Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-09-18
.,onsEa IN EXPRESS BUSINESS

,e.rted a. Q 9taRe.Ortver'e EefQuAsA"
war 0welIed Its Proportions.
~. deoth Of BENJAMIN r. Cheney. the
millionaire expressman, at the advanc>
I'd age of 83 years, removes from acnve
,nreu,ts a remarkable man who wac
srn,x the architect of his own fortune,
Al he commenced his busy career a1 d
rery early age in an obscure New
Hampeh,-e town and fought his way up
he ladder without aid Of any personal
sayora. The express business OF to-
day II an immense Interest and fecto'
10 mercantile transactions Of almost In
calculabls proportions. and 1t 10 an
American institution Of Q hofle more
than half . csntury's growth. yet II 10
aot Q new species Of industry.
Mr.. Cheney had the reputation OF D<
ing one OF the most skillful managsri
Of express and railway combination
that the country has produced. He had
an amazing faculty for discovering the
feasibility Of new routes. and he had az
intuitive perception Of railroad enter
prises which promised we'll. He began
investing In railway stocks and wal
sinsularly successful In every venture
Yet he was Q quiet operator, DO much
20 that everybody in the business waa
astonished at the amount Of his Invest
ments when they became generally
known. He was also q shrewd judge
of real estate values and soon became
q large holder Of valuable investments
Even his most intimate friends knew
but little Of his large transactions. HI
lived Q bachelor until past middle life
when he married Q 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, when
everything was sent and received by
express, NO matter what the cost The
writer Of this had Q varied and some.
what tedious experience in the bust
ness during that protracted disturb
ance, and was witness to many scenes
Of somber and many Of Q humorous
character. These were mostly seen II
the returns from the seat Of war JUS
after . battle. Sometimes after q vic
torious Federal action. or the captur
Of . rebel town. the officers. as we'll Al
the men. made . practice Of sending
homo trophies they had captured. These
often were household effects Of com.
paratively little value, and cost the
recipients at home q large tax for ex
press transportation. Sometimes live
stock was sent, consisting largely OF
dogs and donkeys, sometimes a singina
bird or fowls OF peculiar breed. On one
ceived at the Boston Office sent by ar
officer who found he could do nothing
else with him and thought he might be
Of use on his farm at home. The grin.
ming darky had card firmly fastened
about his neck giving the address where
to land him and this direction: Feed
and grub this niger all that he needs. "
boxes often piled up outside the odice
containing the remains Of the boys IN
blue sent home for burial among the
scenes which they had left Q short time
before for the Southern battlefield.
These relics often proved a burdensome
cost to their bereaved families at home
We were always glad to forward remit
tances Of money to the oftenumes dis
tressed ones at home. The business
transacted by some Of the big expresses
Adams & Co. for Instance, was Of enoT.
NOUS proportions. and added largely to
the wealth Of many proprietors. the
terrible war proving q godsend to then
at least-BostOn Transcript.