The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-10-20
srRoUpsBuRG MONROE COUNTY, PA OCTOBER 20 1859.

Government, by its functioparies, had
consented to receive its own honest delts
in payment But no or some ridiculous
pretense of ill-blood between the Pay and
the Subsistence bureaux of the War De-
partment, this is refused-it would he
too much trouble to take certificates of
soldiers pay actually due iu payment for
these mules; SO the officers and soldiers
must purchase of spectators at double
price or go without, and the mules be
sold for far less than they would have
brought if those who must have thcm had
been enabled to bid directly for thcm.--
Two OF three spectators reap harvest
here at the sore cost of the soldiers and
the Treasury.
But it will be said that Forage is dear
in Utah. 1t would suffice to answer that
idle mules obtain, save iD Winter, only
growing on the Public Lands, which may
as we'll be eaten in part By Government
mules as all by those of the Mormon
squatters. But let US see how it costs so
much. There has recently been received
here thirty thousand bushels of corn from
the States at net cost, including trans
portation, of $4,000 or over Sll per
buShcl. No requisition was ever made
for this Corn, which could have been
brought here, delivered, for s. per bush
el or $50, 900 in all. The dead loss to
the Treasury on this Com is $3.50 900,
even supposiDg that the service required
it at all. Somebody makes good thing
of wagoniDg this Corn from the Missouri
at over $40 per bushel: Who believes
that said somebody has not influential
and thrifty connections inside of the War
Department?
/ l will not pursue this exposition: Con-
gress may.
Let me now give sample Of Re-
trenchment in the public service in this
quarter:
The mail from Missouri to Salt Lake
has hitherto been carried weekly il
good six mule wagons; the contract time
being twenty two days. The Importance
of frequent and regular communication
with head quarters. at least so long as q
large Army is retained here at heavy
extra cost, and because of some presum
ed public necessity, is evident. Yet the
new Postm aster- General has cut dowr
the Mail Service on this important centra
route from weekly to semi monthly. Blu
the contractors, who are Obliged to rur
their stages weekly because of their pas
senger business, and because they have
to keep their stock and pay their met
whether they work or play. find that they
cannot carry the Mail every other weel
so cheaply as they can every week. Fol
instance: A mail from the States nov
often consists of twelve to sixteen heavy
sacks {most of them filed with frankeC
documents). weighing as many hundred
pounds. Double this, and no six mul,
team would draw it at the requisite pace
and no baggage wagon stand the jerks
and jolts of an unm ade road. So they
say, "Please let US carry the Mail week
ly, though you only pay US for carrying
it semi montbly." But no! this is strict
ly forbidden! The Postmaster at Sal
Lake has express written orders to refus
it, and of course be at St. Joseph also
And thus all this central region, embra
cling at least dozen Important Mllitar,
posts and countless Indian Agencies. i
reduced to semi, onthly mail service
though the contractor would gladly max
it weekly at the same price!
HORACE GREELEY.