The United States Postal Service, a.k.a. "post office" is going to take a step backward and increase the time it takes to deliver first class mail. And, they are going to raise the cost to mail a letter. Wow! That sounds like a heck of a deal.
Back in 1860, William Russell, William Waddell and Alexander Majors founded the Pony Express. It took ten days for a letter to travel from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California - about 2000 miles -and initially cost $5. That’s about $100 in today’s money. Before you ask, I was not alive then. Had I been alive it would not have bothered me because I don’t know anyone in California I would want to write to then or now.
The Pony Express had over 100 stations along the route, 80 riders and between 400 and 500 horses. The riders were young men or actually boys that had to be tough as nails. They rode 75 miles per day and sometimes more - a lot more.
They lost only one mail pouch, but it did show up two years latter.
Guess what? The Pony Express went out of business after only 19 months - October 24, 1861. Why? The transcontinental telegraph ended its need for existence. For those that don’t know what a telegraph is, it was the forerunner of the internet. I think it went away because you didn’t get Google.
I am oldish. I like the postal service. I look forward to seeing what came in the mail, except for the bills. It won’t be next year, but unless it becomes privatized, it will go the way of the Pony Express and the telegraph.
I think we ought to try the Pony Express again. It was a great idea. All it needs is a few tweaks and we could be running again. But, then I like horses.
People often refer to me as part of a horse.
PMO
©2011
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