Until 1755 there had been but one a week, eastward and westward from New York,-- Boston and Philadelphia being still the extreme points, -- and this only in the summer ; once a fortnight was the winter arrangement. In 1755 it was arranged that the New England post should start weekly all the year round. When this post was first established, in 1672, by Governor Lovelace, it was to "sett forth from this citty of New Yorke monthly, and thence to travail to Boston, from whence within that Month hee shall return againe to this citty."

An independent post-office was established in New York in 1775, at the suggestion of William Goddard, the publisher of the Maryland Journal, and John Holt, the New York printer, was appointed postmaster. There is no doubt that the "Sons of Liberty," a popular association of Americans, were connected with this movement ; for one of the first

>n)id.

* Letter of Lor.1 Bellomont, in Doc. rel. to Colonial Hist, of N. Y., quoted by Rev. (,'. W. Baird.

acts of its members was to send, through this office, threatening letters to the leading members of the Tory party.

Mr. James Rees, from whose " Foot-prints of a Letter-Carrier" we have quoted the above paragraph, says : " Nor was it until 1732 that the first stage-route to Philadelphia was established ; stages also departed for Boston monthly, taking a fortnight on the route." Advertisements of that year mentioned the departure of the post "in order to perlbrm his stage," but we find no reference to " stage-wagons" or " stage-coaches" before 1756, when the" first stage-coach'' is announced to run between Philadelphia and New York, " three days through." In 1753, William Vandrills informed "gentlemen and others who have a mind to transport themselves, wares or merchandise from New York to Philadelphia," that he has "fitted a stnye boat," which will "sail from New York to Amboy and thence by wagons to Burlington, and thence take passage to Philadelphia." In 1765 a rival of the " First Stage- Coach " put on the line a " covered Jersey wagon," -- an improvement, it seems, on the other "coach." Competition was roused, and in the following year (1766) a third stage, yclept "The Flying-Machine," proposed to make the trip in two days, and allured travelers with the promise of " good wagons and seats on springs." Through fare, twenty shillings.