New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-23

| Rates of Freight-Arrival Of the Iron
Steamer John II. Moore-Cause of her
Detention Compromise Between the
John IT. Moore and the Red River
Packet Company.
Especial Correspondence of the Republican.
SHREVEPORT, May II, 1871.
| EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
For two weeks or more we have refrained
from writing you, and have been waiting
for the excitement incident to the munich
pal election and the gubernatorial appoint
ments to subside. There is much we
could say with propriety respecting the un-
called for conduct of certain parties here, and
| hold them up to scorn and ridicule, but we
fOrbear as we believe they may feel ashamed
of their acts. The whole question as to the
succession as it is termed, will have to be
| decided by the courts, and we shall not ex-
press any opinion about it at present.
We promised to endeavor to find ont the
| parties to blame for the delays of the mails.
etc, and we are prosecuting our inquiries
with good prospect of success, but we
wish now to call the attention of the Post
Office Department to another great and cry
mail facilities to very large portion of the
people resident along Red river below this
city. The department is paying now for the
| transportation of mail three times a week
between this city and New Orleans, and is
landed at only four points, we believe
| Alexandria, Grand Ecore, Coushatta and
Shreveport. Now, you will perceive that
II, 1 n
and forty miles-between here and Cou-
shatta without a single postoffice. The
people back in the country, as well as along
the river, have to depend upon the boats
entirely for all postal favors, and if boat
passes landing in the night, and for any
cause omits to throw off a letter, valuable
and important it may be, there are thou
sand chances to one if it is ever received at
its destination if put in the postoffice here or
at your city. 1t can not be forwarded, as
there is no mail for said landing, and the
clerks do not even know the nearest office
to it, and the letter is lost.
We have before advocated the appoint
ment of route agents" to go on each boat
carrying the mail. If we have such, TO
mail the matter received on the way, put it
of at the proper landings in bags, then sew
eral new postOtfices might be established,
and some old ones, such as Knox Point,
thirty-ive miles below here, revived. Suit
able and reliable men could be easily OBJ
tanned to act as ''route agents." and also
postmasters, and the expense of transporta-
ton would not be increased, while far
greater facilities would be afforded the peo-
pie, who, at present. for the lack of mail
facilities, take no newspapers, and are, as a
matter of course, almost benighted. What
indeed, in this day and country, can become
of any people or neighborhood destitute of
the light of the press 1t is the great lever
we should all wish to see used to promote
the best interests of society, and of course
we should aid in giving free circulation to
its emissions. We are led to these reflections
upon hearing of the destitution as to postal
facilities on the river below here, and that
petition very numerously signed had been
sent to the postmaster at New Orleans to
be forwarded to Washington. We hope it
will be favorably acted upon, and that
promptly.
Cotton has been in active demand during
the past week, owing to the late advance in
price. Twenty one hundred and seventy-one
bales were sold, and the receipts were 1921
bales. Rates of freight to- day are 81 50 per
bale to New Orleans. Heretofore, whenever
the John T. Moore the regular weekly iron
steamer, is not here, the rates are two dol
lars. She arrived last night and leaves to-
day again at noon. Her punctuality is pro-
verbal. This trip from your city she had
the misfortune to get one of her force pumps
cracked, and in order to render it perfectly
secure, stopped twenty miles above the city
and had strong iron band put around it
which delayed her nine hours on her trip, |
and made it almost Sunday in departing
from New Orleans instead of SATURDAY.. |
These facts we learned by telegraph from
Baton Rouge on Sunday. but we give her |
memoranda, as follows: Left New Orleans |
on sixth weekly trip at Sis P. VI. on Satur. |
day, thirteenth. Southwestern left at p |
NJ. The Moore had heavy freight, and |
was drawing six feet but made good time. |
At Twenty-one Mile Point stopped nine |
hours to put iron band around the force |
pump, cracked; passed Baton Rouge, and
coaled, taking on 900 boxes, at Ais P. NJ;
arrived at wharf boat, mouth of Red river,
at A M. Monday; at Alexandria at 2:20 p.
NJ; at Grand Ecore at l A. NJ. Tuesday; at
Coushatta at 8 A. NJ; passed Southwestern
at Pecan Point at 10 A. NJ, and arrived at
at 10 p. M.-making twenty-five
landings, and putting off lumber, freight
and many passengers"
This may be considered an extraordinary
trip, loaded as deep as she was, to come
seven hundred miles in sixty-three hours
and tifty-fve minutes running time. But
the John T. Moore is remarkable not for
speed only, but for safety. Having an iron
hull She can not he snagged, and has every
modern improvement to render accidents
next to impossible. Also, she can boast of
comforts and convenences such DIS no other
boat has. She has various amusements on
ler to add to her attractions and fine music
always, either from the piano, or brass or
string band. All her officers and crew are
polite and attentive TO passengers; they are
experienced and capable also-what more
AN any ,,ne desircl The grumbler can not
RI, el on her; he can have no chance to
Practice In a word, she is faultless in
very respect, especially in her manage