Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-07-16

DETENTION OF THE MAILS AT ABINGDON known
TO our readers TINT for the purpose of expedting the
transmission of the South western mails the Post
master General recently ordered them 10 be carried
over the Orange and Alexandria Railroad to Char
ottesvilleffom thence to this place by stages con-
Meeting directly with the trains of the va Tenn r
R. BY this arrangement the mails were designed TO
reach their destination some tcng hours in advance
OF the time consumed by the late route This desi-
rable end could be effected without difficulty but for
the detention to which they are now subjected at Alb
ingdon.
Most of The mail going both ways is subjected to
delay of "a hours at that place in order 10 ennbe the
Postmaster to distribute matter the greater portion
oil which, is destined for points west Of Knoxville and
east of Washington city This service conld be per
formed by the route agents with equal safety and
vastly expedliouSlv
The location Of Abingdon (heing a WAY station on
the Va & Tenn. R. r. renders wholly nnsuited for
II distributing Office 1t is only ID miles from the
terminus Of the above named road the trains of " hich
only stop at it sufficiently long to enable passengers
10 get III and out of the cars. During the time Of
the stage travelling it did well enough to distribute
mail matter at that point but under the present
rangement OF the running of trains the thing is
wholly impraoticable and utterly useless. If there
exists any necessity for Distributing Office in that
section of country, either Bristol or Knoxville would
DE vastly preferable TO Abiagdon-hoth these places
are the terminus of Railroads-the schedules of
which could be SO arranged to canse yery little
deention ther in travel the distribution of the
mails. We presume the mails can be distributed in
two three hours as well as in the same
number OF days-such being the fact, wonld it
not be much better to encounter detention Of two
hours at Bristol rather than submit the present de-
tentlon OF "a hours mt Abingdon. n this fast age
the loss of day is inconsiderable item. With
the lights before present impression is, that
there really exists necessity for distribution Of
flee for that section of country the at Chatta
nooga is amply sufficient for all needtnl purposes As
we before intimned,the route agents perform this
service much more to the satisfaction of those who
have direct interest in the matter than can be done
by any other means that may be employed by the De
partment. We entertain for Abingdon friends
the kndest possible feelings, and would not willingly
do any thing prejudicai their interests but at the
sans time cannot be blind to the fact that the ar
rangement now existing imposes Almost vexatous de-
lay on the correspondence of large scope ofcountry
and is OF no earthly convenience benefit single
human being, and except those Immediately
interested in the management Of the Abingdon Post
Office and very much doubt in the of change
any very serious loss even their part. a letter
coming from Jonesborough, Tenn, which is distant
from Abingdon some fifty miles, to this city is de-
tanned at the latter place "a hours, when it would
with equal safety direct. 1t is to be hoped that
the Department will at once look into and correct
this most garng abuse which so long as it exist,
tually does away with all the advantages that would
otherwise from the transmission OF the mails
by this the most natural and direct route.