rch, 1799, it required to write from Portland to Savannah and receive
an answer forty days, and that it then required but twenty-seven; that
in 1799 it required between New York and Canandaigua twenty days, and
then required but twelve; and that most if not all the other mails have
been expedited proportionably according to their relative importance.

On the 18th of April, 1814, Congress established a post-route "from
Sheldon, by Willink and Hamburg, to Buffalo," and it appears from the
books of the Post-office Department that mail service, once in two
weeks, leaving Sheldon every other Friday at 6 a. m. and arriving at
Buffalo the next day at 10 a. m., and leaving Buffalo the same day at 12
m. and arriving at Sheldon the next day by 8 p. m., was the same year
put upon the route.

In 1815, the mail was carried from Buffalo to Erie once a week, leaving
Buffalo on Saturday at 12 m. and arriving at Erie on Monday at 6 p. m.,
and leaving Erie Tuesday at 6 a. m. and arriving at Buffalo on Thursday
by 10 a. m.

In 1816, the mail between Buffalo and Youngstown was carried twice a
week, twelve hours being allowed for a trip either way.

On the 3rd of March, 1817, a post-route "from Moscow by the State road
to Buffalo," and one "from Canandaigua, by Bristol, Richmond, Livonia
and Genesee to Sheldon" were established.

About the first of the year 1819 the post-office at Buffalo was made a
distributing office, and it has continued to be a distributing office
ever since.

From 1820 to 1824, the arrangements of the Department for mail service
from New York City to Buffalo, thence to Niagara, and from Buffalo to
Erie, Pa., were as follows:--Leave New York daily at 9 a. m., and
arrive at Albany next day by 8.30 p. m.; leave Albany at 2 a. m. and
arrive at Utica the same day by 9 p. m. (10 p. m. in winter); leave
Utica the next day at 6 a. m. and arrive at Canandaigua the next day at
8 p. m.; leave Canandaigua at 6 a. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
and arrive at Buffalo the next day at 6 p. m.; leave Buffalo Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 a. m. and arrive at Niagara the same day at
6 p. m.; and also to leave Buffalo Tuesdays at 2 p. m. and arrive at
Erie the next day by 6 p. m. It will thus be seen that a letter which
left New York on Monday morning at 9 o'clock would reach this city at 6
o'clock the next Sunday evening, and Erie three days later, if the mails
were not behind time. This frequently happened in bad wea