Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-02-09
OET The penographs" of s. F. V., are una voidablv crowded out this week.
The Overland Mail.
GAYoso HoUsE, MemDbis. Jan. 2S, 1859.

MEssRs. EDITORS: I regret to learn that the citizens of Memphis and surrounding country, are very much dissatisfied with the failure of Messrs Butteyield & Co., to deliver the Cali fornia mails here as early as at St. Louis.-- Some explanation of the causes ol their iall- ures may tend 10 satisfy the public that the company are lot so mucn to blame has been generally thought.
 You are no doubt aware that the company, believing that they could run light draught boats the year round on the Arkansas rlyer obtained the consent of the post master gene ral to run boats between Little Rock and Fort Smith; this change ordered too late for the company to have the class of boats which were necessary to run Ill low water with; they sent to almost every backyard and city Ill the south and west, hoping to lind some already built, but failed in finding any of light enough t:,ar.sn. .fcv continued this frutless search until very near the time for the mails to com mence runniug-too late for them 10 put stock and coaches on this arm of the route-and they were forced to make a contract with Messrs Chidester, Rapley & Co.,, who were carrying tri-weekly mails from this place to Fort Smith, to carry theirImails for them; these gentlemen did all they could to put their mails through in schedule time, but their route was so circuitous, and they had to stop at so many offices, that they were unable to comply with this contract.
 Failing in this they bought the contract from Dardanele to Fort Smith, and put on their own stock, and made contract with Chides- ter, Rapley & Co., to take their mails from Memphis to Dardanele-the time allowed them being forty-fve hours; from Dardanele the company to carry them in their own stages to Fort Smith in fifteen hours; thus making the trip between Memphis and Fort Smith in sixty hours--twenty-f four hours less than from St Louls.
 There have been but four mails since this arrangement was made, and the road between Memphis and Little Rock has been in such wretched condition that Messrs. Chdester, Rap ley & Co. have not been able to go through in the time they contracted to do, but think that when the roads become good they will be able to run it very regularly and you will then get the mails from California at least one day in advance of St. Louis. 1 am quite certain that the company intend to act in good faith with the post master general, who would never have consented to change the connecting point of the two branches from Little Rock to Ft. Smith if he had thought that St. Louis would get the mails in advance of Memphis, and if MessrS. Chidester, Rapley 6 Co., do not comply with their contract, Messrs. Butterfeld & Go. will stock the road themselves and carry their own mails, and they have already proven to the country that wherever they use their own stock they invariably make good time.
 hope the public will not be too severe in their censure until the company have had time to try the new arrangement made with Chides- ter, Rapey & O.. Very respectfully,
 JAMES CLOVER
 Sup't Overland Mail Company. Appeal