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THE DAILY BEE--OMARA , FfUDAY , OCTOBER 20
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f ho BEE PUBLISHING 00 , , Props
Ei HOSEWATER , Editor.
THE CAMPAIGN-
We ore authorized to announce
Senator Van Wyck to address the
citizens of the Third district on the
Isaacs of the hour ut the following
named placoe :
Blair , Friday , October 20.
Tokamah , ( Saturday , Ootobar 21 ,
O'Noil , Monday , Ooiobor 23.
Norfolk , TuevJay , October 24
Hon. M. Tnmcr
will apeak with Senator Van Wyck
at each of his appointments.
VALENTINE AND THE STAR
' ROUTE THIEVES.
The exposure of the villanios cf the
contract oflico in the pontal department
mont waa ono of the most triumphant
reforms of General Oarfiold'a ndminis
tration. A bold and experienced
postmaator-gonoral , a foirloss and determined
torminod attorney and an administra <
tion pledged in advance to purify if
possible the public service wore alone
responsible for the sweeping disclos
ures which revolutionized our postal
Burvico , hurled from olfico General
Brady , and saved in u ( tingle year $2-
000,000 to the government. With BO
much of the story of the star routes
aahaaboen published in connection
with the indictments and trialit at
Washington , the public is already
familiar. It knows that for years a
corrupt rinc existed in the national
capital , composed of government of
ficials in the contract olllce , contract
ors who lived like lueclies on the treas
ury , and senators and representatives
who assisted in lobbying their steals
through congrnus. Of these the moat
prominent in the conato TMJDorsey ,
of Arkansas , now under intlictmont
for robbing the govemmout , wlulo K.
K. Valentine , of Nebraska , wpo if he
received his rightful dcaortH would
stand in the BHIUO position.
Valentino's connection with thoetar
route contractors datox from his first
election to congress. As a western
representative , from a atate in which
many of the stage routes were situ
ated , and adjacent to the territories ,
which were favorite stamping srounda
of the swindling contractors , Valen
tino's services in signing patitions for
Increase of service and expedition of
time were at once in demaud. Hie
signature is a familiar one at the con
tract oflico , and General Brady soon
found him hand in glove with his pals.
Valenttiio'a earliest aifiliatioua were
with the Patricks , of Omilis , but ho
eoon assisted Gilmau and Salisbury ,
and undoubtedly draw hia aharn in
the divides which were made by theeo
enterprising contractors. Up to the
time of Mr. Jamca' ncceBsion to clllu1 ,
everything went on swimmingly. Pe
titions for muil uervicr , for incrcaeo
and expedition multiplied , and were
granted through the famous blue pen
oil "do this" of General Brauy. Re
port after report of iuepeotora in the
west , denouncing the frauds com
mlttcd under the sanction of
the postodin department , were
pigeonholed , and all the at
tempts at investigation by con
grcM wore smothered through the
lobby , of which E. K. Valentino
n active member , "If Valentino's
record in connection with the star
routes was fully disclosed , " said a
Missouri congressman a few days
ainoe , "it would 'damn him iu any
tate of the unlou. " That record iu
connection with a ainglo route Tin :
BBE now givea to ita readers.
The first star route thoroughly
investigated by thedepartment waa
No. a,710 , from Rock Creek , Wyo. ,
to Etchotah , Mont. Postmaster Gen
eral James , in au interview published
in the New York 2'im v , characterized
it aa "the rottonoat iu the service , "
and the exposure , which waa made by
Inspector John B. Furuy and pub.
lisbed in the aamo jouinal , created the
firet great tunention in atar route
circleH. The contract for the Rock
Creek route waa originally lot on a
basis of one trip a week and taken on
cub-contract by Patrick , nho ran a
weekly line of atagea between the
Union Pacific railroad and Fort Cug.
tor , Mont. Boon after obtaining thin
contract a petition for increase of tor-
vice , rlgucd by E K Valentine , tv
presented to General Brcdy and the
trips were Increased iirat to three and
later to eix timeo a week , whilntho timu
was expedited from 100 hours to 831
The compensation was of courao in
creased to correspond. From the
original $10,000 at which the route
first let it crept up to $100,006
each increase being roceniinondcd ftn <
urged by K K. Vakntino as ncoosaar ;
to the growing country through whicl
the Binge line pamd , when the fac
was that three military poats , a conpl
of dor.en ranches and a few perambn
lating cow buya were the entire con
stituoucy Borvod. No member of congress
gross who listened to Valentino'
brazen-faced dcfon.ie of this out
rngoous imindlo over doubted thst h
divided with the contractors the re
suits of their plunder. His sooech ii
the house of representatives when thn
body had decided to cut dow n the aor
vice on the Rock Ureekf route damn
him as an ( accomplice , and cannot bi
explained on any other ground that
that ho shared the $80,000 clear proGl
which Matt Patrick boasted that he
m id o from this single tstaguline. ]
Hero is an extract.
