| OCR Text |
Show A Giant of American Commerce CommerceCelebrates CommerceCelebrates CommerceCelebrates Celebrates Its 100th IOOth Birthday BirthdayIn Leather Bag Bagand Bagan- Bagan BaganThat and andThat . Packages in m a Large In March . , 1839 . , William Wilham F Harnden Hamden Began Carrying 57.000 57000 57,000 . , Men MenWho MenWho MenWho - That Marked the Beginning of the Express Business Which Now Employs . . Who Coyer Cover More Than 275,000 275000 , , Miles of Railroad , . Motor , . Air and Water Routes . . 0 e m Western Newspap Newsp3per Newspaper " Union > By : EL&IO ELIO ILl\1O ILl 1O ELMO & \ SCOTT WATSONA WATSONHUNDRED WATSON WATSONA A HUNDRED years agr ago agothe agothe AHUNDRED A / - \ the ailing mlmg son of a New NewEngland NewEngland Nev- Nev NevEngland - England widow had an anIdea anidea aiidea Idea for a new busmess business busmessEqUIpped businessEquipped businessEquipped EqUIpped only with a large largeleather largeleather largeleather leather bag , which he carriedin carrIedm carrIed m in his hand as he traveled by bytram bytrain bytrain tram train andsteamboat and steamboat , he start start- started started started - ed his enterpriseToday enterprise enterpriseToday Today that business busmess has has23 23 000 offices , , uses 10 500 ve- ve vehicles vehicles ve vehicles - - hicles in m its operation and andemploys andemploys andemploys employs 57,000 57000 , men who cov cov- cover cover cover - er 213 000 miles of raIlroads railroads,20 railroads20 , 20000 20 000 miles of water routes routes,33 routes33 , 33 000 miles of air lanes and and10 10 500 miles of motor roadsThe roads roadsThe The young man who started startedall startedall startedall all of this was William F FHarnden FHarnden FHarnden Harnden and his new enter enter- enterprIse enterprise enterprise - busi busI- busIness business business prise was the express - ness nessHarnden Harnden was born in m ReadIng ReadIngMass ReadingMass ReadingMass Mass , August 23 1813 the son sonof sonof sonof of a poor man who was unable unableto unableto unableto to give him little httle if any educa educatIon education education tIon While very young he en entered entered entered tered the furniture furmture factory of his hiscousm hiscousin hiscousin cousm cousin Sylvester Harnden and andthere andthere andthere there learned the trade of cab1 cabi cab1net cabinet cabinet net making makmg Then his father died diedand diedand diedand and young Harnden was caned called canedupon calledupon calledupon upon to support his wldowcd widowed wldowcdmother widowedmother widowedmother widowedmotherIn mother motherIn In 1834 he entered the employ employof of the Boston and Worcester rail railroad railroad railroad road as a conductor and was m in mcharge incharge incharge charge of the first passenger tram train tramrun trainrun trainrun run in m New England Later he hebecame hebecame hebecame became a passenger clerk and andticket andticket andticket ticket master for the same rail railroad railroad railroad road but after five years in m rail railroad railroad railroad road work was so exhausted by bythe bythe I Ithe the long hours-16 hours 16 hours - 16 hours a day- day daythat daythat day daythat - ! , , that he gave up his rus job lob and went wentto wentto to New York for a VISitThere visitThere visit visitThere There he met a transplanted transplantedBostoman transplantedBostonian transplantedBostoman Bostoman Bostonian James W Hale agent agentfor agentfor agentfor for a Providence New York Yorksteamboat Yorksteamboat Yorksteamboat steamboat and operator of a read readmg reading reading mg ing room and news service Hale Haletold Haletold Haletold told Harnden that he had fre ire frequent irequent frequent quent requests for some one to todo todo , do errands in m Boston andsug and sug suggested suggested suggested I sugI gested that a service of this sort sortoffered sortoffered sortoffered offered opportunities opportumtles for profit profitable profitable ! able work it If some