Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-18
EXPRESS BUSINESS.
How Wrn F. Harnden Originated the
 Enterprise


 From the first swing of the people toward the open and empty west, one Of the chief needs was safe, speedy and orderly transfer of personal prop erty. Contemporaneous with the ear ly push toward the Pacific, a man arose whose project (soon to encircle the World,) was destined to fill this need. This man, whose dream and deed helped nightly to people the va cant west, was William Frederick HaInden, the founder of the express system of America and the world.
 The express business seems so 1n- dispensable and inevitable part of our life, so fixed and unalterable part ot our business, that We can scarcely re- alize the time when there existed no peripatetic bank, no ubiquitous de- livery system, no ever-ready, ever-ca- pablo medium for rendering a thou sand unnamable services ill fetching and carrying, and in representing us at home and abroad. To get his thought transmitted, to get himself and his goods transferred with celerity and safety. these are large p, ob1ems of civilization that man has been strug- glipg with since he began to think and to labor.
 One hundred and six stage lines ran out of Boston alone, fn 1884, and 1t be- hooved the promoters of the struggling railroads to conciliate these deposed publicans and jehus i'll order to make and keep friends with the clamoring people. So stage drivers were gener- ally made ticket agents and conductors and pressed into every other possible service. .....
  F Naturally, those who went from the stages to the trains carried on thesr friendly service. in fetching and car rying along the line. But it was all 9 matter of accommodation and haphaz- ~"rI v-i+t -,n rnoo~a nr m e+hod. The same sort of errand-mongering was op-
 at.ns on the ste mels S ot both the eastern and the western waters.
 The steamer John ". Richmond was, at this time plying between Bos- ton and New York. James W. Hale, n emp1oye of Hudson's News rooms, in the old Tontine building. at the cor ner of Wall and Water streets, New York city. happened to be also the agent of this steamer.
 He was in the habit of running coWn 70 the boat at the hour of its trf-week- y sailing to~send off copy of the news> rooms bulletin sheet 10 the Bos- lon newspapers. Certain Wall street ',rokers. noting his punctua1 errand. fell into the way of asking Mir Hale to 'ake to the boat packets of bank notes or coin. with a request to pass them on to some Boston-bouud trayeler, to Ne delivered according to directions. Rather slack arrangement q broker T If today would consider this nnre- oeipted for consignment committed thus to Providence and an unknown vest pocket. But no one is said to lave refused to perform such an er- and or to have betrayed such trust. Vet hundreds of thousands of dollars ~early passed to and fro in this ar eadan manner. an evidence, it is said, If the nobleness that lies in men, sleening. but never dead.
 Perhaps. however. tho ohlieing MT Hale began bv and bv, to feel his un- rrofita bIe stewardship something of a hore, for in tho winter of 1859 and 1S4O. when MT Harndon ca ma to New York, suffering from what we world today call ne'-vo17s prostrat1on, a mo- ,nentons cnnversa tion took place. s..+
 "I am worn out. f, ,Hale.' said Mir 4arnden. ''by my sixteen hours a day 'n the Boston and Worcester ticket 1 offiee. I must find less monotonous position. What would you think ot my doing errands between New York and Boston?'
 T believe answered his friend .'that a good thino corld be made of a ,arcel delivery Fe+ween these c1+les E$yery day am res+ered bv brokers to take money and packages down to the Richmond. where in turn. must pes lar passerenrs to carry the sfuf to Roston. Why not I~t these gentlemen pav for this ,th'np?
 ':rve had just that in my mind said Harnde,o. System is good in other lines why not in the errand busl' ness? I believe I'll trv it.'
 eco ahead" said Hale: "I'll get you the pa+rorarA of lo+ of brokers and sneak for facilities for you on the Richmond" In a rnon+h Harnden was at work between Boston and New York. with