There ia ono point that no gentleman -
man , us 1 now recollect , has yet un
dertaken to explain. For inatnncj ,
tnku this route that the gentleman
from Illinois has just spoken of the
route from Hook Creole to Fort Ouster.
That route was originally let ( tnd it ia
probable all the country demanded ut
that time ) at a very slow fichodulo of
inco a woulr. They wore eight dayn
in making the trip from Jtock Crook
io Fort Ouster one hundred nnd
lincty-aix hours , I think it WAI.
Aa the country began to grow , aa
.hi ? mails increntod , M { hg wanto of
ha country dovol.cpeJ , Ihuy a ked
'or ntf uicrorvap of service , and it waa
granted by thin mneh abused official ,
jlonoral Brady , and I say rightfully
{ ranted. I say that it was rightfully
granted because I asked for it mynolf ,
ind I stand hero ready to defend what
[ asked for then , bccauno I believed
: hon and I believe now that it wua
jut just and right that it should bo
lone , when it was increased to BIX
.imi'B , of courae it was but fair and
right that the time should bo expodi-
od , But now , if thia houne stands by
, lie sub-committee , and refutes to *
itand by the aonato amendment , what
Io wo find ? ConijretsitDHil ftrcord ,
rol. 10 page 12073.
Notwithstanding V.iIuntinu'B ellbrtu ,
ho service was out iloun to three
rips a week on the Rock Creek to
) uator route , the pay waa decreased
80,000 , end the Patricks sold out to
Japtain Marsh , who is now running
he line on an honest schedule and h
air and above board basin.
THK BKK has not in its present is-
uo the space to expose Valontino'd
orrupt connection with the other
tar rout a in Wyoming and Dakota
'ho Rock Creek infamy confessed by
IB own mouth is enough to damn him
i the eyes of the country us thorough *
f aa Doraoy or Minor or Redoll.
Summarixud this route which Val
oclarodin cunt-rcs3 was one of the
lain arteries of the west , wan con-
3soedly the moat rotten in the scr-
ice. Originally lot for $10.000 , it
ms increaaed- $100,000 through
ho Ulorta of E. K , Valentino and
he falae tttatemcnts of the contrao-
ora. The report of Inspector Kuray
tisoloso the following facts :
First. That less than half the capl-
al - . to invested the
s-.Torn aa by con-
ractora waa actuully so invested.
Second. That only 125 pounds of
nail started daily from Rock Crook.
H'fhird. Tliat leas than one ounce
laily was onrriiid on the extreme end
if the routo.
Fourth. That the northern end of
ho route , which Val pronounced as a
'main artery of tradiwaa paralleled
> y a direct daily Hue and thut a single
> ouch with nothing in it waa carried
o and fro to keep up appoaruuccv.
Fifth. That in accordance with in-
itructiona from the contractors , false
ctuniK of arrivals and departure * of
nails were every day miide to the do-
) artment.
8 xth. That pootmaBtura along the
outo were in collusion with the stage
: ontractori.
Seventh. That the unanimous opin-
on of army oflisera wiva thut u letting
) f throe times u week was amplu.
No ono can read the history of route
J7710 and doubt Valentino's guilty
iomplioity in the swindle. From the
uoment when the expedition wan first
granted on hia personal ondoraomont
antil the day when he stood up in
migrcss and vainly undouvorod to pre
sent any reduction in the amount out
> f which $80,000 waa being etolen by
by the contractors , Valentino was the
ildur , al > ettor and defender of the
steal , He urged ita necessity. Ho
boldly declared that the expedition
wfea rightfully granted. Ho praised
Brady aa a much-abused otlicial. The
niomonU 'uray's report waa sent In ,
when h waa found imponaiblti to pur
chase him here , Valentino's service *
were besought to aupprwa the reports
iit Washington , and to ia've the line.
