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Show HE CARRIED MAIL IN OGDEN 'S EARLY DAYS; E. D. STONE RETIRES """ JErflrT ,41,,,, , u ,, E D Stone, veteran postman, one of the original force of four men of the Ogden postoffice, and "Bill" who pulled the mailman's cart for many years. BY JAMES 0 I ONKOR. i Rounding out thirty years work In the postal service at Ogden, during which he traveled over 180,000 miles. I E. D. Stone has been honorably re- tired by the postal department. Mr. j stone started delivering mall here In I 1850, just when Ogden was struggling out of the village class. Of the orlg-I orlg-I Inal force of four men, only Dick Taylor Tay-lor and Mr. Stone are now living. I This was the Inauguration of the first I free delivery serv ice In Ogden and I carriers worked far into the night. Street numbers had not then come i generally Into use and regular routes were unknown. When Mr. Stone began to deliver 'mall from house to house In Ogden.: the kerosene lamp was In Its prime and the old-fashioned hanging variety replete with all its resplendent crystal I dew-dads, was suspended In every par- lor and sitting room The Incandescent was Just being Introduced In-troduced In Ogden and the few business busi-ness houses and others who hud obtained ob-tained this novelty were kept busy turning it off and on as a show for the interested spectators. W'n-n Mr. Stone began delivering mall it was more than ten years before be-fore Lou Becraft drove his first "horseless carriage" alone ogden'J streets to the great excitement of the community In most of the stores along his mall route he could obtain butter at about two 'pounds for a quarter anil eggs I for 10 or 15 cents a dozen. Butchers then were still giving away la piece of suet with a 25 cent Sunday ! roast and also a chunk of dog meat for good measure. With the growth of the cltv and the heavier burden of mail, the route taken tak-en by Mr. Stone was extended further and further Into the outskirts of the city, leaving the Inside portion for the men on' foot An average of ninety pounds of mall has taken dally. A faithful horse, Jennie, made the dally rounds for eighteen years and was finally called at the age of twenty-four. twenty-four. "Bill," the horse shown In the I picture, was his successor and died two weeks after his master laid down the reins. Tho entire force of the postoffice establishment here surprised th(. veteran vet-eran at his home, 9,11 Twenty-first street, recently and during the evening presonted him with an automatic shotgun. shot-gun. Mr. Stone being an enthusiastic sportsman The presentation was made by Postmaster George E. Brown-ing |