New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24

handled annually by the several big concerD
Of the country, the majority OF which have the"
head Offices in Greater New-York
1t is sufficient to cite a few facts in connection
with onerations in and out of New-York CftL
These are enough to stagger the reaoer VINO Ia"
never given the subject attention. TO begm
with, the different express companies handle IN
the metropolitan district on an average OF ono
hundred thousand packages day. These are
of all sorts and sizes and values. and would rep
resent a gross weight OF from 2.5OO0OO to 3OOO.-
900 pounds The transportation OF this business
reauiras the service OF three hundred cars. in
Guiding half baggage cars. The number OF
wagons in use is estimated at about 200 These
are hauled to and from the stations and
throughout the city by over two thousano
horses The number Of employees who are given
living Is close to five thousand. Experts nave
declared that the average value OF parcel -
So. exclusive Of money packages and the cur
rency which Is being shipped all the time by the
banks to different parts Of the country. This
latter business Is a department almost by Itself
II will be remembered that within the last three
months the financial articles in the various
newspapers were filled with illusions to the
large number Of currency shipments MADE 70
different parts OF the United States. principally
to the Northwest to assist in the movement OF
crops This occurs every year. and immense
sums are handled by the express companies
There was time when the tales OF daring rob-.
berries of express cars used to fill the columns
OF the daily press, but the onward march on
civilization ana modern precautionary me'HoD
employed have now made these feats rare
The commerce which Is handled each year III
and out Of Greater New York represents value
OF about 81 900, 100000. basis OF nearly
81 100000 day. Were 1t not for the fact that
the Postal Department OF the Government has
become in a measure a competitor of the express
companies. this business would be more than
three or four times what it is at the present
dime.
The money -order department OF the express
companies is feature which has reached largo
proportions The sending OF money in amounts
all the way from 81 upward footS up, in the
course Of the year to an unusual sum. The ex-
press companies have made the effort to give
the best facilities TO the public in this depart
ment, and the success which has been achieved
by them speaks volumes for the publics appre-
citation Of the valuable service.
The term express train is now employed to
convey an idea Of actual conditions Yet how
many people ir New-York are aware that every
night from the great trunk line depots .aGross
the Hudson River and from the Grand Central
Station in New-Yorh City trains as long as thu
longest vestibuIe limiteds leave for the West
freighted with hundreds Of thousands of dollars
worth Of property ntrusted to one or the other
OF the seven great express companies that have
their central offices located In Greater New
York? These trains run at very high speed
Indeed. one of them that generally contains
from eight to dozen cars leaves an hour later
than of the regular Western express trains,
and overtakes and passes ii at Pittsburg: and
so Il Is In all departments of the service Speed
and dispatch are the watchword Of the hour