If the oilieo of the second postmaster-
general could speak it would tell n
story of the frantic eflorts of the No-
brasku representative to save hit
guilty jiila from exposure and to con
tinue tun fraud which was robbing the
treuauii and the tqx payers of the
uatiou , '
Valentino defends hia course on the
ijrouwUlitt ho bolioveu the eorvice
Qocet.i''y for the public interest. Thia
1ms been his favorite plea for ull hia
Fraudulent aoUona. He robbaJ John
Itaeh of Ins homestead "for the publio
intore t. " Hu grabbed < ? 1 HOO back
) y "for the publio interest. " Hia
rote in favor of the river and harbor
iteul jras given "for the public inter-
ist. " IVo believe from the facts given
hut Kilwaid K. Valentino wasaco-
larccnor and co-conspirator with the
tar route swiudlura agtinat the ua-
ional treasury ; that ho received and
pocketed hia share of the "awacr , " tha
his advocacy of these raids upon tin
government waa B paid one , and tha
his defence of the job aa done in thi
interests of hia dear con
atitnonU it n ehnllow plot
which will deceive no ono
This is the man whom a packed convention
vontion of republicans have foisle <
upon the party in the Third distric
as o candidate fcr a a teen d rc-olcctioi
to congress.
Twenty yoara ni o the good republi
cans of the Western Reserve cal lac
baforo them that staunch abolitionia
and bravo old man , Joshua Glddinga
They accused him of having roturaoc
to Washington by a route which in
creased by a few dollars his mileage ,
and asked him to explain what thoj
called a dishonctt raid upon the
public treasury. His defense nol
proving satisfactory , ho wai do
Fuated for congress , and his place
was filled by a loss able man , but one
in whom his constituents had con-
iduiico. Mr. Gidding'a republicanism
waa undoubted. His services to hia
party wore unquestioned. His ofFtmao
waa a trifling ono. But neither record
nor republicanism stood in the way of
ustico. C < m the republicans of Nc-
iraska afford to be represented by a
llehoncst land register , a judicial back
pay grabber "I"1 ? corrupt a.ncl jnelli.
oicnt cuLgresairitm likii Valontinu
Are not any ono of the weighty
charges brought against his recort
enough to bar him i-ut from receiving
he suifrage of the people of the
Third district , especially when an
lonca't capable and efliciont man like
II. K. Turner , oilers himself as a can
didate for the otlice.
Appended is
INHl'KCTUi : l'lTltA.Y'ft HKl'Oin.
I have the honor to report that ]
wont over route . ' 17,110 , from Rock
Creek , Wyo , to Etchotah , Montana ,
and back again over the same route ,
and with reference to the subject matter -
tor of your instructions , I have re
spectfully to atato that the contrac
ts are operating the route ns a daily
ho entire distance , having twenty-
aix stations , including both tormina !
Btationn , or twenty-five "routes"
'arying in loogth from nine to
twcnt-throo miles , and that thoy.em-
> loy fourteen drivers and ono hundred
md twelve animals. Adding twenty
nero animals in use 03 herd poniea
md upon grain teams , etc. , aud wo
mvo an aggregate of one hunched aud
hirty-ono animals active employment
on the whole route from Rock Crock
o Etchetah.
With regard to the weight of HID
nails carried out of Rock Crook I
oncludo , from observation and from
iquirios made of the postal clerks of
lie Union Pacific railway oflico , that
125 to 11)5 ) pounds daily would he a
urge estimate of the average daily
weight as far aa Fort Fottorman ,
ighty-fivo miles , and from Fort Fet-
orman to Fort McKinney , perhaps
00 pounds would boi n maximum
.aily . average , although , as will bo
eon , ( mclosuro "A" the postmaster
it Buffalo , 'wo and one-half miles
rom Fort MoKinney ( south ) esti-
mrtos the average weight at seventy-
ive pounds daily , and as ho BOOS this
mail daily his obsorvationa deserve
aspect. Between Fort McKinney
nd Fort Ouster , liu ! ir.ilca ,
he dally average cannot exceed
10 pounds , nnd between Fort Ouster
md Junction ( Yellowstone River ) not
over 20 pounds and between Junction
and Etchetah (8 ( milct ) it cannot avor-
airo over < n.f ouner daily cdc/ / * way in-
luilul I am now speaking of the
nails carried north from Rock Creek
o Etchotah , from Etchetah south to
lock Creek things are different.
