The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-08-12

OF State Here
for Big Meeting
STATE ASSOCIATION HEARS
CLAGUE, ALDRICH AND DRAKE,
GOOD TIME GIVEN VISITORS
BY CITY.
Inspector George Drake of the
Postal Department, Congressman
Frank Clague of Redwood Falls and
Representative F. H. Aldrich of Bel
view were the chief speakers at the
meeting of the State Rural Carriers
Association held here Thursday, FRI
day and Saturday of last week. It
is estimated that five hundred carriers
and their friends were here during
that time, the number of delegates
alone reaching almost three hundred.
w. F. Braun, president of the AS
sociation presided at all sessions. AS
sisting the committee of local car
riers in the entertainment of the
guests were committees from the Red
wood Falls Commercial Club and the
entire postoffice force. The meeting
was most successful from every
standpoint and visitors went home
much pleased with the meetings., the
city and the entertainment accorded
them.
The delegates arrived Thursday eve
ming and an informal reception was
held at the headquarters at Ramsey
Hotel, this being followed by an open
air concert and drill by the American
Legion Fife and Drum corps. A num-
Der of delegates paraded to the music
of the Corps and there was consit
cradle fun and merriment.
Morning Session.
Friday morning the sessions opened
with r. E. Hutchinson chairman Of
the local committee presiding. Follow
ing the singing of America and the
Invocation by Father j. w. Jiracek,
Mr.. Hutchinson introduced Postmas-
ter H. w. Ward who very gracefully
and graciously welcomed the visitors.
Mr.. Ward took the opportunity Of
fered to urge the carriers to greater
service for the Department which
employs them and to assue them Of
the cooperation of their postmasters.
in return asking them to cooperate
for the betterment of the service all
along the line. "Care. cheerfulness
and courtesy are the three elements
constituting the carriers creed" ac-
cording to Mr.. Wards statement.
Mayor H. M. Aune, representing the
city, gave a few words of cordial
welcome and presented the key to the
city in order that the carriers might
realize that, although Redwood Falls
does not aspire to be considered a
"wide open town" there was to be
no restraint upon them while here.
D. C. Gould of Marietta accepted the
key and made very tactful and
pleasing response to the welcome ex-
tended by the two preceding speakers.
The gavel of the Association was
then presented to Mr.. Braun who
took charge of the meeting and made q
short address making a number of
recommendations to be acted upon lat
er in the convention. Following Mr..
Braun's address, Inspector Drake was
introduced and gave the address which
is printed entire in another column.
This was followed by some clever
readings in the Swedish dialect by a
carrier from Albert Lea and after
the appointment of committees the
meeting adjourned.
Aldrich Talks.
Two talks of much interest and
instruction were given at the after
noon session. Representative F. H.
Aldrich was the first speaker and
told most inte estingly CT the Pony
Express, the first rural delivery"
in the United States. This Pony Ex-
press was composed of couris rs on
horseback who carried the mail from
st. Joseph, Missouri, the westei n
terminal of the railway and telegraph
facilities to Sacramento, Californ
where such facilities began again.
The Express was organized in April
of 1860 and functioned for sixteen
months when the railroad was ex-
tended across the continent.
The speaker told of the tastes.
ride made west was the trip from S :.
Joseph to Sacramento in nine days
and twenty-three hours, the fas--,
in the opposite direction being maL,
in eleven days and twelve OF
Lincoln's Inaugural was carried rs
miles in seven days and ninteen ho9xs.
The Express was private se~-
prise, operating during its six:een
months at cost Of 500, 100000 and
earning only $500, 100000. The charge
made was five dollars for each half
ounce and in addition it was requir-
ed that government envelope cost
ing ten cents be used Later the
charge was reduced to $1.00 for car
riage. Couriers rode fast horses,
changing every ten or twelve miles.
The famous Buffalo Bill was one of
the hardest riding and swiftest of
these couriers. The longest run
made by any one man was q distance
of 322 miles made without rest or
sleep. In the sixteen months of the
service only one mail was lost and
only one rider killed while on duty.
The life of these carriers was one Of
hardship, adventure and some rp-
nance, all of which DIR. Aldrich made
his hearers feel.
Clague Speaks.
Co~~~o..r.ou ErouE 0IaUv7o xvuu