Evening journal., 1923-01-15
THE EVENING JOURNAL MONDAY JANUARY u.s. 1928

thorize him 70 execute the duties
OF that Office at Cherry Ridge,
Wayne County, State OF Pennsylva-
MIA, according 10 the laws OF the
United States and such regulations
conformabie thereto as he shall re-
ceive from mel to hold said office OF
postmaster With all the powers.
privileges and emoluments 70 the
same belonging, during the pleasure
OF the Postmaster General OF the
United States for the time being"
That the game OF politics was
played in the early history OF the
Republic even more than now with
regard 10 the distribution OF federal
patronage. is Indicated by the speci-
nc clause In this commission declar-
ing that the tenure OF Office OF the
Cherry Ridge postmaster may be
ended az the pleasure OF the Post
master General
The year 1886 saw the beginning
OF the transition from the stage
coach 10 the railroad car as a means
Of transporting the mails. T. was
at this period that the first railroad
lines were constructed IN the Unit
ed States and while they were crude
and the schedules maintained by
their trains extremely uncertain. no
time was lost IN making use OF them
Cor carrying the malls. a rather
haphazard method OF administra-
ton was in vogue in the Postofice
department az that time. Contracts
were let to private individuals 20
haul the mails In the stage coaches. |
In some Instances postmasters were
allowed certain sums 20 handle the
transportation OF the mails over
routes from their own postof1ce 20
others so that when new railroad |
lines were built these postmasters
frequently made arrangements per
sonally for handling the mails with
the railroads without even consult |
ing the department az Washington |
In other cases the private contrac-
tors simply transferred their con-
tracts 20 the railroad companies. |
the compensation received for car
rying the mails by the steam car
riers being the same as was paid
70 the owners OF the stage coach
lines.
Several years later. however.
when construction OF railroads
passed the experimental stage and
a regular net work Of railroad
lines was built I'D. connecting the
larger as we'll as the smaller com
munities Of the country, the Post
office Department abolished these
private contracts and took over the
entire management OF mai trans
portation. This was necessary 10
assure connection between trains at
points. The postmaster
general himself negotiated with
railroads, both through personal IN
with the executives Of the
steam carriers and through CORES
oondence. making direct contracts
between the companies and the gov
lrnment. Among the files OF the de-
)artment are quite number OF (
documents dealing with these neEo-
iations. The great difficulty IN these ,
Early days was 20 induce the rail
-oads 20 operate trains at night for
he purpose OF making connections
VAN NNAANA AAufN ana knus obtaining
speedier dispatch OF the mails The
abroad officials were extremely
vary. They objected 20 taking any
ihances and frequently refused TO
.ccede TO the requests Of the post
naster-general TO run trains after
lark. They We're also very cautious
n their negotiations with the gov
rnment not 20 promise any service
hat they were not certain could be
reformed. A letter recently found.
ated December. %. 1895, written by
;. T. Hayne, Esquire. president Of
he South Carolina and Charleston
Railroad Company. 90 Postmaster
'eneral Amos Kendall Is a UNIQUE I
xample. A verbatim copy follows:
Charleston 2sth. December 1888.
Dear Sir-Your favor dated 2Sth.
o'clock p. m. was received this
ay and has been laid before the
ommittee charged with making a 4
ontract for the transportation OF p
he daily mail on our railroad be- 81
] ~