Although Etchotuh duly entorn on
ho mail bills every day au having left
that ( E'chetah ) ollico "Ono through
pouch" and "one way pouch" nnd re-
ceiptn on the Rrock Crock moil bills
daily for "ono throu h pouch" and
'ono way pouch , " the pltin simple
ruth ia Unit the J' . M. , il KMnddt
tcrtr rtcftvcdinin ii//irin/ / / / I iff man
Itan itc "iiuiy punch" thut frjin
i'ort Cuater and thu entry by him of
heao two pouchen ns liaving boon re
ceived into his oflicQ or sent out of it ,
s not beciiiBu he rccjivea or forwards
hum , bjt because as the follow ,
ho poBtiuaatcr who ! H running the
itlico , Baid to mo , "It ia the instruc-
'ona" ' BO t i do. Whoru he got hia
instruction * " 1 could not guess , un
083 it was from Borne one connected
with and interested in keeping up "tho
appearances" of the thing at the con-
raot cilice of the department.
Upon calling the Etchotah otlise to
account for thus acknowledging the re
ceipt , and claiming the forwarding of
a pouoh'uovor received and never for
warded by him , hia answer suggoited
au incident once observed in Ugdeu ,
Utah , where a Mormon waa Belling
'hot pins , " aud upon being remon
strated with by K purchaser who found
lia pie fro/.ou solid , bo justified him
self by averring that ho presumed they
were all fro on , but that "hot" pica
waa simply the name of the pie.
The way the mails are pouched IB aa
follows : The Union Pacific railroad
aoatotlice make erne pouch for Fort
MoKinney direct , the rest of the
mall is thrown into Rock Crcuk post-
ollico.
This latter postmaster makes up
first u little direct exchange pouch
with St. Glair postotlico , forty-two
miles out on thu route , second one
; > ouch for Fort Ouster , with a braas
ook , whloh contains all matter for
b'ort Custor aud IKMUIB tjorth , und
third a "way" pouch.
Beyond Fort Futterniuu thuau two ,
one braes und one iron lock , und the
Aut McKiuney direct pouch are nil
he sooket'pnuchca carried.
At Fort Ouster the direct brass
ocked pouch , and the "way" pouch
are both opened and thu through or
> ru 3 looked pouch is of course ro
amed , nnd the "way"pou3h and such
hrough nutter RB may chance to bo in
t is forwtrdod from Custor to Juuo-
ion , which is the next cll'uo north ,
and which ia also a regular "way of.
icb" on the Milca City and Boromau
daily route. Hero thia through matter
irhat little there is of it ) ia taken out
by the poatm&nter la taken out ut
unction Bo.as to put it into the maila
arriod by this last named route , aud
otwoen Junction and Etchetah eight
miles this pouch contains just
matter na ia nddrotaod to Kto
only thia and nothing noro. And in
goirg from Junction to Etchetah , the
atAgea of these conUactora and the
atagea of the Miles City and Bozcinan
route , both Bovon timoe a week routes
traverse the eamo track nnd route ,
( xing ictlh one ningk exttplion , one oj
Utf most bold frauds in Iht r r ii o/ /
the votlfiflirc department I hare witness
ed I'M in my cxpcrt'tic ? of Jereu years
While upon this branch of the case ,
I will add that Paul McCormick , the
former po&tmastcf at Junction re-
poatedlvcalled thn attention of the con
tract ollico to thia swindle , but with-
outBUccuBf , and after Mr. McCormick
retired , aa will be teen by the enclosed
letter of Henry Kaiso , postmaster at
Junction postollico to me ( inclosnro
"B" ) his ( SlcCormick'O successor , as
ho atatea in his letter nnd stated to
me verbally , fdrmally reported the
fraud not leas than twice , and , as
ho thinks , several times to the seonnrl
assistant postmaster Renom ) , without
being abta to elicit n rcpputiito or any
action. HIK partnur , Harold Borup ,
stated to inu that had I not so oppor
tunely came along , ho certainly should
have exooacd it through The Chicago
Times. "
j
3 . 3
C .0
o
i'oit Ctislor.
abOVu akttch willcorve to show
exactly how the matter atandu and
what reason either the contract oflico
or the contractors can urge as to why
they have run and been paid for run
ning the eight miles between Junction
and Etchotah , while the same identical
cal road was covered by another daily
stage route , tor which the department
was also paying , is past ray compro
hension. I should , in fact , like to hear
what the reason prompting the con
tract oflico to fail and rofuan to curtail
this service was ?
