Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-04-16
Peters of q Pretty PafF Of .kdmimIstyztEo
Pets.
From The Missouri Denocca'. ri
now THE GOVERNMENT is w'ILLfAGLY SWIM

| Pets.
From The Missouri Denlocca' ri
If0w THE GOVERNMENT IS wILLfaGLY SWIM
btEp
| The contract made by the government
with Russell & NJ Mllor, for the transportation
of stores tosUtah. was of "a most extraordiua-
~ nature. For carrying barrel OF a ,ur
| from L"avenwort.i to Salt Lake City the
price is S42. But if cut off on the route,
not only are the trains TO be paid Tor by the
government, but all the freight also is to
be paid for as il it had been delivered at
Salt Like. This, you see, is giving the con-
tractors premiums for suffering their trains
to be cut off.
We extract the above Information from
Washington letter of the 27th uIt.
The newspapers have stated that these
contractors, Russell g. Major. are to receive
the enormous sum of Sl,75o,o0o Cor trans
porting the necessary provisions (for the
new army.) from Leavcnworth to Salt Lake
City.
1t is no wonder 4he contract amounts to
the enormous sum of Il millions, when the
contractors get, for transporting single bar
rel of -four (l96 pounds) Ss42 and it is
moreover no wonder, why seventy-sx mil
lions OF appropria atoms fall short of paying
the expenses OF the government, when favor
ties are rewarded in this wayI
! Billy Russell and Tom Major, be it re-
membered, are great pets of the present ad-
ninistration, "border ruffians'' of the choc-
est stamp, and who are wont to nod assent
if the powers that be say black is white or
white is black.
/ Billy is Vermotter, born in the town Of
Sibley; and when lie was boy his eyes
would fash fire at the sight Of silver dollar
ard since he has grown to be man his desire
to he possessor of "de monish" has in no
| wise abated. Billy, with his oily, Yankee
tongue, could in flash convince the present
Secretary of War--a yerdant Virginian--
that barrel OF -four would actually cost him
nearly $42 10 transport it to Salt Lake Ciiyj
and leave him only about ten per cent. profit
on the job! Billy himself has 80 often
when his interest was ut stake--been con-
vinced that white was actually black, that
he has learned the science Of convincing
others; and we have 10 doubt that Mr.. Sec
retary Floyd actually believes that he is get
ling his army stores transported dog cheap"
but Vermont Billy viii, when his contract
for delivery is completed, as easily convince
the Secretary that he (BlIy) has in his pock-
ct half million dollars surplus--eutned with
out consideration.
The lvernmeut officials say they can't ''stir
peg'' without Billy Russell, and Billy says
he can't stir peg without Tom Major, and
when they pull together, Bt lily says, they
are the strongest team in the world to trans
port army stores, and get paid three prices
for doing it,
Some time since, Billy and Tom disagreed
and they dissolved partnership; but Billy soon
found that transporting army stores was no
90, without Major for he, being a minister, :,
had the happy mack of keepin gtheir MINER
ou- 'amsters in subject,n while they were
crossing the plains wilh their 1900 oxen
and 600 wagons.
Tom is a raw boned Kentuckiah from the
Green river diggns-a kind OF half horse,
half alligator chap, on week days. but as mild
s Ian on Sundays, and his place (whcn
the train is on the march) is at the head of
of the teanIsters; and on Sundays he hals
the train to spend the Sabbath keeps the
whisky out of sight, puts on black cravat,
seeks his hair down with bears oil, and then
mounts a Wagon and--preaches 10 the tenn
sterI, the army escort, and to the Indians,
if there be any.
"7ussell and MaJur,' as we have said are
a stony team, Billy being sprightiy Yer
mont colt; and Tom, Kentucky draft horse
- Billy, managing the finances, and Tom,
do,ng the driving, whipping and preaching;
and the governmrnt--to-wit; we the people
paying for their labors, the snug little SUM
of $l,75O,0oo