The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-11

the interests Of the whole country was that which
Washington. We alude to the despatch for
warded by Mr.. John Butterfeld, Of the Over
land Mail Company, having the contract for
the conveyance OF a semi-weekly mail overland
between st. Louis and San Francisco, to the Pre-
sident of the United States, informing him of the
arrival in ST. Louis Of the first mail from San
Francisco, in the space Of twenty three days and
four hours. The contract specifies that the SER
vice shall be performed in twenty-fv days, but
here we find the most satisfactory evidence of
the good faith of the contractors and of their
ability to perform their contract, in the fact that
the very first mails sent through arrived one day
and twenty hours ahead Of the time specified.
The connection of San Francisco and st. Louis
BY an overland mail route, carrying semi-weekly
mails each way, is an event the importance Of
which cannot be over-cstimated. 1t does not re-
quire any prescience to perceive that this is the
first practical step towards the establishment Of
railroad and telegraphic communication between
these same points. If wagons, travelling at the
average rate of four and half miles per hour,
can traverse the two thousand six hundred and
iifi y-one miles that lie between these two cities
by the Fl Paso route, in the space Of twenty
three days, follows that train Of cars, travel
ling at an average speed six times greater, can
run between them in four days; and that conse-
qucntly the establishment Of the Pacific Railroad
will place New York and San Francisco within six
days ride of each other II is in view of that not
distant epoch of trans continental railroad travel
ling. that the arrival Of the first overland mail
wagon train from San Francisco in 81. Louis, be-
comes really an event Of the highest significance.
and one which deserves to be duly honored by
has we'll described it as a GLORIOUS triumph for
civilization and the Union:" and he is equally
happy in indicating the immediate results to fol-
low. He says: Settlements will soon follow the
course of the road, and the East and the West
will be bound together by chain Of living Anne
ricans which never can be broke
The first practical step taken toward the
achievement of this most desirable end, was the
embodiment in the Post Office Appropriation
BILL approved March 5, 1857, of the following
clauses
And the Postmaster General hereby authorized
tract for the conveyance Of the entire letter mail from
such point the Mississippi river as the contractors
select 10 San Francisco in the State OF California for six
years al cost not exceeding three hundred thousand
dollars per for semi monthly, four hundred and
fifty thousand dollars for weekly six hundred thousand
dollars for weekly service, TO be performed semi
monthly weekly, or sem-weekly, Al the option Of the
service 10 be performed with good four horse coaches or
spring wagons suitable for the conveyance Of passengers
as well as the safety and security Of the mails the
hundred and twenty Of land not then disposed
Of or reserved at each point necessary for station not
to be nearer than miles from each otherprovidcd
that mineral land should be thus pre- empcd; that the
shall be performed. within twenty days for
each trip and that before entering into the contract the
Postmaster General shall be satisfied OF the ability and
disposition Of the parties bona fde and IN good fath to
perform the said contract and shall require good and suf
ncent security for the performance OF the samethe
vice to commence within twelve months after the signing
OF the contract
In pursuance Of the authority thus vested in
the Postmaster General, he advertised for bids,
and finally, on the 10th of Sept, 1857, he COM
pleted contract with Messrs. John Butter6eld,
Vim. B. Dinsmore, VIM G. Fargo, James v. p.
Gardner, Marcus l.. Kinyon, Alexander Holland
and Hamilton Spencer, for
Transporting the entire mail agrccably to the pro-
visions Tie flth l2h and 18th sections of act Of Con
gess approved 81 March 1857 (maSng appropriations
for the Of the Post Once Department for the fiscal
year ending 30th June 1881 from the Mississippi river
TO san Francisco California, as follows VIZ. from ~
Louis Mo and from Memphis, Tenn converging at Little
Rock Ark thence via Preston Texas may
be found advisable 10 the best point OF crossing the RIO
Grande above Fl Paso and not far from Fort Fillmore
along the road being opened and constructed
the direction Of the Secretary q the Interior
TO Fort Yuma, Cal thence through the best passes and
along the best valleys for safe and expeditions staging 10
San Francisco, CAL and back twice week IN good four
horse post coaches spring wagons suitable for the con
yeysnce Of passengers well ms the safety and security
OF the mails at six hundred thousand dollars year
and during the term o. SIX years, commencing the SIX
tenth day d sepemeer N The year on. Thousand eight
Of September the one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-fou
The contract was subsequently, so modified a.
TO make the converging point at Fort Smith, on
the Arkansas river, instead ola Little Rock and
on the very day specified In the contract
that is, on the 10th Of September, ls5S-the
mails were simultaneously despatched from San
Francisco, ST. Louis and Memphis The mails
eastward have arrived at their destination forty
four hours In advance Of the schedule time
and II is not unreasonable to suppose that those
westward have been transported to San Fran
cisco with equal rapidity-,hus showing the
perfect practicability Of an overland mail wagon
route by which the mail service can be per-
formed a. promptly az 1t now Is performed by
the way Of Panama
Great credit II due TO the President the Post
master General, the contractors and all concern
ed. for the prompt and efficient manner in
which the wish Of Congress has been carried out
In regard TO this overland mail route to San
Francisco, and we cannot but regard this sue
cessful experiment A. destined to give new inn
pctus to that grand design Of connecting the At
lantic and Pacific slopes Of the Continent by rail-
road Nothing could have been more suspicious
than this first wagon road trip.
Tag CHAwpTR oF COMMERCE COMMITTEES
on QraRASrnE-The exposure by the He
nam ~ the svst.n upon which tho Ouaran-