, 1861-03-29
Letter from MIR. Burbank.
MONTICELLO, W. T.,
March 26th. 1861.

Mhrch zoLn, 1901. }
Editor Pioneer and Democrat:
DEAR SIR:-I see by the last number o
your paper, that you wish information il
regard to the delay, distribution and fire.
quent wet condition Of our mails on the
daily line.
/ will say that the cause Of delay between
Portland and Monticello is, that the class
Of steamers employed in the service are not
under present repair and arrangement, Of
sufficient speed to come to time. The sched
ule time for the 81 miles, ria Vancouver, /.
6 hours, but by gaining one hour in obtain,
ing the mails at 6 A. NJ, at Portland, still
they only make time on Monday, and some
times on Thursday. On Wednesday and
Saturday the two boats meet at ST. Helens
exchange mails, and each return, in order
that the one that carries to Astoria, (Mult
nomah, may be at Portland on Mondays
and Thursdays. Thus on the days Of meet.
ing to exchange mails, they do not make
time, hence no connection. Mr.. WinsoT
has ordered the stage to wait for the mails
when the steamer is within hearing, which
may be one half or three quarters of an
hOhA Vi hSluy uibNI L . h-
1t is due to Mr. Hoyt to say, that be in
tends to put on faster steamers, or so ar.
range itlas to make time. The aspect ol
our Government has been such as to not
afford confidence in great expenditures for
boats, &c
AS to the great arrangement in distribu.
ting the mails, must say it is deplora6le;
but the fault is not chargeable to this
office; il must rest with the San Francisco
and Portland Offices. The latter, Fknow,
is justly charged with want or careful as
sorting, so far as mails sent marked to this
(Monticello) Office is concerned. Much
matter comes here that belongs to Offices up
and down the Columbia, also southern. Ore
gon and California. Bags marked
Through, do not open, and many of such
bags are not opened by the Portland Office,
| presume. Doubtless, the most of such
mails must be put up at the San Francisco
office, and are not discovered to be in error
until opened at the office of their destiua.
tion.
With reference to the frequent wet and
damaged condition of much of the mail
hubLOlJ SopSNidhJ III OSSSulOSA duu u Oduuu-
ry, and occasionally since, l cannot soy
where the whole blame is justly chargeable,
but will say that it should be divided be-
tween the California and Oregon Stage
Contractors and the Washington Territory
Stage Contractor. But of late, (since the
use of the new oiled bags,) the latter brigs
dry mails to this Office.
The California, Oregon and Washington
daily mail is an experiment, and how well it
may serve the wants OF the people, or how
much better (if as well) than the Ocean
mail service did, time will soon prove.
caunot see but that semi or tri.week-
ly mail service is all that the wants Of the
country require by land, and let the Ocean
service be renewed for general purposes.
1t is due Mr. Winsor to say, that so far
as | know, be is not chargeable with any
neglect or delay of mails on his route Mr.
M. r. Tllley, carrier on this end Of the
Olympia route, states that all mails are
and daily forwarded, and as far
as he knows, there is no delay on said route.
Yours, Respectfully,
A. h. BURBANK,
Pest Master.