Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-28
DAILY MAIL BETWEEN NEW Or
LEANS AND CAIRO.
We find the following in the Ne "

We find the following in the New Orleans
Pcayuae of the goth instant:
CAIRO AND New ORLEANS MAIL CONTRACT
We copy the following in relation to the Cairo
and New Orleans mail contract from the Louis
vile Journal, Of the llth instant:
captain Brannon arrived here from Cairo
on Friday. He informs us that the report that
the Government mad discontinued the mail
contract between Cairo and New Orleans is
entirely without foundation.
"We are satisfied that no contractor, even
had he controlled every steamboat on the
Western waters could have carried the mail be-
tween Cairo and New Orleans during the last
month, according to the existing contract. The
river, if not frozen over between Cairo and
Memphis, has been so low and completely
blocked up with ice that boats have been a
whole week making the trip, while the usual
time is only twenty-tour hours. Many boats
that have come up have done SO at great
hazard, and most of them have run aground
The contractors have made every exeriton
to forward the mail. If they have not sue
ceeded, it was beyond human control
"The hue and cry raised against the con.
tractors comes from disappointed parties in
Pittsburg and Cincinnati, who were bidders
for the contract, at higher rate Everybody
who knows anything about Western steam boats
is well aware that the boats owned in Pitts
burg and Cincinnati, with the exception of two
or three which do not run above the falls, are
the slowest and most inferior afoat. Some OF
these boats have been offered the mail; when
none others could be had, but demanded a
most exorbtant price. The contractors have
offered them $40, and in some instances SIG.
for delivering each mail bag to their agents on
the wharfboats along the route, but they have
demanded as high as $40. These very boats
land passenger, after carrying him two or
three hundred miles and furnishing him with
lodging aud boarding, for s..
"The contractors have offered fair compen-
sation, and if the steamboats, persist in refus-
ing the mail at it. they will find themselves
loosers by IT,"
The contract for carrying daily mail be-
tween New Orleans and Cairo, was awarded
by the Postmaster General, about the beginning
of December last, to Messrs. Eastman of In.
diana, Gaines Of Arkansas, and Woodburne Of
Mississippi, as being the lowest bidders by
several hundred thousand dollars. The ser
vice commenced on the lst Of January. These
contractors are gentlemen Of the highest re-
spectability-men of means, of industry, and
indomitabe energy-one of them an old and
experienced mail contractor. At the time the
contract was awarded for establishing daily
line Of steamers between those importan,
points, the thanks of the great west and south
west we're lavished upon the Postmaster Gene.
raj not only for its great saving to the public
treasury, but for the discrimination and know
ledge Of character manifested in the selection
OF men to perform the service. 1t is to be
hoped that combination of steamboat mon
opolists on the western waters win not be able
to produce failure by the means charged by
the Louisville Journal, and that the enterpris
ing contractors will be enabled to weather the
storm until they complete the building Of their
own boats