To return , however , to mattcra un-
cUr consideration. Aa will bo seen ,
the Etchetnh postmaster only receives
ono pouch but receipts on the mail
bill for two pouches. Ho then bills
to Bock Ore OK TWO pouches while
indeed ho only forwards ono pouch ,
and when this ono pouch reaches Fort
Cuotor (411 ( miles south of E'chotab )
the poetmastor there puts what
through mail he has nnd the "mail
bill" into a pouch and then puts on it
a brass lockc and from Fort Cutter
this "through" pouch to Hock Crook
goes , accompanied by a way pouch.
At Furl McKinney as they go south
they pick up the additional pouch efFort
Fort McKinney and the Union Pa-
: ifio railroad -postofiico , and aa to the
weight of this daily south , bound or
jutgoing mail , I think it would bo an
Dvorostimate to say that the whole
, 'oar round the mail would weigh
ialf aa much s the leather out of
ffliich the pnunohoB are made that in-
: lo3oa the mail contained in them.
Bo much tV on < is to iho amuunt.of
nail carried. Now as to the manner
n which the service is performed. I
: ound that as upon most other long
outca this route has the "send away"
nstructions upon it to a very viqor-
> us extent. To .explain , stage men
'or some reason aeom to regard that
; ho most important thing about * un-
ling a stage line is to keep the ends
) f a stage line in proper shape , and
lenco the terminal drivers , or those
3rivort "drives" upon each terminus
) f n long route have inatruclions to
eave for the torniinua at a given hour ,
"fltago or no stage , " the purpose of
: outBo being to keep up a record tf
irrivals nnd departures and at most
jflijes even if the postmaster does not
'atind in" with the contractors for a
itnga to arrive ii sufficient cvidenuo
'or him as u terminal postmaster to , in
n's opinion , justify his recording an
'on time" arrival of the "mail , "
ilthough the s'ago may not leave a
lingb letter of through nn'ter be
yond the point whoru the stage led
iway from.
On this route the orders eeom to
lave boon that the drivers on the t r-
iiinal drives between Point of .Rocks
uid Ruck Creek , fifty-three miles ,
should "lead away" ut 7 a , ia ,
whether there was a stngu from the
north in at that hour or not , and ar
riving thus nt Rock Creole by 5 or 0
j'clock p. m , and bo enabled to fiooro
MI "airivul" "on timeat itock
CreeK.
Now I will statu what I found my.
self hence I know whereof I apeak.
On the 25th day of last month
( April ) I loft Rock Crook at-I a. in. ,
nd wnon about thirty- five miles out I
met the south bound stage , being , ol
course , "handicapped" with a "divi
sion agent , " the latter asked the
driver of the south bound stage in my
hearing if he had "to-day connected"
with the "north etago. " The driver
said that he had not , but had "iod
away" with yesterday's maill , "aa
uaual , " upou reaching Point of Rocka
station , I then found the driver of
the stage which had , as he said ar
rived at Point of Rooks between ! ) and
10 o'clock , and of course his
mail brought in waa lying
there , and would lie there until
7 a. m. the nut day , and thuu
although every ft'uge ( HVB the lust
ono ) flint arrived ut Rock Crook waa
bringing in * "through" mail and
scoring an "on time" arrival , atill aa
will bo seen , every stage brought in a
mail which was just twenty-four hours
late , IMICHUSO of its being delayed at
Point of Itocka from twenty-two to
tu duty-three hours and this pnictioe
hud boon going on there at that place ,
ns the division agent admitted to me
for "eight or ten diys , " although
ii I went north I never saw bettor
roads in my life , and why the mails
failed to reaoh Point of Rjoks bofora
7 u. m. each day during those "eight
or ten days" ti ) savu my lifo. I cou'd '
not ascertain Mid I don't know now ,
Still the "rocorda" of 'arrivals and do.
pastures" at the Rock Creek poatoflico
show that tin mails "arrived" on
iplondid time , while aa stated it ia a
matter of fact , known to mo from ao-
lual observation , on ono day ( April
'Oth ) and of admission by iho agent of
; ho etatjo company himself , that for
light of tea days prior to April 2lth !
hey had not been making
'connections" they called it at
i'olnt of Rock , 'with ' the stage * from
I
V.
the north. So much for the aoutl
end ol the route during a period whoi
the roads wore jnst M good as the ;
oould possibly bo , being without hoa !
or any other interrupting obstacle a
I of my own knowledge know. Xov
as to the north end. Dating the winter
tor or from say November 1st to Apn
1st , to the 15th , they had similar orders
dors to the the driver to "load nwnj"
from Fort Castor ' 'stage from the
south or no stage , " and similarly u
the programme at the south , and the ]
were thus able to score an "arrival on
time , " no matter how old the "mail
bill" that the stage brought in , if oulj
the ttago got in before G30 ; p. m , il
waa recorded aa an "on time" arrival.
