The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-13
A Letter from the Dubuque Postmaster.

A Letter from the Dnbaque Postmaster.
The last mail brought US the following
letter from CHARLES CoRKERY, ESQ.,, Post
master at, Dubuque. : AS it is written with
reference to an article published in our col
umns snort time back and as it bears
the marks of some elaboration; and as it
is tart and spicy, withal, we print it. The
Postmaster writes like man, pointedly and
frankly; and we esteem him for it, The
letter is dated 49, .o.,, a.. .',....5 "a -
-''',. ''t h-'ar1rh p. o. DUBUQUE, Iowa, !
June 9Th, 1883.
D'R SIR There is an editorial in your
Weekly Pioneer of the 31st ult, which con-
veys the impression that there are "some in
authority below" whe cause detention and ir-
regularity in the transportation of mails to
your city, and although there is no specific
charge made mo particular day or time nam
ed when these delays and irregularities occurr-
ed, they will necessarily be understood by per-
sons unacquainted with the facts, as applying
to this Office. Perhaps this was the design of
the article; but whether so or not, it certainly
bears that character on its face, and against it
| wish to file my most emphatic and explicit
denial .-...- ..........
'FIRsr. For the reason that only one single
day has passed, since the 18th of April that
your mails have not left this Office before six
O'Clock in the afternoon. think the excep'
ton occurred on the 10Th of May, when the
boat, or its agent, omitted to call tor it.
SECOND. No letter Or package addressed
to your city, was esei detained in this Office
one moment after the departure of the mail,
and at no time from the 18th of April to the
3lst of May, have more than six hours elapsed
between the receipt of your mails and their
dispatch from this Office. ,
10 these two propositions invite and defy
enquiry! Nor do l put It to your city alone,
but generally, boldly and deiantly, to every
place and point within the range of this Dis:
tribution. No mail or letter ever has, or ever
will, if can help it, be detained in this Office
beyond the proper time for its despatch, I'M
less through some extraneous cause which
cannot anticipate. or control and will be
excused for the vanity Of saying, that more
than one Special Agent of the Department
has told me that there are few Distributing
Offices in the West of which as much can be
said. This by the way.
You say, the conflicting claims below, for
the business Of st. Paul, has, we arc afraid
made st. Paul itself sadly suffer, and she has
too often pines, while other places were SQUAD
bling to possess her trade." Now we wish to
say, that st. Paul is as much entitled to her
mails as Galena or Dubuque, ard comparative
ly as quick, &C., &c. 1t is very strange that
you should charge the irregularity and deten-
.tion OF your mails to this cause, when you add
init in the very first sentence of your article
that &" the river has fallen so low that travel is
greatly impeded, and at some points wholly
stopped" Steamboats, you say, cannot
run with proper load of freight "The
hindrances to which trade Oh the river is sub
jected are numerous and most vexatious.
The river seems int mt OIL descending from
its dignity of Father of Waters, into the less
than mediocre position of common stream"
&c, &C., &c. /" In a greater or less degree,
every one is hurt by such state of affairs as
atpresent exists" Has this estate of affairs"
this unprecedentedly low stage of the river,
nothing to do with the irregularity of your
mails? assure you, sir, that in this alone,
and not below" in the conflicting claims of
'Galena an1 Dubuque, is to be found the sole
cause of that irreguiarity. A proof that your
mails leave here regularly erery day, will be
found in the consecutive dates of my bills on
file in your post-ofice. These will not lie nor
can they be made to deceive. s-..
But, in what do the conflicting claims be-
tween Dubuque and Galena, for the trade of
St Paul, consist? am not aware that Du-
buque has ever set up any claims for your
trade, unless such atoms as may have been
found floating in little gas and buster in
times past, and occasional animalcule of this
species are not strangers even to st. Paul.
Dubuque has not got a single boat in your
trade, while Galena has got perhaps Dozen
doubt whether q Dubuque merchant ever
visited st. Paul to solicit your trade, while
those from Galens are your frequent and press
ing visitors. 7 vas amused last week by
letter from highly respectable gentleman of
st. Paul to friend at this place, desiring to
have various articles of agriculture purchased
for him, and for which he sent one thousand
dollars, but suggested that most of them should
be obtained at Galens, as he was told by seve-