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Delivering the Daily Mail
No one seems to know the exact date of these photographs or the model of the motorcycles. By the headlights, it would appear to be the mid 20s or so, and most likely a Harley Davidson. The only reference to these delivery bikes are both found in the 1928 Daily Mail: A four inch snow fall was recorded here Saturday, evening. The snow delaying traffic by causing the roads to become very slippery. The Daily Mail motorcycle man was only slightly delayed. Haeman Gainer, well known young man
of this city recently purchased the Auto laundry from Granvllle Gainer
and will operate the business In the future. The consideration has
not been made public. Until recently Mr. Gainer has been an employee
of the Charleston Daily Mail on the motorcycle delivery service from
Charleston to Rainelle.
Delivery by motorcycle was very common in the 20s, 30s, 40s. Fife Street Shoe Shop ran an ad for a long time proclaiming fast delivery via motorcycle. Even Valley Bell delivered Ice Cream by motorcycle for a time. So did many others. I myself delivered lunches from the Rose City Cafeteria by Vespa Scooter in the mid 60s even. Photos Courtesy of the Tom Hindman collection
As a side note: Not sure why, but it seems that the dangers of riding a motorcycle in the 30s was as dangerous, if not more, than today. Considering that we had one third as many cars and a lot less motorcycles back then, it's amazing the amount of wrecks I've come across in the achieves. Here's just one example of our Charleston motorcycle police injuries in 1930 as reported in the Charleston Daily Mail:
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