Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-08-22


The Night Mail to New York.
We notieed last week that a change had
been made in the routes over which the night
mail was to be carried between Boston and
New York. Our attention has just been called
to an article in the Hartford COurant of the
25th ult in which, speaking upon this sub
ject, it remarks -
"The directors of the Hartford and New
Haven Railroad made every concession that
could be reasonably expected; offered to take
the same as the rest did, although they ran
their train at such hours in the night that no
way traffic could be expected offered to leave
the compensation to be fixed hereafter, &C.,
&c.; but the post office authorities at Washing
ton, influenced perhaps by political reasons,
saw fit to give the shore line via Say brook the
preference. II is palpable that the business to
be accommodated is much greater on the route
through Hartford than it is on the route
through New London, and we can but hope
that time will prove that our information is er.
roneOuS"
With regard to the inference that the post
office authorities at Washington were intiu-
enced by political reasons, it is wholly wrong.
! Facts running through the whole history of
this night mail enterprise, from its incipiency
to the present time, show that not only were
| the post office authorities, both of the late aud
| present administration, opposed to the
! late route, but were strongly in favor
| of it, Notwithstanding the strenuous eXer.
| tons on the part OF the present contractors to
| obtain it, When the contract for day and
night service under the late administration
ceased, Mr.. Twichell, OF the Worcester road,
took immediate and efficient steps to renew it
for four years under the present admlnlstra
ton and, after advocating it, and in order to
meet reas ms given by the agent of the shore
line so called, ior taking the mail that way, he
offered the following sound and conclusive
reasons, which, are happy to state, were
recognised by the department.
1st,-For the reason, that it is the only con-
tinuous rail line. The shore line, so called,
having tlCo ferries.
2d,-It is the only double track line.
3d,-It is the only line that proposes TO car
ry the mails entirely disconnected from, or
disencumbered by, steamboat train.
4th-It is the only line that can make a
continuous mail between New York, Vermont,
New Hampshire, and northern Massachusetts,.
5th,-It is the only line that proposes TO
make continuous mails between Maine and
New York.
6th,-It is the only line not liable to be
stopped by ice in winter, high winds or low
water in summer.
7th,-That the cities of Hartford, Spring
field and Worcester with their northern con.
nections, are of too much Importance 10 the
departing MT to be disregarded, or compared
with any other route in New England
Sth,-It is the only route over which the
SymijaX pal Ji:: h." 49,
This was on the Dist of June, 1861. On
the day following the postmaster general made
the following proposition TO the four interests,
viz: (the Boston and Worcester, the Western,
the Springfield, Hartford and New Haven, and
the New York and New Haven $500 per
mile for day and night service and Sunday
mail. The Boston and Worcester accepted
Internationally. Mr.. Twichell then drew up
the following agreement, in which it will be
seen that the New York and New Haven threw
OIL two miles from the distance usually accord
ed that road, agreed to continue the night
mail by this route, and to remove all the then
existing objections in regard to passengers bv
that train; and the Worcester threw off the
fractional part (nearly mile) from that road.
The agreement was signed by Messrs Bulk
ley and Twichell, but not by either Mr. Cha
pin or Mr.. Pond :
New YORK, June "a, 1861
1t is hereby agreed by the managers of the
great land line between New York and Bos.
ton, that the night mail is to be continued over
this line for the four wears commencing july
l, 1861, and that the schedule is to be satisfac.
tory TO the post office department; that the
tram is TO be run IN the best manner to satisfy
the travelling public, with luxurious sleepinr
cars to be run for the through passengers at
an additional charge, TO be agreed upon for
the berth. Through tickets to be sold by this
train at prices TO be agreed upon, and divided
pro rata, calling the distance 234 miles, as fol.
lows -
| New York to New Haven "a miles.
| New Haven to Springfield, SO
Springfield to Worcester, 81
Worcester to Boston, "A
Thus matters stood up to July 1lth, when
the Postmaster General telegraphed Messrs.
Pond and Chaplin that he could wait no longer
Tor an answer to the proposition. Mr.. Twich.
ell was also notified OF the fact; and, further.
that Mr. Pond had replied that he must Law
the matter before his directors, (sixteen days
only having elapsed since the proposition was
made and that Mr.. Chaplin would accent,
provided the Department would increase his
pay between Springfield and Albany. Mr.
4wlcheii at once telegraphed to have the mat
Ter delayed Il week this was denied he start
ed at once Tor Washington, and, by personal
exertlons, secured the delay 1; he then returned
TO New York, expecting to find Messrs Pond
anu Ghaplh, having requested them by tele.
| graph from Washington to meet him in New
Iork' lhey dld not meet him as requested
nor accept Internationally the offer of the de
| partment, and the Shore Line received tho
contract. Thus the cities of Worcester and
Springfield, and Hartford, and the other towns
and railroads Tor which they are the distribut.
ing offices, are deprived of this great conven-
fence OF night mail by the actcn or inaction
OF the presidents OF the two Intermediate links
| in this great route
=, we state the above facts because we think
they are due to the department at Washing,
ION to The Worcester and New Haven Roads,
road policy of New England they are due TO
the public Notwithstanding that the night
man now goes by the Shore Line, the night
Tdns on this route continue to run between
boston and New York as heretofore and the
Sunday Night Mail is carried between Boston
and Worcester
MCCLELLAN AND BEAUREGARD.-The Chi
cage Tribune says When General Mcclellan
was resident of this city, he kept up an &C
i've correspondence with his army associates,
and amOup Them with Ranurouord Hvhnn, Ia.