e reduction of transportation costs came the increase in the volume of postal traffic. The price of postage dropped from five cents for 300 miles to three cents for every 3000 miles, a dramatic decline in only a few years.1 Soon after, the railroad become the sole transporter of approximately two-thirds of all American commerce to and from the West.
             Along with the increased volume of goods that could be transported, the railroads also increased the efficiency of postal service because of its reliability. Canals and wagons pulled by horses along a trail were the major forms of communicating and transportation before the boom of the railroads.
             Unfortunately, they could often be set back by undesirable weather conditions such as storms, high water levels
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