The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-11
Our Washington Correspondence.
WARRINGTON. Dec, 7. 1854

Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON Dec. Z. 1854.
The Indian Deuedafions and Marders on the fnde-
peno.nee ond Sab Lake Mad Roulette Post
master Generals Prejudice gainst Col. Magra,e,
IN. Enemy Of Fornsy, and has Partially for the
Maii Contractors on the Route Betgeen Mobile
and Montgomery, alabama.
n. Postmaster General Campbell does no. dis
guise enough his Partially for sundry favorite mail
Contractors, and his strong prejudice against sun.
dry ott contra tors who have proved too indepsn
dent to toady to his impeIious highness. His con
du touching the mail route between Mobile aui
Montgomery, in Alabama, and the mail route be-
tween Independence and the Salt Lake, is very
striking, and deserving Of animadversioa.
The favorites on the Mobile and Montgomery
route, Who we're getting 900 per annum, asked
tor an increase Of s24 900 per apnum, and desired
the Postmaster General to recommend Congress 70
their contract for four years, 1t $50 900 per
annum. He complied m,st readily with their re
quest aud Congress, upon his re somnendstion, re-
newed the contract, as desired, accordingly. But
as if his was not sufficiently kind and inddl
gent, in the shape of relief, to these favorites,
the Postmaster General has given a contract TO
other faSorites to carry the mail over the same
route, by water, up and DOWN the Alabama river,
three times week for five months In the year, and
six times week for the remaining seven months,
at q compensation Of $50 600 per annum. Ofcourse
this mali by water greatly reduces the weight and
bulk the mail carried by land between the SANG 70
points. The contra ctors have lost nothing by Ia
disn depredations and murders; aud yet, they have
tad Tesoiiy granted to them all tho extras they
asked for.
Hos different the lice Of official conduct pursued
by the Post Office Department t0waSds tae con-
ira tors for carrying the mail between Independence
ami the salt Lake! Messis. Magraw& Reside con-
trac'ed for carrying this latter mail monthly at
$l4,i4 per annum-deemed very low comp en "a
ti0a. Tie route is $50 miles long, and tos mail
was 20 be carried III four mule carriages fhe con
tractors started the enterprise the Isl July last
1bes stocked the route az AN expense OF more t,sn
$50 900, tde all csssacy prspa atious for wne
and he'd treghted out, at differeut points the
route, grain Tor the mules and provision, for tue
men. built stations, made hay, &C., to the amount
of $1,000.
Tae Indian difficulties, no so terrible along that
route did not exist, and were NOT TO- eseen or an
tcipatso at the time the contract for carrying the
mail was entered into.
Mr.. Magraw, one Of the contractors, has just re-
turned from the route 10 tue States. Ga his way 10
with the September mail, he learned, near Fors
BIGGER. Of the msssac e oil Lieut.. Graasn and his
party near Fort Laramie. This, however, did not
deter him from making his best exertons to 60 on
with snd carry out bis Contract But on mis- arrival
at Fort Laramie he found that his keeper, Auxuste
Lucian. ssd bsen killed by the Indians, thirtesu
mults run or and that he had been thus deprived OF
his relay Of fresh mules. With his tired animals he
started on sud travelled into hide oendence from
Fort LaIimie, seven hundred and dfey miles,
in nire days. He remained at Independence
until within a couple OF weeks past, completing
his auac gements for the winter Bell sviag
that the necessary arrangements had been m ade to
cary out the contract in spite Of tue indian
deprocadons, he left for the States, on whit
TO his family in Pennsylvania. He arrived here,
aud received soon after the sad intelligence
hat Ind had OFT dad onl
seriously wounded bis keeper, Frank Berry,
who vas trying to save his herd, amounting TO
seventeen mules. The In ians succeeded, no wever,
mules within 500 yards q Fort Kearny, aud in full
view Of Iieutenans Heath, the commanding Off er
OF that pest Lieutenant Heath, from lack Of men
aud means, was compelled to be witness of an
outrage which he would, but could not, punish on
Wien Mr.. Magraw first arrived here, he detailed
toe losses he mad sustained In his enterprise, the
difficulties and distractions he had encountered, and
the rnsnnsr in which he and his men had been har-
raised by the hostile IndiBns and suggested to the
Post Office Department toat it must either make
furtser snd better means for carrying the mail
the route ia question, or he would be compelled to
aoandon and give up the contract. 70 neither Of
these proportions would tbs department assent
The Postmaster General would not allow more COM
pepsaton for carrying the mail through in safety,
nor jet consent that the contractors should sur
reLdsr their contract.
Mesntime the melancholy Intelligence has ar.
ftVfC, Oy teegTupu, LiAL Sur5e OI mdXtdW men,
honest. faithful fellows, and passenger
Mr.. KIncaid, of st. Louis, with ten tn usand dol
lars In ecie with hi M have been attacked robbed
aod murdered by party Of hostile Sioux Indsns.
This Intelligence has nearly possratsd Mr.. MagraH,
who has gone 70 his family in Pennsylvania. He had
gone over the long, rough, and dangerous route
with these men, and shared 9Th them in all its
hardsbips suo privations. He had found them,
Jack Jemsou Tom Hsckett, and Jim Wheeler all
honest and faithful, and now they are no more
Intelligent members Of Congress have expressed
their feelings in social circles, in very plain ana
emphatic manner on this subject, and no doubt Con-
gress,oBsi action viii promptly be- mad in the matter
Our government seems ve sensitive on the subject
of u0ressirg wrongs outrages and iudignities, rol
imaginary In fiicted on our citizens abroad but
here IL case Of robbery and murder on our own
soil, which the government seems in no hurry to
avepge. Some sixty persons have been murdered
by the hostile Indians between Independence and
the Salt Lakeiwthn year past Why il it that pro-
per and suitable provisions are not made for the
safe tsDst OF the mail over that routes mail that
averages from one thousand to eighteen hundred
pouncs IN weight
Why is il that Mr.. Postmaster General Campbell
negects this mail route he does, and takes such
speca. and expensive care Of the Mobile and Mont
gomerJ mail route? Is it because the contractors
the latter route his favorites, whilst of
the contractors the former route IL the Mr.. Ma
graw, who, year ago, published card In this city
against Col. John W. Forneyi
Does Gel Forney exercise supreme control over
the Pest Office Department, OF not Will he not
let the Postmaster General do justice to Colonel
Maefaw, because the latter happened to whip and
put to fight the five or six Forney bulei who
were es upon him last year at the National Hotel
in this city headed by one Of the editors of the
Ecenirg Starr ExPosIToR.
Our 50. Louis Correspondence.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6, 1854.
The Dangers Of the Nail Esyr,ce IN the Plains