The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-07

VICE
Heretofore owing to many causes not necessary 10
explain, the overland mail contractor has been I'M
able 10 make the mail service from Memphis to Fort
smith equal to that from St Louis to the Fort
Al Fort Smith as our readers viii recolIect the two
rontes unite and form one from thence TO San Fran
cisco A just man, and anxious to deal fairly by
both sections Of the coniederacy, Mr.. Butterheld
has been intensely mortified at being compelled TO
see the southwestern States supplied from Memphis
with mail and stage service decidedly inferior to that
furnished by him TO the northwestern States from 81
fouls After much effort and large expenditures,
the disparity has been removed. Hereafter the
service from Memphis to Fort Smith viii be most
admirable. The Overland Mail Company has pur-
chased, and placed upon the Arkansas river light
eraught passenger mail steamboats, TO ply regularly
sem-weekly, between Little Rock and Fort smith
These can run about nine months in the year with
certainty and regularity.
The Memphis and Little Rock railroad has just
been completed from Memphis to the St. Francis
river forty miles, (the lowest and most difficult por
ton of the whole route,) and the have com
meneed their daily trips uponit From the st. Fran
els river to Little Rock the distance to be traversed
by stages is about one hundred and twenty miles /;
hence from Fort Smith the traveller from San Fran
cisco travels ON steamboat or in railroad car all
the way to Memphis, except the one hundred and
twenty miles of staging between Little Rock and the
ST. Francis river; whereas, if lac goes from Fort
Smith to ST. Louis he viii travel three hundred and
fifteen miles by stage and one hundred and sixty
eight miles by railway.
70 the weary traveller, who has been con-
fined twenty days and twenty nights in stage
coach between San Francisco and Fort Smith, the
privilege Of going on board a steamboat where he
can obtain sleep and rest and afterwards get off
with one hundred and twenty miles of staging, in
stead of three hundred and fifteen is most valuable
The cost is also somewhat less. The distance from
Memphis 10 Fort Smith is estimated at two hundred
and sixty miles from ST. Louis to Fort Smith, fonr
hundred and eighty-three difference two hum
dred and twenty three miles. Hence the Over
land Mail Company charge two hundred dollars
for ticket from San Francisco to Memphis, and
two hundred dollars from Gan Francisco to the
end of the Pacific railroad Syracuse,) one hundred
and sixty.eight miles west of st. Louis; from SYRIA
per mile) to St Louis.
This Improvement of the overland service will
benefit travellers from California bound to Wash
ington city. BY the close Of the coming sum
mer the road hence TO Lynchburg. and from
Cleveland to Chattanooga, will be completed
then the distance from Washington to Memphis
will be nine hundred and thrty-eight miles,
NH ahnuf from, ali tn
st. Louis, and ought to be rIn by the cars in
the same time, and carry the traveller for the
same price. As Memphis could be reached as
soon and as cheap, and is besides two hundred and
twenty-three miles Fort Smith than St.
Louis, and requires but one hundred and twenty in
stead Of three hundred and fifteen miles of staging,
the benefit of this Improvement of Mr.. Buttcrhelds
to all California travellers to and from Washington
city, and other Atlantic cities lying to the northeast
Of it, is papable and most acceptable. The same
spirit will soon large tide of travel and emf
grafton to flow along this great route, through Vr
ginia Tennessee, and Arkansas to the Pacific coast.
This result must show the people of the Southwest
that Gov. Brown has not been sleeping the APP
parent neglect Of the Southwest route. Causes be-
You'd his control alone prevented his contractor (Ar.
Butterfeld) from giving this high grade of service
from the beginning. Both the Postmaster General
and his contractors have kept the vast importance of
developing the capacity of this fine route steadily in
view.
Aware that the Arkansas cannot be navigated,
even by lightdraughI boats, at certain seasons Mr.
Butterfield has taken measures to maintain his com
munications at those seasons This is easily done,
as at such times the country is dry and hard and
30 rapidly traversed by stages the distance from
Memphis to Fort Smith is two hundred and sixty
miles forty Of which has railroad this leaves
but two hundred and twenty miles of staging.
Viewed in any point of light this route will be
boih convenient and important. To Northeast and
Central Arkansas, and TO Memphis, this regular
steamboat, stage, and railroad rone win be pecaHy
advantageous, and we congratulate them upon the
splendid result which had been 80 quietly wrought
out Tor them by the Postmaster General
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THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
r. Al. = ID /