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EXPRESS (through the French from the past participle of the See also: law, a See also: con-See also: tract and the like, being specially contrasted with " implied." Thus in law, malice, for which there is actual evidence, as apart from that which may be inferred from the acts of the See also: person charged, is known as " express." The word is most frequently used with the idea of something done with a definite purpose; the See also: term " express train," now meaning one that travels at a high See also: speed over long distances with few intermediate stoppages, was, in the early days of See also: railways, applied to what is now usually called a " See also: special," i.e. a train not See also: running according to the ordinary See also: time-tables of the railway See also: company, but for some specific purpose, or engaged by a private person
.
About 1845 this term became used for a train running to a particular place without stopping
.
Similarly in the See also: British postal service, express delivery is a special and immediate delivery of a letter, parcel, &c., by an express messenger at a particular increased See also: rate
.
The See also: system was adopted in 1891
.
In the See also: United States of See also: America, express companies for the rapid transmission of parcels and luggage and See also: light goods generally perform the See also: function of the See also: post office or the railways in the United See also: Kingdom and the continent of See also: Europe
.
Not only do they deliver goods, but by the See also: cash on delivery system (see CASH) the express companies See also: act as agents both for the purchaser and seller of goods
.
They also serve as a most efficient agency for the transmission of See also: money, the express money See also: order being much more easily convertible than the postal money orders, as the latter can only be redeemed at offices in large and important towns
.
The system See also: dates back to 1839, when one See also: William
See also: Frederick Harnden (1813-1845), a conductor on the See also: Boston and See also: Worcester railway, undertook on his own account the carrying of small parcels and the performance of small commissions
.
Obliged to leave the company's service or abandon his enterprise, he started' an " express " service between Boston and New See also: York, carrying parcels, executing commissions and See also: collecting drafts and hills
.
Alvin See also: Adams followed in 184o, also between Boston and New York
.
From 1840 to 1845 the system was - adopted by many others between the more important towns
throughout the States
.
The attempt to carry letters also was, stopped by the
See also: government as interfering with the post office
.
In 1854 began the amalgamation .of many of the companies . Thus under the name of the Adams Express Company the services started by Harnden and Adams were consolidated . The lines connecting the west andSee also: east by Albany, See also: Buffalo and the lakes were consolidated in the See also: American Express Company, under the direction of William G
.
Fargo (q.v.), See also: Henry
See also: Wells and See also: Johnston Livingston, while another company, Wells, Fargo & Co., operated on the Pacific See also: coast
.
The celebrated " See also: Pony Express " was started in 186o between See also: San Francisco and St See also: Joseph, See also: Missouri, the time scheduled being eight days
.
The service was carried on by relays of horses, with stations 25 M. apart
.
The See also: charge made for the service was $2.5o per
oz
.
The completion of the Pacific Telegraph Company See also: line in 1861 was followed by the discontinuance of the See also: regular service
.
The name " express " is applied to a See also: rifle having high velocity, flat trajectory and long fixed-sight ranges; and an " express-bullet " is a light bullet with a heavy charge of powder used in such a rifle (see RIFLE)
.
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