The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1867-02-16
The Chico Swindle and its Advocates-An
Angry Letter.
CcPpERvALE, Feb. 5, 1867.

K
Butte RECORD, as consider it an injury to my
business as happen to live on the Chico and Ida
ho road. cannct support paper that Is publish
/ ing articles (that are lies) to inJare me- fonr
snow shoes that you mention IN Your paper OF the
/ 26th of January are bringing from 20 to so hEnd-
( red pounds OF freight and eight horse and
/ mule teams passing my place every week The
Chico and Idaho Stage passed the summit. tbeing 3
miles in distance.) in 50 minutes, on its last trip
I in coming up which is the only place on the road
! that cannot be travelled at all times of the year.
| Ladies ate passing every week on the Chico and
Idaho stage and Represent the trip as Delightful
Why uot give true statement Of the Roads. IL Is
well known to you that there has not pound OF
1 freight, or a team passed over the Oroville road
since the storm commenced in December. People
that are passing my place have become so disgusted
with the false statements in Regard 10 the Orovl e
/ Road that they are Determined to Buy their goods
/ in Chico instead of Orovilie. You are iDJaring
OroviIIe by the false statements you are making
and driving its trade to Chico. Respectfully,
c. c. GoopRICH.
! How true it is that, when men become angry
they lose their reasoning powers and are hurled
along through what they wish to say senselessly
a rocket. propelled through space by dampened
powder. Mr.. Goodrich starts out with PROPOSE
ton that the RECORD is inuring his business by not
advocating Gen. Bidwelrs Chico and Idaho swindle
upon the United States Postal Department, and
closes his angry and of senseless epstle by
an assurance qnte positive the first, that
are nuring Oroville, and driving the travel over
his favorite route and the trade to his final haven
Of rest-Chico. Mr.. Goodrich is certainly located
in latitude sufficiently elevated to keep COOL if he
will but pause for moment to take observation.
He mayfx this inconsisteney-thi want of method
in his madness'-to suit himself We have de-
sire to njure his business. or that of any other
man; the business Of Chico, or that fany other
| locality. What We do object to is maintang nui-
sance, such as the Chico and Idaho mail line has
abundantly proven to be, to drive the Idaho trade
and travel of Idaho around and away from this
Congressional district. 1t is regarded an impo-
sition and fraud upon the government and the
travelling public in Idaho. 1t is.building up routes
elsewhere to the destruction of the interests of
Northern California. If in opposing such nuis-
ance to the public welfare of Northern California
We injure the business of any man, or of any local
ty, We can only regret that it is so. No man or
set of shall dispose of the public interests of
this Congressional district for private gan without
receiving the earnest protest of the BUTTE RECORD
if We know it. This Chico and Idaho mail rou te,
Is private speculation and public nuisance, des-
tructive of the general interests of this Congress
sonal district. and ought to be, and is condemned
from Montana to California, by every one " who does
not realize portion of what the government pays
for the useless service. Make it direct route fro
San Francisco or Sacramento to Idaho, and reliable
tor travel and it shall receive our support. We
ask for such public nuisance for the advantage
it might confer Oroville, and will not sanction
it for any other locality. We are content to take
| the chances with such improvements as will best
advance the general interests of Northern Califor-
MIA. This Bidwel Mulan, shoe horseback
tn weekly stage line from Chico to Idaho amounts
to RtSlang. as mail or as passenger line. Mail
matter is piled up along the route, and when
| ther were running coaches. passengers were COM
peeled to buy barley for the animals in order get
along Now supposing the coaches to leave Chico
with Bidwel's banners flying and their stage horns
footing his praises aud fitness for Governor, they
progress to the summit and cross in 5 2mnutes" "
The LADY passengers are delighted" but before
they reach Susanvle, they find team or two
missing, and Geo. Long ready to carry the mails
through on horseback. How he carries the females
is not stated, and we not disposed to be inquis
tive about such matters. But it is nevertheless Il
great line, for Bidwel is its protector and daddy,
and it terminates at Chico.
Mr.. Goodrich says he "happens to live on the
Chico and Idaho road Now il so happens that
he also lives on the Oroville and Idaho road. For
be it known that the roads';are the above the
Big Meadows These roads pass up on either side
of Butte Creek, almost within sight of each other
They form junction beyond the summit and are
one and the same road to Susanye and to Idaho.
Diverging the mail line from the summit twenty
five miles out of its direct and just practicable
line, and stopping it at Chico, instead of carrying
to railroad and steamer communication has caused
the destruction Of the route through Northern CAL
itorna, and built up the route through Nevada
We have nearly the same length of railroad COM
municaton from Sacramento, that the Nevada
route has and could have offered equal facilities for
the trade and travel of ldaho but for the damuable
selfshness that interposed to prevent it. This
would have been greater benefit to "Coppervale'
than the small amount of travel that be invie-
gled. first to Chico and then as they can catch it.
to Idaho. Fourteen miles beyond the junction lives
Mr.. Goodrich. Teams from either place to Susan
vile and Idaho, must pass him. Yet great is his
injury, if teams should travel the Oroville road
instead of going twenty five miles out of their way
to Chico, and thence to Oroville, Marysville, or
Sacramento. We accord TO every man his prefer
ence, but should expect the aid of public
journal in forwarding private interests where they
conflict with th,se of the general public.
To show the animus of the above letter it is only
necessary to state that, the "our horse teams that
pass his door, is probably, the Oroville and SUI
sanville stage: the heavy freight mentioned is
the same that started on the Chico route prior to
the storms of December, was showed in. dragged
over the summit runners, and pat on to wagons
a week or so ago. and carried to its destination So
We learn from the Expressman who runs the Orc
vile and Susanvile route to Marysville.
/ 1t would be little singular. if il were true Is
/ Mr.. Goodrich says, we know it 10 be- that mot a
/ pound of freight or team has passed over the
Oroville road since the storm commenced in De
cember that the Sage Brush, should received its
supply of paper and ink. TO continue its publica
ton. As they have been sent from oroville. and
not by the way of Chico, will that paper have the
kindness TO correct the angry remark of our cor.
respondent. The Soge Brush is in ardent adyo
cate Of the Chico route but the fact that lis winter
supplies are ordered by the Ororille road, shows
thai ITS conductor knows when to blow for route
and when il is necessary to ind a reliable one OF