, 1896-08-27
POSTAL EVOLUTION.
STORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT or
THE MAIL SERVICE.
Crude Methods OF Early AEes-BiblicaI
References to the Post-Besianing Of
What Has Becous an Almost Perfect
and n Cheap System.

1t seems almost incredible, i'll view of
the wonderful labyrinth of postal routes
all over the world today, that there ever
could have been Il time when there wlrc
no postoffices, no letter carrier, no mail
facilities at all.
But, of course, there had to be some
means of con,nunication even in the
earliest ages, though these We're confined
for centuries to emperors and kings and
other great rulers. The emperors of
Egypt, of Persia, Of Assyria, and Of
as their vassals. With these it was nee
essary to communicate with certainty
and regularity, and therefore courierv
We're employed to carry dispatches and
reports to and from the more distant
provinces.
OF course no one man or one horse
could traverse the whole route. so sta
lions were established along the roads
at certain intervals, where couriers were
always in readiness to relieve weary
brothers, and carry on the dispatches
with uniform speed. These stations
were called posts from the Latin
word positum-iiXed or placed-whence
the name of our modern postal
system.
In tho Old Testament are frequent
references to the posts. In Ii Chronicles
you will find, $50 the posts went with
the letters, " and $50 the posts passed
from city to city" In Esther also and
i'll job and Jeremiah you will find other
illusions to the posts. But they We're
never for the use of the common people.
The Roman Emperor Augustus wa
the first to establish Il system of posts
suggestive of the present system. You
have heard the saying. "All roads lead
to Rome This was the origin Of it:
From Rome us Il center post roads were
built, called royal highways. extend
ing all over Europe. After the decline
of the Roman empire these post roads
were abandoned by degrees, and during
the dark ages they almost entirely dis
appeared.
In the thirteenth and fourteenth cen
turtles, however, their need began to be
so strongly felt that posts between diff
ferent parts of the same country were
established, and soon these We're extend
ed into other countries. These posts
were carried first by foot runners and
then II little later by men Oh horseback.
1t was no: long, though, before the
post privilege was extended, and it was
found impossible for horseback riders to
carry the increasing mail, so wheeled
~conveyanccs were provided, and the
mex stop was for these c~onveyamces to
carry passengers as well as the mail.
And thus from the post was evolved
the mail coach. What this meant to our
hitherto shut in ancestors it is hard for
us of the present day to realize even
family. But it is safe to say that the
evolution Of the public post and the
mail coach did more than any other one
thing to hasten civilization.
In the reign of the Emperor Fredcr-
lex III, Francis Won Laxis, whose grand
father is said to have established u post
III service across the Tyrol and Syria,
entered the service of the house of Haps-
burg and became the founder of the
modern postal system. Through Won
Laxis the emperor established regular
posts throughout his kingdom between
tho years l4AO and 1893, and Mt the be-
ginning Of the sixteenth century tho
Austrian post became the international
post Of the Hapsburg dynasty.
In France the University of Paris Or
gained a postal service in the thirteenth
century which fiourished until 1919. In
some parts of Europe there We're brother
hoods and mercantile guilds which es.
tablished posts and postofficcs subject
to the government.
In England, in 1858, Rowland Hill
started II private post, but Cromwell's
heavy hand came down on the enter
prise, and the men who carried the let
tiers were trampled down and killed by
his soldiers. Later on Mr.. Hill came to
the front again, instituted many re.
forms in the service, and at last gave to
England areal and effective postal scrv-
ice. Louis XI Of France founded n postal
system in l464, which was greatly i'm
proved by Charles TX in 1865. ,
But it was not alone the Christian
nations that felt the need of a postal
service. When tho Spaniards invaded
South America, they found q regular
system of posts in operation, so that the
newsof their landing vas carried to the
inca with Incredible swiftness, the post
men being runners, who carried around
their waists knotted cords, q code of sig
nals or-sign writing.
Coming down to country,
suppose we take u peep at the mail
methods in vogue in its earlier days.
Let us take as n type the postal service
between Boston and New York, where,
in 1863, II post was established ito goe
monthly" Post riders, starting at the
same hour from each end Of the route,
carried the mails. Leaving on Monday
morning. they met and exchanged bags
at Saybrook. Conn.,, OIL the following
Saturday. Then each man returned to
his starting point, which, Of course.
took nearly another week.
1t was Benjamin Franklin that, in
1875. suggested the plan for . postal
service on which our present system is
founded. In the early days Of this sys-
tenn rates wese charged that seem out
rageous to us Of the present day-be-
tween Boston and New York. lSA
cents, and 25 cents for points beyond.
OF course this led t o swindling the gov
eminent and the smuggling Of letters-
Private parties carried mail secretly At
lower rates, and In 1889 Harnden's ex-
press entered the field, carrying letters
concealed in bundles aud other packages
ut less than legal rateA
But as soon as the government low
cred its charges all these smugglers
dropped out Of the race. There wa no
money in it then, -Philadelphia Times.