, 1861-07-04
T HE DAILY OVERLAND MAR

Al last there is an Overland Mail estab-
lshtd, worthy Of the name. The first trip
vas commenced on Monday, July first.
he co.chts run from St Joseph, Missouri,
I" the Sacramento river. FrQm thence the
mails will be conveyed by steamboat to
San Francisco. 4 folr lolse coach will
depart from St Joseph every day, with
1900 pounds Of mail matter, if that much
Oilers, and as many passengers additional
as the ccach can take. We believe the
SCHEDULE time is twenty days to San Fran
cisco. The company have established re-
lays Of horses every fifteen miles and
through the mountains every twelve miles.
Thc coaches will run night and day.
The route follows up the Platte River
10 the South Pass in the Rocky Noun
.ains; thence to Salt Lake City, via Ft.
Br;dser; and from thence to the Sacra-
ntn:o River by the nearest and best road.
This is the same route On which it is pro-
posed to build the Great Central Railway.
The Pony Express takes a shorter cut,
hut over worse road from Salt Lake City,
West, tban the stage will run.
The establishment of this great Daily
Overland Mail marks IN important epoch
in Western communications. It Will bc
10 longer necessary to subsid:ze steamship
Lies TO carry the mails to the Pacific coast
twice month, by way Of the Isthmus Of
Panama, and occupying thirty days 10
rake the trip. True, there was the But
1,,fieid weekly overland mail, whicl, run on
tie "hcrsc-sIoe route;" but who patron
jzed it?
That Southern overland mail contract
1-k ere of he grandest swindlcs ever per-
ptlrned on The people by the shareholders.
A bill passed Congress in February, 1858,
arpropriatlng $500, 900 per annum for SIX
years 10 convey semi-weeEly mail over
land 1rtm fcme point on the Mississippi
l.Ter 10 San Francisco, the same to be per-
1clned in four horse coaches, each trip to
1cmAde within 20 days. The slavehold-
ers managed to have the selection Of the
route left to the Post Master Genet
al, who Was Aaron 7. Brown. of Tennes-
ste. contracted with Butterfi1d & Co.,
to start at Memphis; then-e west to Fort
Smith, en- the line between Arkansas and
TIC Indian Territory, with brancl, from
Jefe1son, No., ria Springfield, in the
southwestern part Of Eame State; thence
connecting Of Fort Smith with the main
line. From tl4at point the route struck
fouhwest, across Northern Texas, To the
Rio Grande; thence over tic mountains
md deserts Of Arizona, crossing the Col
crado at Fort Yuma; thence northwardly
800 miles, to San francisco. For nearly
three years Bntterfeld made his semi-
weekly trips Over: this barbarous route,
which required she presence Of two 1eSSi-
ments Of dragons and two Of infantry to
-protect him IRON the rifle and tomahawk
of the Indian tribes through whose terri
tcry the coaches ran. At every relay
huusc 5cr more than 1000 miles, the Cor.
eminent was obliged to build fort and
s,aticn troops. The expense Of protecting
the road was. more 1hlln the cost of run.
ming the coaches.
At first few travellers intended to take
coaches. But The dangers snd hardships
attending the trip, soon put stop to
tsaeel. So many mails were robbed OF
lost that The public refused to trust letter.
or valuahles Of any sort to- that route
But while Bnchnnan's infamous Admins.