Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-09-08
For the Des Arc Citizen. l

For the Des Arc Citizen.
 MEssRs. EDITORS OF THE CITIZEN Sirs: permit me through the columns of your paper to submit the following facts. The regular steam packets run ming from Memphis to Jacksonport pass up the river twice week carrying the U. s. mail, and the Express matter for the Express Company. There are. or ought to be some specific days, and even hours, fixed upon and published, at which time said steamers would ar U. s. mail and Express matter is to be delivered and received by said mail boats. At Des Arc the postmaster and Express agent never know at what time to prepare and have ready the mail and express matter. It was understood at Des Arc that the mail boats would ar rive at Des Arc on Mondays and Thurs days, going up the river, and for a while this was practiced by each of the boats, arriving here on Mondays and Thursdays going up the river and leaving here at six o'clock on sWednes- days and Saturdays going down. But how is it now--somestime one boat ar rives at midnight on Monday and some times Tuesday morning and returning sometimes Tuesday night at or 10 o'clock, and sometimes not till Wednes- day morning, and the other getting here at } o'clock or II o'clock P. M. Thursday, or Friday morning at 1, 6 or o'clock and returning ats, 10 or F P. NJ. Friday, or 6 or Saturday morning. So that passengers coming to Des Arc to get aboard have TO regular time at which to calculate with any degree of certainty at what time they can get of, and the express agent and postmaster sometimes have had to sit up all night in order to put the express and mail matter at Des Arc. The writer deems this at the least a great illconyenicnce, such as might and could be remedied. White river has not during the past summer been so low as to hinder free and easy navigation at all times. We have been decidedly partial to the steamers Commercial and Liberty No. } (now the May Flower) and we person. ally like the officers of each of these boats, and cherish no disposition to anything like disparaging their claims to public favor or patronage, but we don't like the idea of all notices pub lished in the Memphis papers by said boats of their days of leaving Memphis and arriving at the same place, and all the way landings, at which said boats propose to stop, going up and return ing, leaving out and apparently ignor- ing the town of Des Arc, while this place during the shipping season, sends away more bales of cotton than any .otherpoint on White river.
 We are for those who are for us, we are for "rendering unto Caesar, things that arc Cnsars" And if other boats come in the trade, and will tote fair, we are for free trade and sailors rights. The writer of this has patronized both the U. s. mail steamers, and don't wish to be understood as making any attack on said steamers, but claims that the citizens of Des Arc have some grounds for complaint and they ask for better arrangements as matter of jus tice.
 Another item of some interest to the merchants of Dcs Are, is the rates of charge for freight from Memphis to Des Arc. Merchants in this place have had freights brought from Louisville and St. Louis for the same prices we pay the Memphis and White river packets. We are not aiming to be pie ayunish, but arc opposed to impositions or monopolies, we wish to patronizc and sustain good steamers in our river and are entirely willing Gas our record attcsts,) to pay fair rates for freights. A DEs ARC CITIZEN.