St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-01-29
Early Post Office rlatters.
SECOND PAPER.


through the older parts OF the state, MS
disbursement by the stage coach, to give
way in it's turn to the railroad the es-
Establishment OF post Offices, and the gen
eral history Of the transmission Of lnteili-
pence. forms one OF the most interesting
and one of the most neglected chapters
in local history.
1t is singular how little historians,
GREAT and small, have had to say upon
this topic | have searched in vain
through many town histories, gazetteers
and the like, to find when the first post
Offices were established, the location OF
the earliest postal routes, and the time
when the stages began to run, IN the
localities whose events they are supposed
to record.
There are town histories, so called,
which fail to mention such important
events as the building OF the first railroad
on their soil or any precise account OF the
stage line which preceded il, or any allu-
sion to the manner in which the earlier
settlers communicated with the world.
Nothing, not even the free school sys-
TEN, can compare, in Importance, as an
aid in the rapid spread of general educa-
ton and enlightenment, with cheap post
age and quick communication. And yet,
a high degree of intelligence and public
spirit existed in many communities IN
Vermont before there were any post
Offices at all. A circulating library was
established in Brookiield, in this state,
in 1891. which still exists, but there was
no post office in that town for several
years later.
In Bradford, in 1896, thirty-two citl-
Gems established a public library which
was incorporated by the legislature OF
that year. Yet it was SIX or seven years
after that before Bradford had post
Office. If we may judge from the charac-
ter of the earliest books which remain,
the reading people OF that town, a hun
bred years ago were fully as well in
formed as their successors are now.
A town in our day, which had as many
inhabitants as Bradford had then, and
which has no post Office (f we could
conceive such thing as possibly, would
; be considered in sad need of the mission
airy and the schoolmaster.
Such a town, not far enough along or
: the road to civilization to have post
S office, whose principal citizens should es
: tabsh a public library, whose volumes
f should manifest such discerning taste az
e that one in Bradford in 1896, is some
/. thing we cannot comprehend as possible
: in these days. We must not attempt t.
l. reconstruct the past according to GU
l. idea of the present.
n In previous paper some account wa
II given OF the earliest post routes i'll thu
5. part of New England. Some facts wet
n brought out by it's publication, whic
IS seem worthy to be recorded in a secon
Is paper
& Before post Offices were established
d system of mutual convenience made it
) point for any one about to take Jou
d ney to announce the fact, and to carr
is such letters as were waiting a chance
l. be sent in that direction. Letters frol
lie the settlements north of Newbury, WEI
f. generally sent to Col. Johnson's store
lie be sent along as he saw opportunity.
OF Military information during the Rev
o. lutionary war was carried mainly b
le special messengers. Of the matter mo-
n urgent, several men were sent that son
a. one of them would reach his destinatio
o. In June, 1882, Shem Kenthed WI
s. hanged as a spy at Albany. He made
S, confession which revealed an extensi
es plot, one of whose details was the ca
IL ture OF General Jacob Bagley OF Newbur
5n whom the British in Canada justly l
au garded as their most vigilent and da
a gerous enemy. Messengers were at on
rs sent across the country by ditiere
re, routes, to warn Bagley of his dang
'se One of these reached Newbury beIo
NJ sunrise OF the day on which the attem
ne was actually made. The general w
no then on his guard, and watching for
ice more precise warning which came lat
~ This was June IA, 1882, and not
ny 18th, as stated by Rev. Grant Powe
ay and later writers who have copied
-ne error.
W. When the post rider first started on
~ rounds in 1885, his going and conf
probably made little change in the s
~, TEN OF mutual convenience. Postt
was dear and money was scarce. o
a lew letters were sent by him, fr
was this advantage, that while let
=, might be sent to Boston any day by
''' chance traveller, there would be oppor
~ nifty on fixed days, Letter postage v
US ~, six cents Tor single letter which Y
- carried less than thirty miles, there be
'''' an increase for each fifty miles a,
tional
Single letters were those which c
sisted OF only one sheet, large or SIN
Two sheets made double letter,