Hide Article Text (OCR)
Stage Venture Improved Mails'Fast Transcontinental Trains Originated With the One on Which Palmer and Jarrett Took Lawrence Barrett to San Francisco.This hitherto unpublished story of how the country’s mail service was vastly improved through the medium of a theatrical Idea was told to me by Henry M. Jarrett. one of the greatest theatrical managers this country has ever had. about two years before his death, which occurred several years ago when Mr. Jarrett was an old man.“With my partner, Mr. A. M. Palmer, we had been playing George Rignold and a very fine company in 'Henry V.’ at Booth's theater iu New York city for an entire season,” said Mr. Jarrett. Rignold wanted to go to Australia at the end of the season, and we suggested to him that he stop over at San Francisco for a few weeks and give ‘Henry V.' there. He wouldn’t listen to it. His success had been so great in N«w York that hehad got a case of badly swelled head.But the Idea was born, and Mr Palmer and. 1 undertook to carry it out in another way. We saw Lawrence Barrett, and offered him the part of Henry V., on our part agree Ing,- when he consented, to furnish, a great company and as perfect stage settings as it was possible to procure Then we determined to see if the railroads would undertake to carry us .from New York to San Francisce in half a week’s time.My, when I think of it, that was a daring proposition. This was lr 1878, and the railroads, in the fat west at least, were far from being as perfectly equipped as they are at the present time. However, the idea ap peared to appeal to the railway man agers, and they made the contract We were to leave New York one houi after midnight and be delivered al San Frahcisco three and one-half days later. And the contract was kept tc the letter. But I never want to ride again as we did then.Of course, that trip has become e tradition. Now 1 am going to tel you of another feature of it which hat never been published. It occurred tc me that, if we could get the postof flee authorities to consent, we would undertake to deliver a mail, made ui in New York, in San Francisco three and onc-ltalf days later. I went tc see Thomas L. James, then postmas ter of New York, in fear and trem bling lest he- might turn the proposi tlon down.Instead of that he grew enthusias tic. 'That’a a great idea, Mr. Jarrett, he said, ‘add by means of it we car show the government the feasibility of establishing a fast railway mat service that will bring New York and Chicago within less than twenty-foui hours' communication, New York anc Omaha in less than thirty-six,--and New York and San Francisco in less than four days. We will make ui mails for Pittsburg, Chicago, Omaha Ogden and San Francisco. We wil have the postmasters at those placei on the lookout for the mails. Thei we will make reports of the result tc the government, and I think the re ports will give us the long desired fast mail trains.’“Do you know,” continued Mr. Jar rett, that the head of the expresi company which bad the contract foi carrying mails from the railway sta tions to the New York postofflee him self actually drove the mall wagon rich a man as he was, from_the Nev York postoifice to the Pennsylvanii station? We took on the mail jus' before one o’clock at night. Before eight o’clock that morning the mal for Pittsburg was delivered and with in an hour distributed. By nine o’clocl in the evening Chicago, for the firs time, received a mall the same da; that it left New York. Omaha got lti mail early in the morning of the sec ond day, and San Francisco’s mat., was distributed on the afternoon o the third day.“That experience demonstrated tt the government the feasibility o adopting through fast railway mal trains. And as I recall the history o: the passage of the theatrical specia from New fork to San Francisco ii as yet unbeaten time. I am convinced that, after all, the greatest servici that It performed was to show botl to the government and the rallroadi generally that the latter were capab* cutting down time for the delivery mails by one-half. pyrlght, lilO, by 0. J. Edward*. AL.Bights Reserved.)
Newspaper Details
Ridgeville News
Ridgeville, Indiana, US
Fri, Nov 18, 1910
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Connie B.
USA 05 May 2024
Other Publications Near Ridgeville, Indiana
Ridgeville News
