and picked it
up. II was one Of those large, thick official
envelopes, and was addressed to Maj
Gardner, who Mt that time was connected
with the commissary department.
81 put it in my pocket, and 1t ing
very busy day forgot ell about the Incl
dent. was reminded of it by putting my
hand in my packet some time during the
day. | at once carried it to Maj, Gardner,
who opened it in my presence. There must
have been thousands of dollars in that
envelope. There was hardly bill of less
bills. never knew how much there was,
but Mai Gardiner said il was all there. 1t
had been dropped in the night while being
carried from the State House to Maj. Gard
ner's office. and was not missed until morn
ing.
1.-THE loss occasioned considerable ex-
element among the officials, for no trace of
the missing package had been discovered
7 nj o
nv hand. The messenger didn't even know
whether he took it from the State House or
not. That would seem strange, today, but
Won must remember that everything was
done in a hurry in those stirring times.
"Msior Gardner kindly offered NE %
cents for my trouble, but | could not think
If acreptinr this municent amount
when bought the house on Crosby
street in which | now live, there was no
other dwelling house from there to Laurel
street An north of me was vacant land
and an Irshman by the name of John
Ru,ns. or as the boys called him. Toad
Rurns," had a large cabbage patch there
| fo- many wears. Soon after the Catholic
church and brick schoolhouse were built.
The prices for doing work are OF course
better. today, than they were before the
war. Where then there was one express
man now there are 90. But of course there
is more business for them to do.
.Hauing grain from the depot anu
bosts TO the large grain dealers used to De
a big business years ago. The grain stores
we're nearly all on the water side OF the
street. Now they are all pear the tracks
and the graiu is run direct from ih' cars
| into them"
There il no man in Maine better known
70 the travelling men than Mr.. Harlow.
Rsirg q large man and of fine physique
his Commanding form is always nsii;u,
ous in the crowd that is slways assembled
at The depot on the arrival of trains.
Mr.. Harlow had the contract for carrying
tho limited States mail from the depot to
the nos,otlice, in this city, for many years
and du lug that time a letter pouch or a
soy of mail was never stolen or missed,
and he never received reprimahd from
the departments. .t
For over % years he had the contract Tor
! all the trucking for the large puolshlng
bouse of f. c. Allen, which was no small
| item. |
Augusta Lodge, A. o, L. W., presented
Mr. C.. Hart Blackington, the recorder OF
/ ,locont silver