The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-24

d "''~'~''NA~ 49,
sla have the honor to submit herewith, in con
fomty to the instructions issued from your department
the 18th of June last the result Of my observations
while passing the mail between New York
and San Francisco via Aspiuwa aud Panama and be-
tween San Francisco and the Mississippi river via Fort
Yuma and franklin, (El Paso)
left New York on the 9Th OF July, in the Moses lay
lor and arrived at Aspinwa on the morning of the
14th crossed the sthmus the same day and left Pam
anna the 18th in the Sonora We touched at Aoa-
puco the 2lst and again at Manzanilla, and arrived
at San Francisco the morning of the 18th, making the
trip in about % days.
returned by the overland route taking passage in
the stage from the Pacific to the Mssis
sippi via Fort Yuma and Franklin under the Buttered
contract.
have no suggestions in regard to the mail
vice ON the first of these routes II is performed with
great regularity and SO far as my observation extended
the for the safe keeping of the mails
all that could he desired
The establishment of regular and permanent line OF
Communications overland between the Atlantic States
and California being matter Of general interest
desire may naturally be felt 10 kor far the enter
prise recently nauurated under the auspices Of your de-
partment has succeeded am Induced therefore to
produce somewhat in detail the notes took while
tompanying the first mail from the Pacific under the
contract with the Overland Mail Company
The stage with the mails started from the Plaza at
San Francisco at precisely ten minutes past midnight OF
the l4h ult and arrived at linton the present terminus
of the Pacific railroad at five minutes past nine clock
ON the morning of the 9th inst Thence the mails were
Transported bv the Pacific railroad TO ST. Louis where
they arrived the same day at forty-nve minutes past
eight clock D. M The entire distance between these
two termini OF the route was thus accomplished in
twenty four DAYS twenty hours and thirty Ave minutes
apparent time From this there should be deducted two
hours and nine minutes for the difference time between
San Francisco and ST. Louis leaving twenty four days
eighteen hours and twenty six minutes as the time
ally consumed on the trip.
The service then has been performed ithn The con-
tract time and as this pioneer trip was attended With
many difficulties and embarrassments, which each
cesiye trim will gradually remove there Is no reason to
apprehend that longer period will be required in future
On the contrary feel safe In expressing the opinion that
continued exertion of the energy and perseverance
which have thus far characterized the operations of the
Overland Mail Compapy will enable the contractors to
,educe tho tirne 10 twentY davs
Herewith is enclosed a Memorandum (marked Al Of
the stations on fine routc showing the distances between
them and the made on each division This was com
nied with Great care chiefly from data obtained on the
road and although It doubtless contains some errors
NAV be regarded az anproxi,natyely correct
Ii will be seen that the aggregate Of these distances
greatly exceeds that snec;ted IN tbe contract with the
Overland Mail Company This 4 accounted for by the
fact that the double necessity of keeong within reach of
water and bevond fire ,suoj range fhose tribes of In
dams has compelled the company to follow on the first
second fourth and fifth divisions a route VARYING ma
teriav from that contemplated in the contract
The lrst Of these diyergcnccs occurs in California
CROSSING the sierra not at The Teton Pass but through
the Canada Ia las Twas twenty fvc miles tn the south
west Tho road srts the ee Of the desert crosses the
san Rarnardno range tbrouSb the San Francsaujto Ca
non ana thence rms Nv the Nan Fernando p,ss to los
Apgecs Thence the road rms southeast crossing tho
nonntain 81 Warmers pass and connects ut Garlic
creek with the old san Diego trail which Il follows to
ort yuma me route sneciied IN the contract runs by
San Rernardino and 4 shorter nv about eighty niles
INF as tho atmnts heretofore made 70 find water on It
Nave poyed unsuccessful the present route was nccessa
ri aonted n was enorted NJ Ios Angeles on the 18th
IN Ami nm exnIor;n xneit;on which had been fitted
ont bv the citizens 81 San Demanding had succeeded
II finding y good road with an adequate supply OF
,vater on the east side az ,e san Jacnto range Wletb-
or tbis nrova m he the ease or not would respecfuIy
suygest hat n small amount Of money might he udi
c;nns,v exnepa in . line az water stations from
Vaecito ia the Colorado Apart from the obvious adj
VANTAGE Of shortenin the over the Colorado
desert there are other considerations to istfy an ,x
penditre for this purpoae This il tho route by which
southern enpratn seeks the Pacific and the abandoned
wagons the carcasscs and the whitening bones by the
road side too nain(y attest The sunerinps heretofore
entaed upon the emgrans by the scarcity Of water
The most material variance from the contract route
man of The route marked Is, will show that saving Of
nearly ono hundred miles might be made by running
directly from Pope' camp on tho Pccos to Fort Belk-
nan along the route followed BIZ Iieut arrard and Cant
Pone IN 1874 It il altered however bv the company
and with reason that unless government should inter
pose for their protection by establishing line Of military
poss along tho northern frontier Of Texas it would be
imoossbe for them To maintain the necessary stations
From Fort Bellnap the road follows Can't Marcy's
trail portions of (which the company have greatly i'm
proved at their own cost and passing through Gaines
Vile and Sherman crosses Red river at Colbers Ferry
From Coberts Ferry there Il direct road to Fort Smith
which would seem To be the natural terminus of the route
on the east
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