The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-12
PUBLIC DOCUMENT.

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REPORT OF THE POsTMAaTER GENERAL.
fccKcAgpsO.J
ovEaLAxp nAIL SERVICE 10 cAtIrozxIA
In order to carry into effect the Act Of Congress APP
moved the Sd Of March, 1851 relative 10 the overland
mai. to California, the dspsrtment issued the following
notice. and caused the same 70 bs regularly advertised
oOrding to law;
q Pom OrncK DErARrMKsr
sf bshs z April 20, 1857,
"An act of Congress-, approved I'd March, 1861,
making appropriations for the service Of the Post Office
Department. for the fiscal year ending 3Oth june 1888,
provides
heeby authorized to contract for the conveyance othe
entire letter mail from such point the Mississippi river
as the contractors may select To San Frscisco, in the
State of CALIFORNIA; for six years, at cost not exceeding
three hundred thousand dollsw per annum for semi
monthly four hundred and ffty thousand dollars for
weekly sx hundred thousand dollars 5os miweeky
seyce to be performed mimonthiy, weekly, or semi
weekly at the option Of the Rcstmsstcr Gsasrsl,
Sp H. That tho contract shall require the service
10 be performed with good fourhose coaches spring
wagons suitable for the conveyance of passengers well
as the safety and security of the mails.
SEc H. That the contractor shall have the right of
preempion three hundred and twenty any hand
not then disposed Of reserved at each point necessary
for station not to be than ten miles from each
other and provided that mineral land shall be thus
pre-empted IN 4g
$50 49, That the said service shall be performed
within twenty five days for each trip; and that before
entering into such contract the Postmaster General shall
be satisfied Of the ability and disposition Of the parties
bona @ and in good faith to perform the said contract
and shall require good and sufficient security for the per-
formanoe of the samethe service to within
twelve months after the signing the contract
Proposals viii accordingly be received at the Con-
tract Office of the Post Office Department until 8, p m
of the day of June, 1857 for conveying mails under
the provisions of the above act.
Besides the starting point the Mississippi river
bidders will name intermediate points proposed to be
haced in tho route and otherwise designate its
as nearly practicable.
Separate proposals are invited for scmi-monthly,
weekly, and scmi-weekly trips each way.
1.-The decision upon the proposals offered will be made
after the Postmaster General shall be satisfied Of the
ability and disposition Of the parties in good faith to per-
form the contract. ". 4s
"A guarantee is to be execute l. with good and sufi
cnt sueties that the contract shall be executed with
like good security whenever the contractor contract
shall be required to do by the Postmaster General
and the service must commence within twelve months
after the date of such contract. =
In pursuance of the said advertisement the Postmaster
General and his three assistants assembled in the Con
tract Office and opened the respective bids making the
following abstract of thcm and causing said abstract to
be copied into separate book and also in the route
book for California
Abstraa Of the Bids.
John ButterRcld, William B. Dinsmore, William G.
Fargo, James v. p. Gardner Marcus L. Kinyon Hamil-
ton Spencer and Alexander Holland From st. Louis,
by Sprngfeld and from Memphis by Little Rock,
Meeting at common point at or eastward of Albu-
quque thence wes to and along the military road to
Colorado river thence up the valley of the Mohahoc
river to and through the TETON passes of the Sierra Ne
yada and thence along the best route to San Francisco
weekly, $3.50, ,000 semi-weekly, $600,000.
John Butterfed and others: From Memphis by Little
Rock, Albuquerque, mouth of Mohahoc the Colorado
river and of the TETON passes of the Sierra Nevada
to San Francisco; semi-monthly, $500 900; weekly,
s45O, 900 semi weekly, s595, 600. s5
John Butterfield and others ST hv
Springfield, to Albuquerque; thence, above, to San
Francisco semi-monthly $500 900 weekly, $450, 600
semi-weekly, $685., 900.
James E. Birch From Memphis by Little Rock WASH
ngton Fulton, Carksvillc, Gainesville, Fort Chadbourne
head spring of Conche river to Pecos river nearly due
west thence along Pccos river Delaware creek through
the Guadalupe and Hueco mountains to the Rio Grande
nver thence, over the emgrant road to Fort Yuma;
thence by San Gorgona pass San Benardino Tejon Tu
lare or Salinas Valleys to San Francisco semiweekly
5000 900.
James Glover From Memphis, by Helena, Little Rock
across Texas to Ell Paso, Fort Yuma, San Bernardino
Los Angeles thence between the coast range and Sierra
Nevada mountains, to San Francisco; or, from vicks
burg, by Shreveport to FL Paso, &c. Sc, las above ,
scmi-monthy, $500, 600 weekly, $3.50, 900 semi
weekly, $600,O00.
S. Howell and A. f. Pace From Gancs's Landing, on
the Mississippi, to San Francisco; term of four years
commence at Vicksburg if preferred; weekly, $1,000,
600 for the first year. $500, 900 for the second year.
500 900 for the third year. 5000 900 for the fourth year
David d, Mitchell, Samuel B. Churchill Robert Camp
bell William Gipin, and others: From St. Louis to San
Francisco; semi weekly, 5000, 600.
James Johnston r., and Joseph Clark From st Louis
by Fort Independence, Fort Laramie, Salt Lake City,
any other point named by the department to San Fran
cisco seni-monthly, s260,0oo; weekly $500, 600 semi
weekly, $500, 900.
Irregular ater time) bid William Hollinshead pres
dent Minnesota Nebraska and Pacific Mail Transports
ton Company From st Paul, by Fort Ridgely South
Pass Soda Springs, Humboldt river Honey Lake valley,
Mobiles pass, Shasta City to San Francisco semi
y $3.50 900.
On the second day of july 1857 the department af-
ter full and mature consideration made the following
order in relation to the route selected and the bid
cepted
"l257s From ST. Louis, Missouri, and from Mem
phis, Tennessee, converging at Little Rock Arkansas
found advisable, to the best point of crossing the Rio
Grande, above III Paso, and not far from Fort Fillmore
thence, along the road being opened and construct
ed under the direction of the Secretary Of the Interior
Fort Yuma California; thence through the best passes
and along the best valleys for safe and expeditions staging
to San Francisco. W sa
The foregoing route is selected for the overland mail
service to California, combining, in my Judgment
more advantages and fewer disadvantages than any
other az staafa.e }a.3
No bid having been made for this particular route
and all the bidders (whose bids considered regular
under the advertisement and the act of Congrcss having
consented that their bids may be held and considered
extending and applying to said route;
Therefore looking at the respective bidders both as
to the amount proposed and the ability qualifications
and experience of the bidders to carry great mail
service like this hereby order that the proposal of John
Butterfeld, Of Utica, New York, William b. Dinsmore
Of New York city, William G. Fargo, Of Buffalo, New
York, James " T. Gardner of Utica New York Marcus