The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-09-23
The overland Mail for California.

The land mail for the Pacific coast left
Memphis and st. Louis, simultaneously, on
Thursday last, to connect at Fort Smith, in
Arkansas; from which point the main route
strikes west for the Pacific, passing FL Paso,
Fort Yuma and the TETON Pass to San Fran
cisco. The mail is semi-weekly, and will
leave Memphis and st. Louis on svety Mon
day and Thursday. The schedule time
through is twenty-five days, bat the con-
tractors will aim to make the journey in
less.
The Memphis 1raIGnche gives the follow
ing account Of the gigantic arrangements
made by the contractors for fulfilling the
great enterprise. The whole distance is
900 miles. The undertaking is one of the
most important of the day and has attracted
much less popular attention than it merits
Ailthepreparationso Of the overland Califor-
MIA Mail Company are complete and in per-
feet readiness for the commencement of The
service. All the stations are prepared, and
the last of the stock reached the ground
week ago. The stations are ten miles apart,
and through the Indian country, each sta
tion has a guard Of % men, well armed
force fully adequate, with the protection af-
fordcd by the manner of the construction of
the stations, TO successfully resist any num-
Der OF Indians likely ever to be collected in
one hostile body. Each train will be guard
ed from station to station, through the will
6arnas- Inv ,urIro,, Of " M lfl NJ
ell men.
Tie vehicles used upon the road beyond
Fort Smith are of the description known as
CELEBRITY Wagons. They are ofthe build of
the common Troy coach and the body is
hung upon-the same kind OF springs and in
q similar manner Instead, however, Of
the heavy wooden top, with iron railing
round it, in common use they have light
canvas covering supported by light uprights,
after the manner of a Jersey wagnn. Thi.
covering affords ample protection against
the weather, while it greatly diminishes the
weight of the vehicle as we'll as its liability
to upset. The company have over one hun
dred of these coaches on the ground and
have been running them regularly aud with
very profitable results, for some time past,
upon portions of the route.
Mr. Chester, the agent at Memphis, in
forms US of the means used to supply the
stations i'm the LlGn0s EstdcCdos, or Staked
Plains, with water. This desert, by the
route of the CompaDys road, is about 20
miles wide. From streams upon each side
of the Tlains the Company supplies water TO
tie stations with regular water trains, fitted
ont expressly for the purpose. The wagons
used for this purpose are constructed with
large tin boilers, similar in shape TO the
boilers of a steamboat, and capable of hold
Ing as much water Us team of six mules
can draw. These trains run regularly, con-
veying water to the different stations, where
large reservoirs are prepared TO receive and
preserve il for the use Of passengers and the
employees and stock of the Company. This
is, of course a very expensive mode of sup
plying-the indispensable clCncnt, but as all
efforts TO obtain it by boring or otherwise
have proved futile thus far the Company
must submit to it for the present. ,.
1t VIII &c seen that the Company has
spared 10 expense to perfect such arrange
ments as will insure success 70 the enterprise.
They have furnished the entire route with
an ample supply of men, provisions, water,
stock vehicles, teamSters, and tools and work
shops to keep their equipments in repair
1t is gigantic undertaking, but not beyond
the compass Of American courage aud enter
prise. The prudent foresight and Judgment
displayed by the Company in perfecting
their arrangements, give assurance that
every difficulty and danger viii be sur
mounted, and that a rick harvest of honor
and profit will soon reward the pioneers in
this adventurous service