The commanding officer at Forl
Caster stated to me that at ono time
in Pobruary last ho had almost dca <
paired of getting any mail , and accord
ingly Bent out ono of his "pick trains"
south some dinUnco and brought the
maili into tm post , tinding them laid
n p ut sumo point south of hia pos * ; and
still the rocorda of arrivala at Etcho-
tah uro all matkod during the period
as good 111 . ,
Attain , Walter Frowon , the brothoi
of the postmaster at Powder River ,
a wealthy cattle mat ) , stated to mo , at
nearly as his memory served him , that
from February 10th to 20th last they
liad no maila at all from the south ai
Powder River , and still the records of
arrivala at the terminal oflices fail to
show any aucli failures. In floe , the
statements of citizens , of oQicers of
the army , of the commanding oflicors
of the throe posts Foltorman , Mo
Kinney and Ouster na well aa of the
stage people themselves , all go to show
that they had on awful time with
snows and delays , oto , none of which
I will presume to contradict ; but then
if I had only before mo the record of
"arrivals and departures" rnado by
the terminal postmasters , and believed
the faithfulneua with which it is al
Icged to have been kept , I ohouldhavo
! o question the truth of those stories ,
because thcro ia a fatal connection.
I am instructed to report whether
Failures are reported by the postmast-
3rs as they should bo , aud aa stated
ibove , I must say not , but if these
postmasters have tirat , faithfully billed
til through mails , and second , faith
fully dated all mail bills received on
the days upon which the mails were
ictually received , and not anti-dated
hem , then the department has a bet-
: or record on fib of the arrivals of
nails , nnd the time occupied in tran-
lit than I could possibly obtain by any
ueana , hence my telegraphic request
; o you from Fort McKinney to cause
; hat copies of these mail bills on file
'or the period covering from January
1st , 1881 , to April 15th , 1881 , bo
lent mo , but which have not been re-
: eivod , and in their absence I cannot
; all or oven make a guess as to whcth-
ir the mail bills have been ante-dated
> r not.
If , however , they wore faithfully
ondered , a comparison of these with
ho reported record jf arrivals and
leparturoa for the laut nix months will
[ how the department conclusively
vhether the through mails have been
lolaycd , and if HO , to what extent.
If , however , during that period , or
preceding say April 20th ult , , they
ihow that the mails got through jpu
mything like regular time , then the
nail bills have unquestionully been
into-datod. I nm very oorry that the
topics of mail bills 'requested ' have not
> eon received.
Now aa to the Htatus of postmasters
in this route :
First. Rock Creek. Herbert Thayer
s postmaster , and a vo'y clever young
nan , a son of General John M.
Fhayor , late governor of Wyoming ,
, ni ho and his brothers ( and father ) ,
o far as is known , all there is to or of
took Of ctk station on the Union Pa-
: iGcand hence arc largely dependent ,
n a business way , upon the main-
onance ot this routo. Ths Thayors
iwn a store at Rock Crook , at ono end
if which is the postofiico , and at the
ithor end of the same room , on the
lame aide of the building , is the ollho
if the stage company , and although
.hoy . are separate individuals , ot
: our.ie , still the thing taken aa a
vholo is very sua eativo of twins in
nturcet.
Next comus Andrew Footo , post-
nastor at Fort Futtorman , who is also
he trusted agent of the stage com-
) any , and until recently even kept his
illino in the xtaso cumtuny'q b.irn ,
L'non wo have BulF.ilo , whore the
> 3stmaator id also the agent of the
itago company , although , us I think , a
; oed rquuro man. At Fort McKtn-
icy E N. Snydcr was until very re-
it'iitly not only the poatnmter , but
ilso the agent of the company. At
uig Horn poatollio the post iastcJ ,
I'lioina'j Crci' htoi ) , keeps the utation ,
md until nonio time since''tended" to
: ha company'a stocker them. At
Bingham paetolliw 1 ! , F. Smith is the
postmaster , and also the stock tender
jf the suigo company. At Fort CUB-
; erTheodore Borup , is commissioned
loatmostor. He is also post trader ,
ind hia partner , Charles Winter-
mute , ia the businoaa man
jf the stage people and alao runs the
postotlico. At Junction Harry Kaiser
is postmaster , and his business part
ner agent of the stage company , and
it Etchotah J. C , Gray la postmaster ,
icops th' ) station , boards the stagu
people and is capable of doing just
nrhat he is told to do , Not a very
latterlng "lay-out , " certainly , for an
inspector to obtain disinterested
knowledge from , especially while they
Ul receive free travel over the route
md such other conaidorntioiis in the
ivay of salary , &o. , as makes the stage
jompany the better master to serve.