enterpnsmg enterprising enterpnsmgyoung enterprisingyoung enterprisingyoung young fellow would organize orgamze It ItImpressed itImpressed itImpressed Impressed with the idea Harnden Harndenmade Harndenmade Harndenmade made a contract for express serv servIce servace service Ice ace with the superintendent supermtendent of the theBoston theBoston theBoston Boston and Providence railroad railroadand railroadand railroadand and the manager of the John W WRichmond WRichmond WRichmond Richmond a steamer plying plymg be between between between tween Providence and New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Then he advertised in m a aBoston aBoston aBoston Boston newspaper on February February23 23 1839 that he would run anexpress anexpress an anexpress express car from Boston to New NewYork NewYork NewYork York and vlte vice vice versa four times bmes tames a aweek aweek aweek aweekAs week i iAs weekAs As a matter of fact this thlS car carwas carwas carwas was the large leather bag which whichhe whichhe whichhe he obtained obtamed and his has none too- too toostrong toostrong too-strong too strong - - strong back and hands to trans transport transport transport port it But the public publlc didn dldn t tknow tknow tknow know that and by March 1839 1839he 1839he 1839he he had enough packages to start startoperations startoperations startoperations startoperationsA operations operationsA A Successful VentureThe VentureThe Venture VentureThe The venture was such a suc sue success suecess suecess cess that Harnden acted as rus has rusown hasown hisown own messenger only a few fewmonths fewmonths fewmonths months Then he had to have as asslstance assistance assistance slstance sistance He established establlshed a clerk clerkm clerkin clerkin m in an office on Wall street in m New NewYork NewYork NewYork York since smce brokers remittances remittancesand remittancesand remittancesand and messages soon formed an an1mportant animportant animportant 1mportant important part of his has busmess business busmessNext businessNext businessNext Next he established estabhshed an office In InBoston inBoston mBoston Boston took his hlS brother , , Adol Adolphus Adolphus Adolphus phus into mto his employ to act as asmessenger asmessenger asmessenger messenger between the two cen centers centers centers ters and the second year opened openedan an agency in 10 PruladelphlaWhen PhiladelphiaWhen Philadelphia Pruladelphla PhiladelphiaWhen When the steamship bus business mess of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Cunard company between betweenBoston betweenBoston betweenBoston Boston and Liverpool greatly greatlystimulated greatlystimulated greatlystimulated stimulated the express bus business businessits businessits mess messItS ItS success suggested to him rum ham the theextensIon theextension theextension extensIon of his has service overseas overseasSo overseasSo overseasSo So in 10 1840 he formed a partner partnershIp partnership partnership shIp with Dexter Bngham Brigham Jr Jrhis Jrhis Jrhis his New York agent under the thename thename thename name of Harnden and CompanyThat CompanyThat Company CompanyThat That same year was marked markedby markedby markedby by a personal tragedy in 10 Harn Hamn Harnden Hamnden Harnden den s life hfe When Commodore CommodoreVanderblU CommodoreVanderbilt CommodoreVanderbilt VanderblU Vanderbilt s steamer the Lexmg Lexing Lexmgton Lexington Lexington ton caught fire and burned 10 in 10Long inLong mLong Long Island sound on January January13 13 1840 Adolphus Harnden was wasone wasone wasone one of the victims When hIs has hIsbody hasbody hisbody body was washed ashore 148 let ters were found in the pouch he hewas hewas hewas was carr carry carrying } mg ing and were dried dned out outand outand outand and mailed r the rhe he $40 40 $ 000 in m money moneyand moneyand moneyand and other valuables he was car carrymg carrying carrying rymg rying were lost however One of ofNew ofNew ofNew New England s important