The Washington herald., 1912-04-01

I77s, has not an undisputed claim to the
title OF Independence Day is the surpris-
ing claim, based on little known facts,
put forward by investigators who assert
that to July 9. IT5, should be accorded
ut least the honor Of being known as
Little" Independence Day. since it was
On that day that the first Independent
American Institution was established.
As a result for nearly a year previous
TO the signing Of the Declaration OF In
dependence this country. in one impor-
tant department at least, had achieved
Independence from the English crown.
That department was the post-office-
and while July 4, ITs, undoubtedly will
continue TO be looked upon as the date
Of the birth OF our Independence, July
q. 17I5. the date Of the birth OF our
first independent institution is OF such
Importance as to entitle Il to proper
recognition. since but for unknown Lit
date might have been postponed for a
considerable time.
Had PeriIous Career.
Up to the advent OF Little Independ-
ence Day. the postal service had passed
through many and chaotic phases. Serv-
zee was slow and Irregular. the post
riders consuming days and weeks in COW
ering distances which now are Negotiated
in hours They were in constant danger
Of highwaymen, and also OF the agents
Of the English crown, who did not hest
tate 20 stop them, search the mails and
destroy anything which they considered
reasonable or likely to assist the col
onies in their revolt. AS a consequence
any general knowledge among the coll
onists OF the whole situation was impos-
sible, and II was by relieving this con-
dition of affairs that the independent
post-office so materially assisted the
cause Of liberty. At first King George
viewed with suspicion the independent
post-ofice. but on Christmas Day. 1T75.
five months after its establishment. he
capitulated. thus placing in the hands
OF the colonists the agency which ma
terially hastened the coming OF the Rev
olution.
II was in 1881 that the seed Of the
present Post-office was planted, when
William and Mary. by letters patent,
granted TO one Thomas NeaIe. master of
the mint, constituted him the first post
master general OF America. Neale dele
gated the task OF establishing a postal
service IN the wilderness of the new
world to a versatile. energetic Scotchman,
Andrew Hamilton. Hamilton's first sery-
ice. a weekly post. was from Portsmouth.
n. H., TO Boston. SaybroOk, New York,
Philadelphia, Maryland. and Virginia.
though the service was dependent to a
large degree upon the weather. The re-
ceipts OF the post-office of New York
City during the year 1926 were E61.
Crown ReKaIns Control.
thought IL worth while to buy back from
Neale his grant and for It paid him s1, ,ss4.
II is interesting TO note that the purchase
bringing the post-ofice again under the
control Of the Crown ended the first and
last private post in America. although
from time TO time dissatisfaction with
the administration Of the department has
led to suggestions that II be turned over
to private interests because Of the belief
In their ability to operate II more sue
cessfully. for. Judged by the standards of
Of modern business, its administration
has shown many shortcomings. Another
curious fact IN connection with the postal
service OF pioneer days was that the re-
cipient OF mail paid the postage instead
of the sender a rule which remained
IN force until 1851 Also n was discretion
ary with the several postmasters as to
whether or not they would accept mail
OF a bulky nature.
Here and there in its early history the
beginnings of IT'S present features were
foreshadowed. Franklin. while postmas-
ter in Philadelphia, in ITS7, inaugurated
the carrier system and through his and
Gen. Braddock's influence in las, the
forerunnsr of the modern transatlantic
mail occurred in the establishment OF a
government packet service. The fast mail
train OF to-day had ITS precursor IN the
establishment Of the stage coach service
in I573, which was eleven years before this
occurred in England.
While figures are lacking to make pos
sible an Indication Of the growth Of the
post-office since 1888 VIXEN the receipts at
New York total c6l. or a trile more than
500. or even from the time OF the activi-
ties of Franklin and Little Independ-
ence Day, they have now been kept Tor
an even century. Could they be seen by
our earlier postmasters they probably
would cause them TO doubt their senses.
Multiplied Many Fold.
According to these figures the entire
country 100 years ago had only 2.SOo post
Offices as against $3.50 in 1910. The total
receipts in the earlier year were $5Sl.6s4
Since then they have been multiplied
more than 100 times TO reach the G2L-
2s.657 OF 1910.
Undoubtedly their failure TO foresee the
great growth of the publishing business
or even to guess at the vital part which
the then unknown railroads were to play
In the development OF our postal business