Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-03-26

mtrchs aooz, twenty DAYS before the de
cssion oil the Postmaster General. accent
ing the proposition under which the con
tact was made, and twenty nine DAYS be
tore the contract is on that paper sta led
to have been made; and that this false
date was inserted by design and not by
accident is deducihle from the fact ina,
The contract is made 10 take effect from
the first day Of April then next: and the
pay Is made TO commence on The Isl al
April, 1882. This confusion Of dates, or
total want of all dates, is common
among the papers. and in the most impor-
tant transactions Of the department.. The
act OF antedating 70 the 18th Of March
TINS paper, which was not executed until
the 10Th Of April. gave to Reside this
contract from the LIST of April next, before
u was executed, and after il was dated
But all this would be the less reprehens;.
| ble IL IL had been done by way of securing
70 The contractor his pay for services sctu.
any rendered before executing the con.
tract. Such however, is not the case.
lhe evidence shows that James Clark,
the original contractor. continued 10 car.
~ the mail on this route 10 the 27ih OF
April 1882. faithfully. under his contract.
Ihe following which is a copy of one OF
Two certificates furnished us from the files
OF the department, establishes that fact:
doc. No. 72)
~ do certify that James Clark, the
contractor Tor carrying the mail from
Cumberland TO Blair's Gap. has duly de-
livered the mail al Alum Bank post Office.
from lst JAN, 1882 to 27th April. 1882.
twice week
tSigned) "THOMAS VICTORY,
Postmaster al Alum BANK"
We found noted also. ia pencil, on the
margin OF this contract, reference 10 two
reports of j. II. Hofus. postmaster al
Bedford, one of the 4lh of June, and the
other the 2Sth Of July, 1882, which are
as follows.
Post Office. Bedford, Pa june q, 1884.
"Sr-.Hr. Reside & Co. have com.
menced the 2sii, Of .Hay. ullmo, to con.
vey The mail three times week on route
l2io, biair's Gap 10 Bedford, and I23O,
bedford TO Cumberland, on horseback.
out have not. as yet, commenced ia
stages.
Yours, very respectfully,
tS'sned) -. II. HOFfUS."
fost eGiee, Bedford. Pa. July %, 1882.
"Sir--Ihe Goth inst .Nr Reside com.
menced with two horse coach. on route
NO. 1880, from Bedford to Cumberland,
TO convey the mail. but on route 1915,
Blalrs Gap TO Bedford, is still performed
on horseback.
* ours, very respectfully.
{Signed) -. II HOFIUS."
And yet. with all this evidence in the
possession OF the department, Reside has
been paid al the rate Of four thousand
live hundred dollars year for carrying
The mail on this route, in four horse post
coaches from the LIST of April, 1889. The
letter oil Moore, with the postscript, writ
ten by Colder, recommended only that
the mail be carried in coaches from Hoi.
daysburg. on Blair's Gap, 10 Bedford not
from Bedford 10 Cumberland. Yet, the
mode oil transporting the mail on both
routes was changed. and the coaches or
ordered TO run on both, at the bid Of
kees'de, without any thing which shows
It's proprIety, or even the wish Of a human
being on the whole route, that il should be
done; at cost, too, enormous in proper
ton TO the proceeds Of the Offices on both
the routes, especially on that from Bed
lord To Cumberland.
IL will he noticed that Reside, in his
proposition Of December 10Th, 1882. says.
that stages have been established on route
No. 1915. for several years past" II that
be the case, as 81 probably is they were
established without the patronage of the
department, and for the profit Of trans
porting passengers during the summer.
when me springs were ireqnenteh. And
u heeslde himself were not the inditiduai
VINO established or owned them. this ar
raosement "lth the department woald at
once enable nm 10 put down the ndivida
al whose enteiprise had established them;
anu A22o dollars year, which Reeside
al LrsL received above the original con