New Britain herald., 1929-08-09
PUBLIC MAIL NEW , , .... THING IN HISTORY
Early Postmen Carried Only Royal Letters; Growth of Service

< Washington, Aug. 9 - Plans for A,study and possible reorganization .N the United States postal system Recently announced by President Hoover turn attention to this indis- nensa ble service Of the modern world. and emphasize the surprising 1y short period during which postal systems such as we know them to- day have, operated, says bulletin from the Washington D. C., head quarter, of the National Geographic society. z-
 < Take as an index" continues the bulletin, the adhesive postage Siamp, an outstanding feature of all present postal systems. One is tempt ed to consider it along with coins, which have been in use for 2,6o0 Years. But the little colored rectagles 1f paper with gum on their backs Which arc used by the billions each year throughout the world were born only S9 years ago in England. First Postman Carried Only Royal Messages
 Some men have found il desirable to exchange written message since the art of writing was deVeloped, but the idea that any of the people shall be free to send letters and that the Government shall attend to the car riaee and distribution has developed Eery slowly. In order that a public rostal system shall come into eXis- Rnce and thrive in country there naust be 8 considerable degree ot Ateracy among the people and at Hast some suggestions of demo- cratic thought. These conditions did fot exist at the dawn of recorded History; and so the first postal sys- Hms' are found in Babylonia, Egypt Ind China 10 be mere courier scrV- }ees to keep the kings and emper- 6rs and government officials in com ghunica ton with their subordlnates. Some of these systems, such as that Of Darius of Persia about 500 B. C, were elaborate. Posts or stations were established at intervals along the highways, and at them horses were kept in readiness. Interference with the kings messengers was on pain of death. The idea that they might carry messages or objects for rrivate citizens would have been con- sdered not only preposterous. but ffeasona bIe as we'll These early Per sian couriers carried bricks. for the messages were impressions baked into clay.
 < Rome, too. had it's official pos tAl system the Cursus Publicus, an efficient service of couriers who gal Rped on horseback or rattled 1n ehariots over the great highways t4iat-radiated from the capital. But again the service was confined to Of fcial correspondence: only by bri- bery or og-rolling could prosperous dr influential private citizens occa &onally have their messages carried by the Cursus. In those days, those who were learned and wealth, enough to send letters must sent them by their own servants O slaves, or by caravan leaders. shil captains. or travellers. It was in thes ways that the early christia1 writers distributed their epistles | distant cations.
 Merchants Esta blished Private Mai C Systems
 "On into the Middle Ages the lde; ehtended that ar- eountrys posfa service was the Kings post, for gov ernmental use, only. Such serVic' va. maintained by Charlemagne an' by lesser rulers, But in the mean time trade between communlhe was expanding and the mercantll class was becoming more and nor important. Better and sWifter com nlunication became necessary; q side by side with the kings pos there grew up the private messenge and courier and even express an' freight services of guilds and associ ations of merchants. Later cities i Which mercantile activities prsdom ihated operated such messenger sys ffms. About the same tome the earl universities, notably the UniNerslt of Paris, finding that their student from many lands needed a com rhunication system, organized thel own messenger services. Monasterle