Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-23
Cheap Pianos
Milligan, Wilkin & Co.
VIOLIN BOXES WOOD SIPS.
THE STEUBENVILLE CENTENNIAL
VIII Bring to That city Venerable Gen
tlemnn Uitk AN Interesting Record.

VIII RrIpr. to That city "a Venerable Gen
tIemnn wick an Interesting Record
Special 20 the Register.
Steuberville. o.. Aug. pa very
venerable man who has unique re-
cord IN many ways will be a promin-
ent guest in this city during the Cen
tennial. William Henry Wallace, VINO
is the nations Oldest postmaster IN
point of continuous service, a record
i'm many WAYS that is without parallel.
Mr.. Wallace is postmaster at Ham
mondsyille. and the fact that ne mas
held a Government position all these
wears. through the changes IN ADMIN
isrrati0ns. makes him an Oddity. Mr..
Wallace was born in Canada December
1911 of Scotch and Saxon ancestry.
When but ten years Of age his parents
settled in this country. and at Il years
of age he was assistant postmaster,
during Andrew JacksOn'S term OF ONCE
and i'm a short time he was appointed
postmaster 30 that he has been post
master continuously for o. years, 10
wears of that time al HammOndsville.
He established three post Offices in this
county. Linton. formerly Yellow Greek;
Port Homer and HammOndsville. lie
has served under 81 pOstmaSter-gener-
ais. During that period OF time there
have been marvellous changes IN the
postal service. In early days to rob
The mails meant death and Mr. Wal
lace saw the notorious Hair and his
accomplice hanged in Baltimore for
rObbing mails; and a few years later
ne saw Hutton and Hall executed Tor
robbiug the mail and killing the driy-
err. Mr.. Wallace remembers well when
postage was charged according 10 the
distance the letter went and for let
ter that came 400 miles he has taken
TWO bushels Of oats; two bushels OF
potatoes: four pounds of butter or five
dozen of eggs. Mr.. Wallace Is also
agent Of the c. x p Railroad. and
Adams express agent. positions he has
held for to years. He is very cOnvers-
ant with the early history of the c. d
p. Railroad. He has kept pace as far
as knowledge goes with the progress
and Improvement in the postal service
and railroads. and he has seen much
of il. He remembers the changes that
have taken place in the moral, religious
and political life of the country during
his long life. SiXty-fve years ago he
passed over the first 13 miles of rail-
road built in the L. S. at the rate OF
ten miles an hour drawn by two horses
I'm his mercantile life he has met A.
II. Stewart and many other prominent
merchants Mr. Wallace has met
Heny Clay. Daniel Webster. John c..
Calhoun. "D3vy' Crockett. J. 2. Adams
and many prominent men of later years
and of the present day. He has rare
collection Of pictures OF public men
and their autographs sent 20 him per-
s1uaI'y NJ. Wallace is distinguished
and venerable in appearance. being
over six feet i'm height and of erect
carriage. He can claim TO be response
bic for nearly the whole town OF Ham
m0uGsyilIe. as he has established var
i0us mining and manufacturing indus
tries. His mercantile experience eX-
tends over nearly three-QUarterS of a
century. Being of a literary turn he
has written a great deal He crossed
the Allegheny mountains rs times in
stage coaches before the day of rail-
roads and more times since.