Now us to whether the service is
lecoasary tor the section of country
luppliod. Before speaking of this I
ivould say that I am not unaware of
; ho tact that the present in a troub-
ous and excited time , and that under
hi ! prcmirt of public opinion it is
) OEsiblp that the department tuny
) o led into severely curtailing service ,
vhich when Gist placid aa it now is ,
aa perhaps not needed , but which
lettlemonts A'j. , eincj have made a
iccpasitr , lienco I hate IMH tj.ceeiliit'j
y euiefiil to inform myself as fully as
' < v.-aa poasibio upon what are the
leoda of the cection supplied by this
outo , as I regard that it would bo a
; ravc error in me or uay other ollicar
if the department to make rccommon-
lationa that would do violenca to the
> ublio or injustice to the contractors ,
ts a correct public aontimpnt will very
eon react and correct of ita own force
, nd justice any such spaamodio action ,
How this route came to ba made a
laily route and how ita service was
xpedited to ita present exalted con-
iitiou I do not know nor not care
I
GOFFEE AND SPIGE MILLS.
Boasters and Grinders of Cofless and Spices , Manufacturers of
IMPERIAL BAKING POWDER I
Clark's Double Extracts of
BLUEING , INKS , ETC.
LI. G. OLA UK & CO , Proprietors ,
110 ! ) Douelss Stropt , Omaha , Nob.
.SPECIAL . NOTICE TO
Growers of Live Stock and Others.
\VK CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO OUH
Ground Oil Oake.
It la the best and cheapest food for stock of any kind. Ono pound ia equal
to three pounds of corn. ( Stock fed with Ground Oil Cake in the fall antl winter -
tor , instead of running down , will increase in woitjht and bo in good market-
* We condition in the spring. Dairymen na wnll as othora who imo it can tes
tify to its moritfl. Try it and judge for yourselves. Price § 25.00 per ton ; no
charge for Hacks. Address
o4-ood-mo WOOODMAN LINSEED OIL CO. , Omaha , Nob.
5 CO. ,
* * 4 ,
OK/TOCO 3C.XX S LXiXS
HARDWARE ,
1108 and 1110 Harney i t. , OMAHA , NEB.
L. C. HUNTINGDON & SON ,
DEALERS IN .
HIDES , FURS , WOOL PELTS & TALLOW
204 Iforth Sixteenth St.s - - OMAHA , NEB.
1005 Farnam St. , Omaha.
[ only know that whoovorcpmmandod
t were either no fully advised as to
ffhat the public necda really vrere , and
louco favored it ignorantly or else
; hey favored it from scllish motives.
Aa I wont up the road fnorth ) I
Irst called upon Lieut. Col. T. 31. An-
deraon , Ninth infantry , commanding
the post at Fort McKinney , and ho
cxpreseed to mo then RB Jim ptiisontil
opinion that so far as the needs of the
military department were concerned
iit. wua of the belief that n good , hon
est tri-iveiikly service would bo quite
sotlicieiu , : is hit * posl was couuoiited
l > y a direct wire with the dup rtnu'iit
headquarters ; butCol.Andereim naked
that 1 HBO him again a ? I returned ,
which I aKrosil to do.
At Buffalo , two aud a-half miles
south of Fort McK'nuey , the pn t-
mnatur , II. B. Rbortson , in uritisg
expressed to mo ( mclosure "A" ) that
It was his belief that u tn-weokly mail
nor vice wna quite anllhient for the
nerds of the publ.c llw lottcir will
fully t-jpluiu itself ,
At Fnrt Ouster 1 called upon Gan.
J. W. Dividson , who io full culonol ut
the Second cAvalry , and , an Ciioter IB
occupied by Bcvun companies , and
thorifore-tho ] most important post of
the route , ( m McKinnvy haa but live
and Fetterman but two compunier ) ,
and I ! an. DavidHon not only anid thut
ho regarded tri-weekly service on this
route as amply suflicient , but lie unked
me to give his name as endorsing a re
duction to tri-weekly service , and alao
of cutting oil the uuperfiuoua serviua
from the north end of the route ,
etc. , etc.