fin finan financial financial an anclal clal cial institutions mstltuhons owned $12 12 $ 000 of ofthe ofthe ofthe the lost funds but fearing fearmg to cum ruin cumHarnden ruinHarnden ruinHarnden Harnden s business never neverpre neverpressed neverpressed pre pressed < ; sed its claimThe claimThe claim claimThe The extension of Harnden s sbus sbusiness sbusiness bus business mess into mto Europe changed the thecharacter thecharacter thecharacter character of it somewhat When Whenoffices Whenoffices Whenoffices offices were first established estabhshed m in mthe inthe inthe the principal prmclpal cities cll1es of England Englandand Englandand Englandand and France and later in m Ireland IrelandScotland IrelandScotland IrelandScotland Scotland and Germany , their theirprmClpal theirprincipal theirprincipal prmClpal principal business was handlmg handling handlmgemIgrant handlingemigrant handlingemigrant emIgrant funds between Iurope Curope Iuropeand Curopeand : Europeand and America Amenca But soon they were nandlmg handling werehandling werenandlmg the emigrants them 7 7I 7x I - + , . in inz vs x z * O - * - ' 4 9 i if i1o f 1o $ u ui i * a at t s i c ca ax a a \ ' 4 4P 4R P R w " ! e mo w . ! , , , w x Ry y q q3r ' R ' 3r 3rMarch lUarch March , 1839-Young 1839 Young - n W ilham ham F Harnden starts Jus his express busmess business busmessFrom businessFrom ( From the p3mtin painting : by Robert E Lee ) selves Planning Planmng to expand his hisbusmess hisbusiness hisbusiness busmess business m ill in America by helpmg helping helpmgpeople helpingpeople helpingpeople people secure the undeveloped undevelopedlands undevelopedlands undevelopedlands lands in m the West he carried on onan onan onan an active achve campaign for unmlgra immigra unmlgratlon immigration unmigration tlon tion into mto the United Umted States usmg using usmglarge usinglarge usinglarge large red posters to proclaim the theresources theresources theresources resources and opportunities In InAmenca inAmerica mAmerica mAmericaTo Amenca America AmencaTo AmericaTo To aid the company s traffic In Inhuman inhuman inhuman human e\press e press e\.press e.press .press express \ ' . Harnden .se se , . .secured se secured secured cured special rates and pnvi privi pnvileges privileges pnvileges leges on the Enoch Train Tram line Ime be between between between tween Liverpool and Boston and andalso andalso andalso also the exclusive use of certam certain certamboat certainboat certainboat boat lines lmes on the Erie Ene canal It ItIS Itis Itis IS estimated that more than 100 100000 000 emigrants were billed b1l1ed through throughfrom throughfrom throughfrom from their European homes to tonew tonew tonew new homes in m the Middle WestThe West WestThe The inevitable mevItable result of Harn Hamn Harnden Hamnden Harnden den s success with his new ven yen venture yenture venture ture was to bring brmg competitors competitorsmto competitorsinto competitorsinto mto into the field One ot Of these was wasAlVIn wasAlvin wasAlvin AlVIn Adams an orphan boy from fromVermont fromVermont fromVermont Vermont who came to Boston at atthe atthe atthe the age of sixteen to make hIs hIsfortune hisfortune hisfortune fortune He sought it m ill in vain vam for for20 20 years-as years as years - as a hotel clerk fam famIly famfly family Ily fly grocer and produce merchant merchantThen merchantThen merchantThen Then in m 1840 he joined Jomed with P BMt B BJ BiW Mtc Mt c { - J \i-W i W \ ' 4 1 1 1WILLIAM WILLIAM F HARNDENBurke HABNDEN HARNDEN HABNDENBurke Burke to form Burke and Com Company Company Cornpany pany to compete with Harnden Harndenand Harndenand Harndenand and CompanyBoston CompanyBoston Company CompanyBoston Boston however looked upon Harnden uponHarnden as the originator ongmator of ex express express express press service and gave him rum most mostof mostof mostof of its 1ts business Burke soon be became became became came discouraged and retired retiredfrom retiredfrom retiredfrom from the firm But