Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-02

Below will be found the disposition
made by the p~ostofice officials for the
transmission of river mails. The com
panies referred to are in every way re-
sponsible, and will do everything in their
power to fulfill their contracts and ac-
commodate the public. The following
in a special telegram to the st. Louis
Republican tells the story:
Mr.. JEWELS warfare against the straw
bidders for mail contracts has been per
mitted to continue without interruption.
and Mr.. Peterson is meeting With poor
success with his fraudulent bids. The
facts about another one of his routes
came out last Friday, and the Postmas-
er-General summarily ignored Peter.
sons bid and made the contract with the
party who actually done the service. II
appears that a contract was made four
years ago with Captain John Tobin Of
the steamer Pargoud for carrying the
mail three times a week between Bayou
Sara and New Orleans, for SIS, 900.
Captain Tobin turned the service over to
Captain j. j. Brown of the W. S. Pike,
allowing him $500, and retaining the
same sum for himself, the remaining
$4,000 going to Peterson. Another con-
tract vas made at the same time with Pc.
terson dlrectf for carryingthe mail between
Bayou Sara and the mouth Of the Red
river, a distance Of forty miles, for
$4,000 a year. This service vas really
performed by such occasional boats as
Peterson could make arrangement with.
the compensation being s. to $40 per
mail sack, and the whole cost being not
more than $1,000 a year. This year
Peterson put in a bid to carry the whole
route from New Orleans to the mouth of
Red river for $24,500 a e The facts
recited having come to the knowledge of
Mr.. Jewell, he ignored the Peterson bid,
Notwithstanding it was the lowest one
offered, and made a contract on Friday,
with Captain Brown direct to carry the
mail from New Orleans to Bayou Sara.
for three years, at So 900 a year, and
put the service from Bayou Sara to the
mouth of Red river In the Vicksburg
route. To-day contracts we're made by
Capt. Bart Able, representing Captain
Scudder OF the Anchor Line, for carry
ing the mails on the river routes be-
tween st. Louis and Vicksburg.
Inc contracts are made with John
A. Scudder, and comprise four
distinct routes as follows: Service six
times a week between ST. Louis and
Grand Tower, $500; St. Louis and
Memphis three times a week, $25, 000;
Memphis to Chicot three times a week,
Slf 900; Chieot to Vieksburg, $l8, 600.
These contracts run three years from
the first Of next July. All the sealed
bids made in accordance with the ad
vertisement of the department we're
rejected, and a private contract made as
above stated. There are about 20, 900
routes to be let altogether, aud they
have been relet once every four years,
so that all have expired simultaneously
heretofore. Mr.. jewell has divided the
country into four sections, however, and
is making his contracts this year so.that
the contracts for each section will expire
a different year, and the postal authori-
ties have better opportunities hereafter
to examine the bids and defeat The efforts
of the straw bidders to swindle the gov.
eminent. Mr.. jewell still insists that
he will break up their system OF fraudu.
lent bidding or leave the cabinet.