The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-04-13
MOEEERED SERYICES,m &c.


been brought into requsition in order to bring out
so many important facts and deductions! We do
not copy the article for the purpose of prolonGing
controversy with cur old friend FIELD but for the
purpose Of correcting some pretended statements of
facts and Lawyer Bells deductions. We will ap
pend few notes, in as brief manner as possible,
and leave it to the readers of the Galaxy aud Voice
to decide on the merits of the case under conside
ration.
MAIL DErAYs-Most unfortunately for our neigh
boz Holconb, the ungenerous projectors Of the Tec
graph turned u cold shoulder on Brandon, for rea-
sons best known to themselves Since that period,
to speak Of nothing previous, we have supplied the
country with the latest advices, for days earlier
than the Voice. This moving circumstance seems
to have shaken up the spleen OF our editor down to
the lowest stratum. But as he hardly knows upon
whom to vent his bile he strikes with an insane
fury at the mail propretors, Of the route through
Brandon, who expedited the news quite too tardly
for bis convenience.
We would be the last to justify any avoidablc de-
lay in the prompt transportation of the mails. But
we know of no class OF men more entitled to public
sympathy for q few weeks past than our mail CON
tractors in this region Seldom if ever, has the mud
been so deep or the weather more uniNvorablc for
travelling. All seem to think that the very toun-
dations Of mud and mre are now more completely
stirred up than for twenty years past. The stage
business has seldom if ever, been better done up
on the route from Ruand to Burlington than under
the administration OF Messrs. Cooke, Field & Co.
Mr.. Field is among the most prompt and energetic
business men in the country. lie employs none as
drivers but men Of approved characters and indus
rious and peryevering habits. From what we have
learned the proprietors torthree or four weeks past
have abored necessarily, night and day, to forward
the mails seasonaby They have had very few
passengers, and although they have never missed
trip, they have found it impossible to keep up regu-
lar hours. ()
"But," saws Mr.. Holcomb, 1T would rather seem
"that the Post Master General should require that
" the mails on az important route as that from Bos-
ton to Burlington, shouM be sent on wiMoat ,ca'tiny
tor passengers, through deep nad and sirteen miles
to each trip" Such an nsinuntion as this, to be
honest, must have come from real John Donkey
well knows that the sum nllowcdb the government
for carrying the mail, is scarcely adequate to one
tenth part of the expense, il disconnected With pas
sengcrs. 1t is not very probable that the propre-
tors obtain over six 0r seven dol ans q trip for
transporting the mail from Bellows Falls to Burng-
ton, WHILE Us nearly as learn from rs to 100
horses are necessarily employed in doing the bust
ness. The unmanly intmation of Mr.. Holcomb that
Tie prQp'1eio'S are Nas abusing the public because
Mey rish to make tier old teams last TIL tie cars
"run from Belo,rs Falls 10 Burlin5ton is quite in
keeping with the rest of this malignant attack which
he has made upon them. t2l
We hope the time is coming when our neighbor
iolcoInb in going in and out among his fellow ct-
zens will walk more Uprightly aud more regardiul
Of fairness than his unjust and unreasonable assaults
upon the conduct and motives Of the stage owners
between Rutland and Burlington would seem to
imply. (3)
~ Had tho mails arrived regularly until the very
recent hard travelling, should have said nothing
about the delays; but as there had been very many
failures previous, and had suffered in conse-
quence, we supposed we had right to state the facts
and to ask that the difficulties be rc,ncdicd. No
one acquainted with Messrs. Cooke, Field & Co.. will
charge them with lack Of energy; but as they had
in former years sent the mail Oh ahead Of the passon
ger stages, we supposed they might again do it and
as we knew it could not require as much time TO
come from Troy, n. H., as from FtchburS, Mass,
and as we knew there had been more delay, this
year than last, meant to speak so that all could
hear, and the ones in the fault set matters right:
~ As TO the sum allowed by Government for
carrying the mails. being SO very small SIS Mr.. Bell
would represent there is no truth in it; for, the
Department paid much 70 the original contractors
that Mcssrs Cooke, Field & Co. ware willing TO pay
a bonus for the bargain. Another thing may proper
" lie mentioned in this connection, and that is, Of
the $4,000 trade these men made with A. Hyde
& Co. few years snce-which stun was 10 be paid
in quarterly instruments Of two thousand dollars, the
profS of the business met these sums rs they became
due. If Mr.. Bell thinks $1,000 per annum net pro-
fits will not enable mail contractors to launch out
little for extra work in hard travelling then his views
IRE different from ours. But the arthmeticsl pow
ors Of our neghbor Bell and his associate, surpass
all the figuring we have seen Of late. From Is to
100 horses in doing the business Of drawing the mai
each trip from Bellows Falls to Burlington say they
The fact is, the mail could easily be drawn from
Bellows Falls to Mddlebury with one horse, and SO
he distance is 50 miles, ten horses would give
change once in miles Or in good travelling five
lorses would supply the line to change once in l6
niles. From Middlebury to Burlington, allowing n
pan of horses to cachS l2 miles, eight horses would
inc-to each trip during the worst travelling, snd
hat we will call two months in year, while haLf
hat number would easily carry the mail in time the
,ther ten months The estimated sum per trip for |
,arrying the mails would undoubtedly prove about
IS near correct; and those acquainted with all tho
acts in the case will know where to place the title
" Donkey
(3) On this point we will barely say that wc sup
,ose our standing so aprght was what gave olcnce
,ut as had object in copying the article from
he Galaxy, but to correct wrong statements and .
we will close our remarks-presuming .
hat those who have read the two papers for year
II two past can very readily guess ~hy Mr. Boil vol
lnteered his services on this occasion.
The remarks Of the Free Press are such "a we do
lot object to- The editor will see in some Of our ex
,anations that he rather Inexperienced in some
aspects,