Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-29
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

Il.
A friend of the contractors for the transporta-
ton of this so very important proposed mail, has
come to their rescue in the New York IfneS,
the journal from which day or two ago we |
copied an article attributing to them the pur-
pose OF failing to comply with their obligations
to the Post Office Department Yesterday, |
after due inquiry, we came to the conclusion |
nat the statements Of this writer are correct, |
and therefore insert his communication in the |
Star, having previously copied the article 10
which it is a reply:
To the Editor Of the NsIc York Times:
In an article which appeared in your paper 81
yesterday, can assure you, from information re-
ceived from a responsible and entirely reliable
source, that YOU have done great injustice To the
contractors for the Overland Mail
In the first place, il seems that everybody who
knows anything about the organization of the ex-
press companies knows that they could not under
take any such enterprise, nor was any such idea
ever held out to the Postmaster General or the
public. IL is true, nevertheless, that the men ill.,
teTe>ted in this mail contract are the p incipaI
propHetors and managers in the several great
Express Companies" the men who have given
TO them their present position and character; and
that, consequently, they are in position to
mand all the "energy and facilities" which these
companies possess, so far as they may desiIe to
avail themselves of them.
The contractors entered into the contract in good
faith, and with a full knowledge that great diff
culties were To be overcome, but that with cor
dial and intelligent support the part Of the
POSTMASTER Gene al in carrying out in the best
way, the great enterprise, they have never enter
tanned doubts OF its entire success The only
modification OF the route asked for by the
contractors was that the point of junction Of the
hemPhls line with the line from st Louis should
be Fort Smith instead of Preston or Little Rock
which was granted without hesitatiOn and we
doubt not that hereafter he Postmaster General
VIII modify the route from time to time as good
judgment and the public interest may dictate so
a TO give to the contractors the very best route
between the Mississippi and the Pacific
In another respect also you were entirely mis-
informed 30 lar from the contractors having
done little or nothing on the route pTepa raory 10
commencing the mail service, thew have had
parties on the line the whole winter IeconnoiteT
lag and locating their stations. The chief man
o. one OF these parties. Mr.. NJ. l.. Knyon, of
Oneida county, has just returned to this city
He passed over the whole route from San FIa1
cisco TO FL PaSo with one team of mules making
an average of from IS TO Is miles per day. This
lmpracticable Mr.. Kinyon LETT men in Cali
fornia TO purchase horses and mules, and make
the proper preparations for placing them on tie
line, together with the requisite mail wac ons
many Of which have tady been shipped to
California, one hundred having been contracted
Tor Immediately upon the execution of the mail
contract.
Again, SO far from the contractors having an
pItd TO the Postmaster General for an extension
OF the Time Tor eginning the mail service on the
line; tney have had for some time before him an
application for permission 10 begin the service al
the two e1tremlties previous to the time fixed i'm
me G.n n intending in this way to get the
early as the day fixed by the contract ID.
DISCOVERY AND REscUE-A week or two
ago the DOorkeeper of the House of Represen.
tatves reported to Speaker Orr the finding by
some OF his subordinates in the vaults under
the centre (rotunda) of the Capitol building. of
large number of books belonging to the Gov
eminent, some of them of much value, not a
few OF which were buried in boxes, we hear
under heaps Of coal and ashes. The Speaker
ordered their prompt rescue; and for some
time past they have been gradually ushered
into the light OF the upper stories Of the build
Ing Thus, $4,000 volumes have been dug out
OF the catacomb in which they have been en-
toInbed for years past-at least long enough
the DOorkeeper tells us, to result in a total oh
hvion on the part of those entrusted with their
custody as to who is responsible for their Ioca-
ton there and the shameful condition of not a
few Of them. Among these books are 300 full
sets Of the words of John Adams, the records of
the debates in Parliament as far back AS 1900
various valuable French books and newspaner
files In French and English, various mann
script books connected with the details of the
custom house business Of the country about
-
volumes were published by order of Congress
and in all, they will number perhaps 30 coo
volumes, many of which have been irretriev-
ably injured by neglect, the rats and coal ashes
together.
IHE STAR DENOUNCsD.-In the course Of
the meeting held last night in the Sixth Ward.
the Star was vehemently denounced from the
stand Some days since its editor took occa.
sion to explain to the satisfaction Of all right
minded persons, he feels assured, the reasons
influencing him to keep its editorial and local
columns free OF Identification with either side
In the current municipal contest Neyerthe
less, he by no means entertained the idea Of
"inkInS at rowdyism in the streets of Wash
irgton for anybody's benefit. He regards tho
"slush 'slung' at the Star at the neetiny
referred to as precisely ON a par with that 70
which he was so frequently treated by the mar.
allei class of politicians in the Know No,bin,
ranks in the memorable political eedemops,ra'
tons which laid the foundation for tho exi,,
ing state of rowdyism here, which it i, the
Stars mission TO check without fear or f,vor
IL matters not who may for the time being he
the seekers to use it for their own ADVANTAGE
He ioiio"inB report OF tho
westherfor this morning is made from the Morse
Telegraph line to the Smithsonian Institution.
The time of observation i, about O'Clock a m
APRIL 49, 1883
New YoTh, N. Y..........cIear, pleasant
anIddeiphla, Pa......... clear, pl. a,ant
baltimore, Md ............clear, pleasant
washington ID. C-....-...c cloudy, wind s
Pe,.,.h',r' cloudy, tn 81, wind s
..tSpuIg Vacuum. cloudy, cool
iis s,i: va -.........-....th 50, wind =
~Iihgton, y C....... clear, pleasant
Charleston, 8. c.........-cI ..,' ~ q
Sugust1, va .'.-......... clear pleasant
s.Nun i1 IN va -........... clear, To So wind sw
clear, pleasant
oolunious Va. clear, warm
Montgomery, Ala .........clear cool
Lower Peach Tree, Ala :. clear
Mobile, Ala ....-.......... clear thor 20
GalnPsVille- Miss