The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-02-26
TEE ELBERTON GAZETTE AND The
!. 81 5ABEEVILLE POST MASTER.

offer ? defence IN be1all o1 your posi-
master, Mr.. Lawson, against whom a
charge had been preferred by the
.Elber ton Gosette. I'VE feel compelled
to say we think the defence rather q
lame one.
The charge brought was "careless'
ness" in the discharge Of official duties
in the office at AbbevilIe. The evi:
dence produced to sustain the charge,
was that mail matter sent from Elber
ton, and intermediate offices On the
route to Abbeville, was returned the
next day in the same mailbag, by the
same carrier, to or by the same Office
from whence it had been sent. This
showed concusiyely that it had never
been emptied from the bag, and could,
therefore, be attributable only to
!"carelessness.'
The defence says that this irregu-
larity is occasioned by the fact of a
mail contractor on another route fail
ing to carry the mail through on his
line. Herein is where we fail to see
the connection. The matter returned
on the one route was not intended for
the delinquent carrier on the other
route. Hence the failure upon his
part could have no bearing upon the
point at issue, nor could it be offered
in mitigation sof the "carelessness al
legged.
THE facts of the case are these: ::
Two mail routes exist, as You state,
between Abbeyille and Elberton. One
crosses Savannah river at McCalla's
formerly Moseley's) ferry, the other
at Harper's ferry. The McCalla's
ferry route is of recent origin. The
other. has been in existence, in some
shape or other, from time 'whereof
the memory of man runeth not the
contrary" The one leaves Abbeville
on Thursdays, for Elberton-the other
on Fridays. Both'supply mail advan:
tages to very worthy communities,
and, according to the judgment of the
writer, are equally Indispensable.
But, as is too frequently the case with
new enterprises, the new ronte is re-
garded with opposition, or in@iffer-
ence, to say the least Of it, by some
people; and we think in no instance
IS this Indifference more culpably
manifested, than in a failure to exam
ineaehe mailbag with sufficient scruti-
ny to ,divest it of all its contents.
Advantages that would result from
this new route are impaired, orentirely
destroyed, by such failure.
In order that you may have a
proper appreciation Of the advantages
incident to the lower, or new route,
we will give you an illustration The
writer receives his mai at side Office
ON this line. The carrier leaves Ell.
berton on Wednesday morning, bring
ing to our Office Augusta news of
Monday evening. He returns from
Abbeville on Thursday, and could
bring direct your. paper containing
news two days later. Then with a
mail on Saturday morning from Elber:
ton to the river, and you get news
still two days later than. yours
thereby afording to the people FROM
the river to ~Elberton good tri:
weekly, and from the river to Abbe-
vile a semi weekly mail. We say our
Thursdays carrier could bring your
pager, but he rarely does bring it
The Post Master at Abbeville, Eve
guessit is, } throws sll your papers ip
the same box, nd,qurs, with the rest
of your Western subscribers, usually
go the uppe. route to Elberton via
Harper's ferry, and back from thence
On the next low mail day. By such
circuitousness, and consequent delay,
your telegraphic and market solumns
lose, Importance with us.
Hence. while we differ in tone with
the Gazette, We are obliged to think
there are just grounds for complaint
somewhere, and the signs seem
strongly to converge towards your
Office.
In justice to ourselves, We will
state, that this is offered in no spirit
of unkindness, but with a view of
improving the postal advantages of
all those living contiguous to the
lower route. We are entitled to every
advantage attainable under existing
circumstances, and We expect them,
and whenever continued disappoint.
ments oceur, we wilt naturally hunt
the cause.
There is no good reason why a
letter, or other mail matter, lying in
the office at Abbeville Oh Thursday
morning, destined for Elberton, or
any point by way of there, should
not take the lower route, rather than
wait until the next day, Friday, and
60 by the upper route. Especially is
It moreireasonable. since the contrac-
tor on the new route has never failed
to 90 through regularly, except during
the epizootic scourge, which, for a
time. thwartea the purposes of all
communities. The ferryman and
contractor have stemed the food at
McCalla's in every instance yet. In
deed, 1t does seem if any preference
attached to either, that the new line
is entitled to the greater share.
= ''.'. = SAVANNAH RIVER.
4 Dapbury sport wears q ten cent
81 -. An h;a shiit- hnsnn, and