Smyrna times., 1906-09-05
MOVE TO ABOLISH ADAMS
EXPRESS OFFICE SMYRNA
ORDER CAME WEDNESDAY, TO DISCONTINUE
LOCAL OFFICE ON TWO DAYS NOTICE.
But Smyrna Business Men Objected and Sent
Delegation TO Manager at Philadelphia.
order Revoked Pending Investigation

Delegation TO Manager at Philadelphia.
order Revoked Pending Investigation
After we had gone to press last We'd
nesday afternoon, the report came to
the Times Office that Route Agent w.
FL. Tunis of the Adams Express Co.,
had issued orders to W. E. FAIRIES, the
Smyrna agent, that on and after the
following Saturday, September 1st,
the Office in Smyrna would be discon-
timed and that thereafter it would be-
come branch Office or substation of
Clayton which would be the headquar-
ters for both towns. This meant that
the agency in Smyrna would be abol-
ished with the exception of a receiving
station" and that all deliveries, (possi-
bly, two day,) would be made by an
Adams Express wagon route from
Clayton with W. III. Tunfs, Jr., local
manager. The reason given was that
the Smyrna Office did not pay. The re-
port spread rapidly and caused quite a
comInotion in business circles, who
looked upon the order with mingled
surprise and chagrin. For more than
forty years Smyrna had had a regular
Adams Express Office and the wonder
was that if it paid all these years, why
it did not pay now. 1t was stated by
those who keep in touch with such
matters, that the Smyrna office brought
a revenue of between $400 and $500 a
month and that the cost of maintain
ing it was about as low as it had been
in forty years. While Smyrna did not
wish to deprive Clayton of anything,
the order seemed strange from the fact
that of the two towns Smyrna did over
three-f fourths of the Adams Express
business. Such an order, if put in
force, would work to the disadvantage
of Smyrna in that the town would not
and could not be given the same eff
cient service as it had been before.
Our merchants, bankers and other
business men got together and dis.
cussed the situation from all it's var.
ious phases and feeling that it was
necessary for Smyrna to have the ser.
vice continued as it was, it was de-
cided to send delegation to Phila
delphia to consult with w. M.Barrett
manager of the company to see if the
order could not be revoked. Conse
quently on Friday morning a commit
tee composed of A. E. Jardine, secre
tary and treasurer of the Smyrn,
Transportation & Mfg. Co.; WI. Jan
ney, president of the National Bank o
Smyrna; W. B. Megear, of the firm o
Hall & Megear; Charles r. Massey
the well-known Agricultural Imple
, ment dealer, and President Black O
the Chester Pure Milk Company. O
which the Smyrna Creamery is
bra nch, went to Philadelphia, and ha,
a satisfactory interview with Manage
Barrett of the Adams Express Com
pany, and laid their complaint befor
a him. The result was that an orde
; was issued Route Agent Tunis to cor
4 tlnue the service in Smyrna, pendin
an investigation. Manager Barret
assured the Smyrna delegation that b
would give the matter his careful cor
sideration and the feeling is that afte
the situation is Investigated, ther
r will be no disposition to abolish tn
t office in Smyrna, which under tn
I present arrangement of access to a.
3 express trains north and south, is NO
q only great convenience, but publ
: necessity.