The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-04-30
THE MINES N
Saint Na1l, saiuracg, 2YTi! 80. 1888.
The Mails again.

Things are coming to q crisis. The boats
talk of refusing to carry any more mails, up or
down, until an arrangement is made for the
season, and we hope they will. Bring trifing,
higgling, picayune post-office gentry to a sense
of their duty at once, and then perhaps we will
have no further trouble. The steamboat COM
pany have submitted reasonable bid, and the
country demands that it should he complied
with.
We are going off up the river this tTuesday)
morning, and haven't time to write what we
wish. If the matter is not arranged satisfacto-
rily by our next, so as to give us six mails per
week, as advertised for by the late officers Of the
Post-O Office Department, we will go into show
ing up of the whole matter. which will fully
exculpate the boats and place the blame upon
the right shoulders. Meantime We copy the
following pertinent remarks from the Galena
Advertiser:
THE DAILY CP-RIvER MAn.-Where is it -
What has become Of it. The river is in good
stage of navigation. The boats are running,
but where is the Daily Mail that was proposed
some time since: The route from Galena TO
ST. Paul, by the river, is very important one,
and none the less so because the people to be
accommodated are many of them poor, and are
all Of them struggling with the difficulties and
privatiOns incident to the settlement of all new
countries. For most of the way, there are few
land mail facilities on either side of the river,
and many OF the settlements are cut off from
all communication with others by the regular
post, and this will continue to be the case until
regular routes are established If the different
post-offces along the river were regularly sup
piled, the settlers could improve occasional
chances and send in ten, twenty. thirty, forty
and fifty miles, and get their mail matter, which
is often of very great value to them. Remit
taHces of small sums of money, from distant
friends, are often made in this way, and men
travel day after day to some pOst-Otiicc, with
the expectation Of finding it-and are not UNI
frequently disappointed, from the fact. that no
mail has been received, though the post-olice
may be on one Of the greatest thoroughEres.
where steamboats, pass daily. That money is
often essential to the subsistence of himself or
family Or to the purchase of his new home
Those who live in ceiled houses and who have
their mail matter brought to them by servant
every morning at particular hour, cannot APP
preciate the keenness of disappointment which
is often felt in such case. The actual loss to
individuals, every day the River Mail is delay
ed, unless we are mistaken. amounts to a much
greater sum than any reasonable price demand
cd for carrying the same. By Government
which is humane and just, the subject should be
viewed in this light, and prompt action should
be taken. Chafering and higglng about a few
dollars in the price of transportation of such an
important mall a round trip of eight hundred
miles, is unmanly, and is a cause of cruel MUS
fce to most self-denying class of men, who
deserve better treatment than this at the hands
of the Government. The public good requires
we unhestatingly say. that the River Post
Route to which We have referred. should lie
supplied regularly and daIy, aud FROM this
time forth till the close of navigation, every
day such supply swithheld, the proper author
ity is chargeabe with the aggravated wrong
We find the following petition to the Hon.
James Campbell, Post Master General, in the
Prairie du Chien Courier of this week, to which
attention is respectfully invited:
To the Hon. James Campbell, Post Master
General:
In behalf Of the people of North Western
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and portion Of Iowa
we would call your attention to the mail SER
vice in this section.
Minnesota contains q population of about
la,OOO; those parts of Wisconsin and Iowa to
which we refer. about the same number. This
whole region is dependent for mail facilities
upon the service on Route No. 4G2j-fron Ga
lena to ST. Paul-and on Route No. 4564-from
Prairie du Chen to Stillwater-the former be-
ing performed only part of the year, by
steamboats,, during the season of navigation-
Advertisements for daily service on this route
have been published by authority: but as yet
no contract has been made, and only an occa-
sional mail is sent The following offices are
on that rOute-many of them of great impor-
lance, VIZ: Dubuque, Buena Vista, Cassville.
Gutenberg, Clayton, McGregor, Prairie du
Chen, Lansing. Warmers Landing La Crosse
Nelson's Landing, Wabasha. Prescott. Point
Douglass, Hudson, Saltwater, and others of
less Importance. The route from Prairie du
Chicn to Saltwater is through the counties of
Crawford Bad Axe, La Crosse, Chippewa, and
ST. CrolX. These counties are all thickly set
tied, and many Offices are located on this route
AS before remarked, this whole region of coun-
Try is entirely dependent upon these two
routes.
Tour attention is especially called to the fact
that, a1Out one year since these two routes
were consolidated by the contractors, with the
sanction of the Department, it is presumed,
ana the mail carried twice week from Prairie
du Chen to St Paul. This contract came into
tne hands OF Willoughby & Powers, stage pro-
prietors about the LIST of January, lS52-l
through some misunderstanding between the
original contractors and said carriers. the sub
contract was thrown up in January last: from
mat TIL tue LIST of April the mail was carried
by said Willoughby q Powers, under special
contract with the Postmaster at Prairie du
Chien. From some cause this arrangement
was broken up, and since the lst of April the
maii has been sent only once week part of
!ne way, and few times by steamboat. This
Is all that remains of the promised daily mail.
That, as well as the arrangement with Wiilouob
oy Powers, was on the individual response
bility OF the Postmaster at Prairie du Chien.-
we are also informed by said officer that nei-
1 1 OF his acts have been sanctioned by the
department; and in view of this fact he is de-
termined to send no more mails fran, ms attire
ior the country north-but he may be Induced
70 continue it until some action is taken by
your Department.; but even this service is en-
ureiy Inadequate to the wants and necessities
OF the people.
we would also represent that daily line of
e. ply between Galcna, Illinois, and
~. Laul, minnesota, touching at all the points
mentioned as being on route No. 4625: and
that these steamboats, form an easy. cheap and
expeditions means of transportating the mails,