Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1892 — Invention of the Postoffice. [ARTICLE]

Invention of the Postoffice.

The invention of the postofflce is ascribed to Cyrus, King of Persia, who lived about 600 B. C. Cyrus required all of his governors of provinces and chief commanders of troops to write to him exact accounts of everything that occurred in their several districts and armies. Tbe Persian empire was of vast extent, and some means had to be provided to render that correspondence sure and expeditious. Cyrus therefore caused postofflces to be built and messengers appointed in every province. He found *how far a good horse, with an experienced ridefr, could travel in a day without being hurt, and then had stables built in proportion at equal distances from each other. At each of these places he also appointed postmasters, whose duty it was to receive the letters from the couriers as they arrived and give them to others, and to give fresh horses in exchange for those that had performed their part of the journey. Thus the post went continually night and day, rain or snow, heat or cold, and Cyrus received speedy news of all occurrences, and sent back whatever orders he considered necessary. Darius, the last king of the ancient Persians, was superintendent of them before he came to the throne.