Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-28

were entrusted 10 lIltiluos VI CHVA W
strangers who were introduced by
mutual friend, and the man who was
going to New York or Boston could de-
mend on being we'll laden with the Valu-
ables of his acquaintances. The man
who would not accommodate FELLOW
being in this way was regarded as
surly person, and there was certain
unwritten law to the erect that gooa
breeding was indicated by willing
ness to become a private express mes
senger for everybody.
From the small beginning or Harm
den there has grown up system OF
express companies which reaches
every town in the United States. 1t
covers nearly a quarter million miles
of railroad and electric lines, and does
a business amounting to $12S,0O0,0O0
year. There are six principal express
companies, and they do about 80 per
cent of the express business. The ex-
press service has been so highly de-
veloped that even the Philippines are
now included, and one may send ex-
press packages to more than a hundred
offices in those far-off islands Pre-
payment is an essential condition In
expressing packages to Philippine
points.
Some one has said that the express
companies buy transportation at whole
sale and sell it at retail, but even this
is not all. They do an order and COM
mission business. Fruit growers every
where declare that the interstate COM
merce commission ought not to take
the right of doing this sort of business
out of their hands. In recent hearing
it was pointed out that many growers
got surer and better returns when in
trusting the sale of their goods to the
express companies than by sending
them to regular commission merchants.
Ia, Ir,- A,-vv1 IT,
business has been fostered and built up
through the aid of the express COM
panies in marketing the goods. The
commission houses are trying to pre-
vent a continuation of this business
through petitions filed with the inter-
state commerce commission. No de-
cision has been reached by that body
as to the legality of this practice I'M
der the terms of the rate law.
In addition to acting as commission
merchants, the express companies will
purchase goods for customers in any
town where they have agencies. They
will file legal documents, redeem
pawned articles, enter and clear i'm
ports and exports, transport goods in
bond, exchange foreign money, pay
gas bills, and, in short, serve as busi-
ness agents in any sort of legitimate
transaction where the transportation
of goods or the exchange of money Is
involved.
1t Is said no business in the Unit
ed States yields such great returns on
so small an investment as the express
business. With a total equipment val
ued at les than 100000 they are
able to show gross earningsof S12S, 000.-
900, with a net income of more than
S13,OO0,000 year. They have $4,000, 900
worth of horses and wagons valued at
$2,0O0000. Office fixtures count for as
Sal 81 L..
item of expenditure after paying for
transportation. The express companies
employ nearly 5000 people, at an annual
expense of $4,000, 000-an average sal
airy of $500.
The express companies must always
be on guard against crooks and swind-
lers One of the most unique schemes
to beat an express company was that
tried by a western sharper He put a
wet sponge in a box with phosphorus
and delivered the package to an express
company, declaring 1t to contain dia-
monds worth thousands Of dollars. He
thought ii would start a CONFEDERATION
somewhere, through the sponge drying
out and becoming ignited If his plan
had worked he could have mulcted the
express company out of the alleged
value of the package, but a watchful
clerk found it smoking in time to pre-
vent a big fire.
tie town OF Batesville, Ind, received
many packages of jewelry, sent C. o.
D. to "Dr. Winslow." DIR Winslow"
was not known to anybody in that com
muntiy. The agent sent the packages
to Indianapolis for safe keeping. He
soon received a card from "Dr. Wins
low asking him to hold the packages
until he called. The "call" was made
one night after the agent and the town
of Batesville had gone to bed. The next
morning a wrecked office told the tale
of how "Dr. Winslow'' had proposed to
profit by his new C. o. D. game.
The new interurban electric lines are
cutting into the business of the express
companies These lines advertise to
carry express as cheaply as the steam
roads carry freight, and they are get
ting a big share of the business. How
ever, the western express companies
are alive to the Importance of the inter
urban lines as business getters and
feeders for through service, and they
are making contracts with them as well
as with the steam roads.
Perhaps the most travelled man in the
express service in Canada or the United
States is w. d. Heath. who runs on
the Illinois Central. He has been an
ures that during that time he has trav-
eled 1851, 900 miles, or $40 times around
the world 1t is said that there are
few railroad men in the United States
who can beat this record. Perhaps
some of our readers know who they are.
Copyright 1909. by Frederic j. Haskin.)
demands sobriety from her. Christ
|. al y1pIo flnf he at afa1