The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-02

he DO has any one iuuicatedf Then AZ leu
ereksburg, AN agent stationed regularly on that.
line, as soon as he finds the river blocked up,
hired wagon and horses, al an expense OF $500
for single trip 10 Washington. What more
could he do2 Immediately prior to ths s"nden
freeze, the roads for coaches over more than
400 miles in Alabama aud Georgia, were In a
condition such as had nerer been Wsfnessed al
his seaoon before. Stages were begged down
aud could not be moved either backward or Tor
ward" as reported BY the especial agents OF the De
par,menl-even single horse could not make his
way through them. Could that be prevented
by the head of the Department. Suppose The
contractor be fined, just or unjust, TO the iu1'
amosnl of his pay. would ,ha, restore bridges
and dry up the roads and make them passsbie J
This condition OF the roads threw several mails
together, when the navigation is suspended ON
the river, aud thus there is an extraordinary
accumulation of mails damned up on the way
Is that the fault OF tue Postmaster Geasral2 or
the act of Providence2
VIII those who wishing TO be just, wosld pre-
fer to speak from knowledge, take the trouble TO
read at least some of the following extracts
from few out of hundreds of such letters re-
ceived at the Departmcu, within few weeks,
and designate the particular failures, for which
the head the Department is chargeable Let
them inquire and specify single case where
they think fines ought to have been imposed, and
where they have not been! Many seem 10 sup
pose that this deficiency Of service is confined
to the South, because obvious circumstances
causes it to be more peiceplble. But look
at what is occurring in the North ! Here are
extracts from fer of the letters received at
the Inspection Office within few days. II
complaining editors will have the magnanmiiy
TO publislsahem, or some of them, they will give
their readers a glimpse at the other side of
the question Take Ohio for instance.
"FRoM COLUMBUS, Ohio, 25th Jan. 1914
"We have had three days rain and mild weather.
which completely broke up the roads; last night had
frost not sufficient to make The road, bear but sufficient
to nrest mails from the NORTH Our mails on the
Cleveland and Sandusky roads, due last evening"
not yet in and presume il is nert to impossbi
lily 10 move any sort Of carriage, mile
an hour i! We will send out all the mails which
are light enough, on horseback this morning, and
the others, on the front wheeis Of our lghtest
coaches This min.er is enough to make any one
sick Of carrying the mails ''
Well, is there any want of vigilance or energy
here? any sign that the contractor is Indifferent
TO his duty, or that he believes he could neglect
il with IMMUNITY, if he would 2 Take, then,
that case rs a sample of the state of things in
all the Western country, where there are no
paved roads Now turn to the East--the old,
long settled, iron-shod roads in the East and
look at the stale Of things there from Albany to
Boston:
"ALsAnr, January 10, 1874.
"The Boston mail, due last evening" did not ar
rive until four this morning, owing to and ice
the track. was obliged TO send an extra agent for
this trip"
NEw MILFORD, Conn. January s, 1914.
On Thursday and Friday, mail from the North not
delivered; reason of the failure accumulation Of
railroad for time iunpassabls.n
BELrAsT, Maine, January %.
Mail from Bangor failed at Belfast I7th and 18Th.
Caused by "a great fail Of rain, which caused the
snow to slump much that it was in my (the POST
mastery opinion, impossible Jor the 1naii-e1rier 10
pro eed with the mail isniI the ao,c fro.e -
Now let us ask can the Postmaster General
prevent the snow from stamping" when il
rains
Belfast mail from Thomaston failed, owing to :" fall
an "A =.
badly, rendering it IMPOSSIBLE for the driver to pro-
ceedm
JANUARY 5. 1874.
The mail trains that l. fl Boston on Wednesday
were detained by serers Storm on the Portland
Saco, and Portsmouth Railroad. Eicsr engines
ws,, employed il, forcing them through" What more
could be done in that case Yet, the editor at dis
lance not getting his papers, knows nothing Of these
facts, and perhaps, not knowing, too often makes no
allowance for them.
DoyHR, N. H., 9Th Jan ls44.
Arrival and departure Of mails by railroad have
been ,reeedrsIy br,g,dn the pas, week. Sao,rn
followed by strong nind rendering the railroads al
most npa,ab, to the cars with all tie force hat could
be applied 10 them"
PORTLAND, Me 9th Jan.
Portsmouth mail failed caused by s,,o,o bio,riur
and drifting on the track"
SALIM, Mass,
Portland, Ssco, 4 Portsmouth r. r., Jan. 49, 1874
"Tbo mails have failed on this road on the 9Th, 9Th
10th, 18th, and 10th, in consequence Of severe snow
storms, or Of the blowing into the track Epery
possible st has been made and all the force Of the loco
ors department. employed 10 force The trains through"
Now, unless these representatives and agents
Of railroad companies are a set Of common fasi-
6ers, what more could they do And yet here
are rive failures on a RAILROAD in eight daysi
Now then, for the great ihoroughfare between
Ner York and Boston, where il may be readily