In this week’s From the Files column it is noted this newspaper’s mail processing crew set a record 50 years ago of 85,00 pieces of mail processed in one week. I don’t remember what all we did that week but in those days it wasn’t unusual for our mail to fill the contracted carrier’s truck to capacity and have mail left on the local post office dock.
I didn’t understand why postal officials refused to allow a second truck run from Superior to the Hastings processing center. The business was here, the truck company was willing to make the trip. Their customer wanted timely delivery but the truck didn’t run, the mail was delayed and that publication no longer exists.
When they ran a business, the goal of my father and grandfather was to schedule open hours when the customers wanted with ample stock and employees to meet the needs of their customers. Grandfather even skipped my parents’ wedding because he didn’t have anyone to keep the filling station open during the wedding.
I don’t remember what all we mailed that week in 1974 to meet such a number but in those days we were processing mail for several customers. One of those customers had previous experience mailing in Lincoln and Omaha and was pleased to get overnight delivery to all parts of Nebraska when their magazine was mailed here. We maintained the magazine’s mailing list and did the addressisng and bagging. The printing was done elsewhere.
Unlike today, when there is a move to concentrate mail processing in Omaha, 50 years ago the postal officials sought to spread it out. They pledged to work with Superior to encourage the location of a mail fullfillment center here.
Because of our central location, it was thought goods could be shipped from Superior via the mail quickly to all parts of the country. Private funding was secured for a campaign to attract a mailing house.
Local development representatives wrote letters, placed phone calls and paid visits trying to convince companies to locate a fullfillment center here.
Our attraction effort was not successful and that may be good. Mailing from here today would probably slow down rather than speed up the delivery. Saturday, this newspaper received newspapers mailed on Wednesday in Fairbury, Hebron, Geneva and Red Cloud and that was quicker than some weeks. Monday we got papers mailed Wednesday in Belleville.
Friday, a northern Nuckolls County resident called at the newspaper office to renew her subscription to the paper. When we asked about delivery to her home, she told a sad story. It is no longer overnight as her home is served by a Fairfield route.
Thankfully we have an alternative. We are able to provide faster than ever before delivery of this newspaper via the internet.
It is our goal to have replicas of each newspaper page available on the internet by 5 p.m. Wednesdays for subscribers at no extra cost. Some newspapers charge extra for the e-sub but currently The Express includes the e-sub with a mail subscription.
Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to read this newspaper around the globe on the day it is mailed.
Unfortunately the story about Superior’s Blue Cross Serum Company doesen’t share the same bright ending. The once thriving animal health company left Superior when it became impossible to compete with companies that could provide more timely product distribution.
Fifty years ago, Blue Cross was one of this company’s largest commercial printing customers and Blue Cross employed Superior area residents in the manufacture and distribution of animal health products. Sadly, the company closed its Superior business and moved to Omaha.
This newspaper once relied on the Western Newspaper Union for nearly all of its paper and many other supplies and equipment. The company had two warehouses in Nebraska. The one in Lincoln shipped primarily to customers with good railroad connections to Lincoln which was pretty much the area south of Interstate 80 and into Kansas. The Omaha warehouse served customers with better connections with that city which generally was that part of Nebraska north of Interstate 80,
When the railroads closed many of the branch lines, the two warehouses became reduant and they were relocated in a new facility on the western outskirts of Omaha. Lincoln’s former Kansas territory was shifted to a warehouse located in Kansas. The consolidation didn’t stop with Omaha. Eventually Omaha became a transfer point with most of the inventory stored in Kansas City. Trucks made nightly runs to Omaha. That worked for customers in Lincoln and Omaha but it delayed shipments to Superior.
I found other suppliers with faster service and it has been several years since we placed an order with the company. It has been bought and sold several times and I don’t even know the current company’s name. It has been 20 years or more since a company representative visited our shop.
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