Norwich bulletin., 1921-02-14
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMEKIcAS
 HISTORY
THE UNITED STATES MAIL SERVICE

THE UNITED STATES MAIL SERVICE
 The first record contained in our Co., lonial history of any kind of mail ser vice, dates from 1871. when the court at Boston appointed Ar. John Hayward "to take in and convey letters according to their direction" In 17i0 parliament passed an act to establish a general post office for all her Msjesty's dominions. New York being made the chief letter office of, the colonies:
 The rates of postage for all letters and packages from New York to any place within sixty miles, were as follows: Single letters, fourpence; double. eight pence; treble, one shilling; an ounce. one shilling and fourpence.
 In December. 17i7. arrangements were made to receive letters in Boston from summer season and eight weeks in the winter. In 1T3S Henry Pratt was ap- pointed riding postmaster for all the routes between Philadelphia and Newport News, Va. to st out at the beginning of each month and return in tventy-four days.
 In 17ss. Benjamin Franklin was ap-
 pointed deputy postmaster general at Philadelphia He startled the people by proposing to run a line of stage coaches from Philadelphia te Boston once week.
 10 start from each city on Monday morning and arrive on Saturday night
 In 17s2 the following rates of postage
 were established. distance and net weight
 being the basis: One letter. less than
 thirty miles. six cents; thirty and sixty
 miles. eight cents; between sixty and
 one hundred miles, ten cents. and over
 four hundred and fifty miles, twenty-hv,
 cents.
 At the tims a single sheet of paper
 was counted as a single letter, and wal
 charged a single rate. Two sheets wert counted as a double letter, and wers
 charged for at double rates. The same ratio was applied to a letter contalninI three sheets. Packages weighing on'
 ounce required four single rates. and ii proportion for any greater weight. News papers were carried one hundred mile for one cent For any greater distanc , the rate was one and one-hah cents. : The first regular stage line establishe , in the colonies began making regula ! trips between New York and Phlladelphi | in 175e; making the journey in thre
 days. The first stage between New Tor r and Boston commenced it's trip June 2l [ 1T72, and was to leave once fortnight In 1Jss the entire business of the pos, office department was conducted by tn ! postmaster general. one assistant. an 2 one clerk. In 1888 1t required forty
 eight hours to convey mail from Wash
 ington to Philadelphia. In 1884 Ne
 York Saturday papers were not receive
 in Washington until the following Tue.
 day afternoon.
 In 1895 the mails were carried betwee c Philadelphia and Pittsburgh daily in fou c horse coaches, two lines daily, one to z :? through in a little more than two dayi : the other in three and half days. Tn n fast coach carried the through lett, - mail, and the slower one the way ma ;. and the papers. In 1883 a contractc f named Reside carried the mails bet~ee s Philadelphia and New York, ninety mile Y In six hours, making fifteen miles a I- hour. The horses. were driven i've mil, Y and then chang3d. Eighteen change "a were required. It required two horses s carry the mail and the t9tsl number [ o horses required for each Nday's servi. :, was seventy-eight. . The contract pri, was q for each mile made by eac Ia horse.
 The railroad as a mail service did m e have a beginning before 1885. Augu i. 25 of that year the formal opening ,. the road between Washington and Ba
 timore took place. Amos Kendall. th' :. postmaster general, at arst objected 'L having the mails carried by raii over th i' road, since 1t would. as he feared. disa range connections with existing lines
 stages.
 l- Carrying the malls by rail was an q "a pertinent at first. attended by no htt
 Encouragement. The imperfect charact n- of railroad machinery often caused q
 lays. The degree of speed attained ty the earlier roads was not as great C. could be accomplished by stage coach'
 and short lines of roads here and the ct tended to confuse the regular schedt ly tfrnA eefs h1fghed by stage lines. C. With the advent of the railway pol