Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1858-12-01
Letter from Collin.

Han. J. ". Scott, Mail agent DC,
DEAR SIR: In late No. Of the Dallas
Herald find q letter addressed By you TO the
County Court Of Collin county, relating TO
the mail service md the necessity OF bridges
on the mail line through this county, and
reply from Hon. J. J. Harrison, the present
Chief Justice. Justice TO the citizens of our
county, the former court, aud the public lner-
est require that your communication should
be again answered. Your energetic and sue
cesslul efforts in establishing mail routes and
in regulating the mail service in this portion
Of Texas, have been fully appreciated, and
your circular OF last winter was well received
in this county. Even the Grand Jury res
ponded BY recommending 10 the County Court
that after building Jail, their next efforts
should be directed to the building OF bridges
on the principal streams, on the stage line
through the county. The Court appointed
committee of competent mechanics to exam
inc the crossings of the streams, select sites,
and report plans FOR Substantial and permanent
bridges. Their repor. was received and adopt
ed the bridge across East Fork repaired and
three Others put under contract, and commit
tee appointed to put two others under contract,
which would bridge line across the principal
streams through the county. This the Old
Court was satisfied would best advance the
public interest as well MS the best interest OF
tue county.
They knew that all the subordinate routes
were dependant on 4'the main rou.e.---
They felt that it would be better TO suffer for
while the Inconvenience of our old Court.
House, than failure to bridge mail route to
cause failures, deranging the whole mail ser.
vice They felt that to crafty the pride and
seIf-interest OF few individuals the whole
public interest should moi suffer.
1t is true Sir, that when you passed through
the county. you found but one bridge upon the
mail route and that one in dilapidated state,
The new Court annulled the order made BY
the old Court for contracting for the two
bridges, which the contracting committee had
not been able to get under contract before the
new Court was organized; and the ones un-
der contract between Mckinney and Bonham
are not upon the mail line, but were upon
direct line between those places upon the road
irst laid out BY the county.
| The mail route runs some four miles from
la direct line, and is some four miles the lon
gest besides it passes through several mics
Of low wet ground between East Fork and
Sister Grove creeks, which in the winter is al
most impossible. This is entirely avoided by
the route upon which the bridges are put and
the route is in all respects superior &c The one
upon which the stages now run. These con-
sideyations induced the old Court to locate the
bridges upon the route they did, believing that
ii would meet your cordial appreciation and
that the mail contractors would gladly agree
to change of the route, Good and substan-
tial bridges will be completed (same of which
now are) and ready for crossing on Pilot
Grove, Sister Grove, East Fork and Wilson's
creeks, in very few days; and the failure to
have them built on Rowlett and Spring creeks,
is Attributable entirely to the action of the n,w
Court. One-tbird of the money required to
bridge Pilot Grove, Sister Grove and Wilson'S
creeks, was raised by private subscription, and
I the citizens in the vicinuy of the crossings on
Rowlett and Spring creeks were in readiness
to do the same. And believe would still do
SO, if The county would pay the other two.
thirds. Yours with respect,
GEO. II. PEGUES,
! Ex-Chief Justice. Collin CO., Tex