The Penn's Grove record., 1895-09-13
,,osErs IN EXPRESS BUSINESS
,tsrted a. a stsae,Driyer's Perauisit'

a a. Stage-Driver's Perquisits
war sweiied Its Proportions.
Tho death of Benjamin z. Cheney, the
uuWona,re ~expressman, at the advanc
~ zoe of SO years. removes from active
,as,its a remarkable man who was
10 the architect OF his own fortune,
10 commenced his busy caree at a
,ory early age in an obscure New
1omnsh,-e town and fought his way up
.t,n ladder without aid of any personal
,avors. The express business Of to-
law ia an immense interest and a factor
In mercantile transactions Of almost In
ralculable proportions, and 1t is an
American institution of a little more
tban half a c~entury's growth. yet It 10
not A new species Of industry.
Mr.. Cheney had the reputation or bs
NC one of the most skillful managers
~ express and railway combinations
| that the country has produced. He mac
nm amazing faculty for discovering the
rrasibility of new routes, and he had ar
| ,ntuitlve perception Of railroad enter
nr,ses which promised well. He begar
investing in railway stocks and wal
singularly successful in every venture
Vet he was a quiet operator, 80 mucf
60 that everybody In the business wal
ostonlshed at the amount of his invest
ments when they became generally
known. He was also a shrewd judg'
NJ real estate values and o 20 became
a large holder Of valuable investments
Even his most intimate friends knew
but.little of his large transactions. HI
lived a bachelor until past middle life
when he married a young lady then re
siding In Dorchester.
The greatest harvest reaped by tn
principal express companies was dur
ing the late war of the rebellion, whel
everything was sent and received b.
express, no matter what the cost IN
writer of this had n varied and somt
what tedious experience In the bus
ness during that protracted disturb
ance. and was witness to many scene
of somber and many Of a humorou
character. These were mostly seen
the returns from the seat of war JUS
after a battle. Sometimes after a viz
torious Federal action, or the captur
Of a rebel town, the officers, as well O
the men, made a practice OF sendin
home trophies they had captured. Thes
often were household effects Of con
paratiyely little value, and cost ii
recipients at home a large tax for e.
nress transportation. Sometimes II,
stock was sent, consisting largely
dogs and donkeys, sometimes a singir
bird or fowls of peculiar breed. On OF
occasion a stalwart negro fellow was r
, ceived at the Boston office sent by
officer who found he could do nothir
else with him and thought he might
of use or his farm at home. The gri
; ming darby had a card firmly fasten'
about his neck giving the address whe
to land him and this direction: "Fe'
and grub this niger all that he needs
1t was sad, however, to see the rou.
: boxes often piled up outside the CHI
containing. the remains Of the bcys
blue sent home for burial among t
; scenes which they had left a short tir
before for the Southern battlefield
These relics often proved a burdensor
cost to their bereaved families at hon
), We were always glad to forward rem
i tanees of money to the oftenumes d
/ tressed ones at home. The busine
transacted by some of the big express
Adams & Co., for instance, was of en-
l. nous proportions, and added largely
J the wealth Of many proprietors, t
. terrible war proving a godsend to thu
at least.-Boston Transcript.