Adams the thealert thealert thealert alert aggressive Yankee was wasconvinced wasconvinced wasconvinced convinced that he could make makegood makegood makegood good and persistedBy persistedBy persisted persistedBy By 1843 Harnden and Com Company Company Cornpany pany s European ventures had hadled hadled hadled led them to neglect their Amen Amenf Amencan Amenfcan Amencan can quicklyturned bus business mess and Adams qUIckly turned this fact to his own ad advantage advantage advantage vantage At first Adams and Company andCompany ( formerly Burke a'1d a1d and ' andCompany a'1dCompany Company ) had confined its op eratlons erations operations operatlons to New York Connectl Connecti Connectlcut Connecticut Connecticut cut WhenHarnden and Massachusetts Massachusptts WhEn : Harnden Philadelphiabranch sold his PhiladelphIa branch to Hatch and Bartlett BartlettAdams Adams southwardto expanded eJ-panded eJ panded eipanded . - his southward to Philadelphia Baltimore Baltunore and ne\tdecade ne tdecade nextdecade Washmgton Washington andWashington andWashmgton and during dunng the next \ decade began covering covermg the South Southalong Southalong Southalong along the Atlantic and Gulfcoasts Gulfcoasts Gulf coasts died on January 14 1845 18 after er a five " "eglowith eglowith strugglewith , year struggle " " with tuberculosis and the two parts twoparts businessthe busmessthe of his company s busmess business the domestic and the European Europeanbranch branch were separated and sold Eventually soldEventually the American domes domestic tiC business busmess dropped his rus name and nameand became known ThomoSnn Thompson son Snn Llvmgstone Livingstone T.i Ti . Mt-if Mt if - t-t/s- t s ttsa - / - and _ -a a - as COmpany / - Thomo Thomp This Trus company whIChchanged which changed ItS itspersonnel personnel personneland and name several times severaltimes began extending . its oper- oper open - , ahons ations over.atlons overatlons operahons westwardand westward and southwardI andsouthward southward I southwardun southwarduntil until un d lt It came me into competItion competItionI v . with competitionwith competItionv Ith Adams and I CompanyThe Company The European branch of the thements Harnden company kept Its name unlll until nameunlll nameuntil 1851 wI- wI wIen wl-en wl en - - en unWIse mvest invest mvestments investments ments Thonthe resulted in its rum rUin Then the name of the founder van ished from the express busmess business busmessalthough businessalthough businessalthough although his son William WIlham H HHarnden HHarnden HHarnden Harnden was for a short time tune an anemployee anemployee anemployee employee of one of the new com corn compamps cornpanws cornpanips pamps panws that came into mto eXlstence- eXlstence existence- existence eXlstenceWells existenceWells existence-Wells existence Wells - Wells Fargo and Company Elev Eleven Eleven Eleven en years after Harnden s death deatha a memorial memonal was set up over hIs hIsgrave hisgrave hisgrave grave in m Mount Auburn cemetery cemeterynear cemeterynear cemeterynear near Cambridge Cambndge Mass bearmg bearing bearmgthe bearingthe bearingthe the inscription mscnptlon Erected by the theExpress theExpress theExpress Express Companies Compames of the Uruted United UrutedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States in m the Year A D 1866 1866Thus 1866Thus 1868Thus Thus they paid tribute tnbute to the fa father father father ther of the express business but butaSIde butaside butaside aSIde . .from from . this trus httle lIttle pubhc publIc rec recogmtlon recognition recognition ogmtlon ognition has ever been given the thepIoneer thepioneer thepioneer pIoneer in this giant of American Americancommerce Americancommerce Americancommerce AmericancommerceMeanwhile commerce commerceMeanwrule commerceMeanwhile Meanwhile Meanwrule thedams the - \ Adams -\dams dams company companyhad companyhad companyhad had been reachIngvestward reaching \ westward \vestward vestward as aswell aswell |
