Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-02-13
letter from middleton n.
MmpLErowN, Feb. 8, 1862,

Mn. EDIToR:--Perhaps you ana your
eaders have not heard of the terrible
connection into which tho good people OF
have been thrown by re-
,ent charge in their mails. For several
Years, and until within about ten days,
we have had daily mail, but on or about
he 28th of January last our obliging
postmaster, w. s. Bassett, received no
lice from the Department that the mail
route from Poultney to Castleton was dis
continued, and that another from Poult-
ney through Middleiown and Ira to West
Rutland was established, which would run
three times week. Bassett Immediate
" gave us notice OF what was coming, |
and still we. could not believe il; but In q
day or two from this time, sure enough, a
man with a mail bag left the Ira post Of
flee, and with the aid of IN old horse,
guide board and some explicit directions
from our friend ''Jack Norton" who lives
in the "gap," as to courses and distances,
arrived at our post office and officially an
nounced himself as the mail carrier on the
new route. Then, Mr.. Editor, such a
CONSERVATION as seized the people here
has not often been witnessed, even by the
F" oldest inhabitant." Our mail had hith-
erto been carried by our neighbor " Reu-
ben," who had provided himself with o
pair Of strong, fleet and well fed horses,
as well as suitable vehicles for the trans
portat;on of the mails, passengers, freight,
or whatever the business and necessities
of the place required, TO and from the
railroad depot at PQultney. ''Reuben"
made his trips daily, and withal is very
clever, accommodating fellow - TO ride
with him is almost as pleasant as "riling
on a rail-" Now TO exchange our daily
mail, and " Reuben" with his facilities to
carrying US TO the cars when we wish to
90 there, and taking our freight TO the de-
pot, doing errands, &C., for mail three
times week, carried by one horse, and
an old horse al that, is more than we like
TO submit to. We of course do not look
TO the Herald or its readers for redress in
this matter. We understand very well
that it lies between the Post Office De-
pertinent and those Immediately interest
ed; neither can it be expected that the
merits of this matter can Or should be
discussed very much in a public Journal
and I wish to say but little more at this
time than simply to account for the cause
of the present excitement among us.
Middetown has a population of about
eight hundred, yet there are about three
hundred papers taken at our post office,
including about thirty dailes which will
have to be discontinued unless our daily
mail is restored. We mail over sixte en-
hundred letters each quarter, and our bus
mess generally has been on the increase
The receipts at our post office have paid
the postmaster-paid the mail carrier, and
left small sum for the government In
asmuch then as our mail has paid its way,
and little more, it is not surprising that
our citizens should be disconnected at a
change which excludes them from what
is in reality high privilege in these times
the daily news, as also the facilities for
frequent communication in their increasing
business especially when we can see nc
benefit to be derived from the change by
anybody else. The change, too, effects
East Poultney the same as it does us, ant
has left Tinmouth, that land Of the Chip
mans, Royces, Porters and Mobiles, with
out any mail at all.
But have already said that public
journal was not the place to discuss tn
merits of this matter, but l will say tina
we in Middletown wish call the world
to understand, as well as "the rest of man
kind" in Ira Hollow" that daily maj
we shall have again if zoe can get it.
Yours Truly,
NICHOLAS.