It doei an inspector real pleasure
to moot an old public servant who ia
so frank and square as I found Gen ,
Davidson to be. He stated that ho
waa connected by telegraph directly
with hia department hoadquartora that
would supply the emergencies of hia
post , aud that an every other day's
mall would , in hia belief , entirely sup
ply the otlicors' wonts of the post.
As I returned I again aaw Lieut.
Col. Anderson , of Fort McKinney ,
uud h seemed to have been confer-
riuvj with his young men HIK ! had
somewhat moditiad hi views us fol
lows : Ho regarded that , in view of
the direct telegraphic communication
with his own department headquar
ters , that perhaps it was not a real
necessity to have more than a tri
weekly service , but he feared that the
( ft'loii * , who were ccuiing in quite
rapidly , might complain.
At Fort Fettermun 1 spent u whole
day and ln.d a long talk with Major
Win. H. Powell , commanding that
port , and who lisa nerved in that
country lor over thirteen years , end
ho exprcesed to me the unqualified
belief tha * R tri weekly null was
quite all thut the military
in orraU required for his post ,
and ho further eaid too , that
they had hardly received oven that
much service for the past several
months , Mnjor Powell gave me a
copy of . memorandum that ho com
menced keeping of the mail failures
at his post from February 20th , the
repeated and continued failures prior
to that time prompting him to do it
( See enclosure " 0. " ) Ho gave mo
the enclosed copy , at my request , anct
being a faithful record it deaorves con
sideration.
In view , therefore , of all the facts
aa they have been 1'arncd by mo , I am
constrained to the belief. Fiiat , the
expedition ot this rjuto is oxccsaivn
and not at all called for by the needs
of the patrons of the route. Second ,
that the frequency of the trips is vast
ly in excess of the requirements
of the public served by the routes.
Aa to the diverging route * th ro is but
one to-wiM the ono from Fort Fetter-
man via Daer Greek to Fort Casper
about fifty milca find 1hn service is
twice nuuek. There is but Jittlo to
the couth as I learned from the post
master ut Fort. Fottcnnan not carry
ing r.s hostated to mo to escecd thirty
piccee of muil per week , and hence
once iwci k ia ample for a route with
no more bua'mwn than this side route
transacts , mid there'crn to conclude
the mutter I respectfully advise and
recommend. Firac That route No.
:17,110 : bo eiitailod to end at Junction
P'istollieo instead of E'chctali for the
roinona jiven ; _ above , undoaxing there
by eight miles.
This will leave the talancp r.f the
route a time of eig'iteon and three-
fourths hourn at the present uuo of
speed. 1 thtroforo advise thatthia
opetd bo dpcreuscd tl-irty-Bovcn and
ono-quarter hour ? , or about forty- five
per cent , so na to mike the schedule
time fiom Rock Cireok to Junction
( throe hundred and fcixty three miles )
to be one hundred and twenty hours ,
and that the service on the route bo
curtailed to throe trips per week , each
way , and that the side route from
Fort Fottorinan , via Deer Crook to
Fort Casper bo curtailed from twic *
week to < wr n week.
AB I said above I have in making
this recommendation given to thin
route , its neodafandJnecesBities , grave
consideration. Col. Patrick , the con
tractor , ia my near neighbor and
friend , and I hav * no desire to do him
an injustice , and have not
done him AO in the
foregoing recommendations , nor have
I done violence to the needs or inter.
oats of the public .u , all things having
boon duly coiiitidi.rcd , I have advised
such a service an will clearly be entire
ly adequate to their wants , and I am
prepared to stand by and justify my
recommendations , fully conscious aa ]
am that the correotneGs thereof will
bo attacked by those in interest. Ite- -
fruitfully ,
Your obedient aervunt ,
JOHN B. FUKA ,
P.O. laspector.
Col. D. B. I'arknr , posttflico irupeu-
tor , Washington , D. 0. _ J
Deomo of Man.
Nervous Woakneas , Djapepsii ! , 1m- x !
potonco , Seiual Debility , cured by > .
- Health Renower. " ? 1.
The "Hawthorn Centennial Ex-
ci'Uior Roof Paint , " waa patented May
24th , 1881 , and otters patent num
ber 241 , 803. Any person found or
known to tamper with the manu
facture of esid paint will bo punish
ed to the full extent of law. No per
son has any authority whatever to sell
receipt * . HAWTHORN & BRO , ,
Lancaster P