Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-07-10


as may be presented to him for inspection,
and for which ID Lieutenant Frank s. Rice,
acting commissary of subsistence at Fort
absence granted Captain j. j. Van Horn, sth
Infantry, is extended six months, aud the
leave of Captain G. NJ. Br .yton,: sth infap-
Try In extended five mon his, on surgeons
certificate of disability.
GRIPPING THE LETTER-CARRIKR SER
vICE.-The reduced appropriation for the
compensation of letter carriers hav ing ne
cessitated a reduction of five per cent. in the
salaries OF these employ es, thereby avoiding
dIminut on OF force, will occasion much
embarrassment 10 the Post Office depart
ment, In consequence of the inability of the
Postmaster General to authorize the extern
sion OF the free delivery system SO as TO have
ii keep pace with the increasing population
of the cities to which 1t has been applied. In
some OF the larger cities, with constantly in
creasing population and widening territorial
area, the necessity of funds to meet the de-
mands for extension will be most keenly
1elt Although the appropriation for last
year was entirely Inadequate to the wants of
the service, that for the present year is even
lower, and before the expiration of the year,
system in every city OF the Union will be
most disastrOusly affected. In making up
the estimates of the Post Office department,
that for the letter-carrier service will be in
creased to meet not only the present dema nd
but the additions to the service which will
be necessitated by increasing populations
and areas.
THE INDIAN TROUBLES AND THE ARMY.
A dispatch received at the War Office yes
terdsy states that Gen. Sherman left Bis
marck yesterday afternoon on the steamer
Rose bud, for the purpose of inspecting the
new military posts now being built at the
mouth of Tongue river and the Little Big
Horn. Whe Il these posts are completed and
properly garrisoned, it is thought the effect
Will be to prevent any future serious Indian
troubles In that locality. 1t is believed by
many that If Congress had promptly made
appropriations for the construction of these
posts when first recommended the war with
Sitting Bull would never have occurred, or
at least would not have assumed the pro-
portions that il did. 1t is stated at the War
ONCE that in case further rsinfOrcements are
needed TO quell the Indian disturbances in
Tue northwest, they can only be drawn from
the southern states, exclusive of the depart
ment OF Texas. The garrisOns in the Allan
tic states are scarcely more than sufficient to
take proper care Of the forts and valuable
property stored therein. In the department
OF Iexas there is not sufficient force to give
necessary protection to life and property on
the Rio Grande. Troops cannot be spared
from either the department Of the Missouri
or depa. lment of dakota. By q general order
issued from the War department the states
of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi Ala
oama, ard parts of Kentucky and Tenues
west OF thu river and
The Gulf, have been reassigned TO the mill
tary division of the Atlantic.
THE CHARGES AGAINST CASHIER GUrH-
RE, OF THE TREAsURY.-The truth about
the charge telegraphed from here against
Cashier Guthrie of receiving 5000 from the
District of Columbia for services rendered,
seems to be about this When Gen Skinner
was Treasurer of the United States aud Mr.
Gulbrie was clerk in his office, the sinking
1und commission ers OF the District of CO.
lumbla called upon him to solicit his aid In
Strengthening out their accounts. While the
work was pending Gen. s. asked Guthrie il
ne would assist. Guthrie did assist and
gave his services so far as he was concerned
gralaltOusly. When the work was finished
Moses Kelly, one of the commits siOners told
GuthT1e that n services were appreciated
and that the board had decided TO pay him
Tor the anne 500, which was accor iingly
paid. The services Guthrie rendered were
worth, at the rates experts charge, three
Times what he got. If the District of Column
ola funds are in legal sense public funds
Guthrie did receive two cOmpensatiOns from
the government. If such funds are not pub
lie funds, then he did not.
Officers OF the District government who
know The facfs in the case give the follow
ing version: That In 1874 the District Com
mlssiOners required iull statement of the
was found that The accounts of the sinking
fund commissioners were in such q condi.
ton a. TO require the services of an expert
10 make the statement called for. Mr..
Gu hr1e was recommended as a suit able
person for this duty, and the District Com
missioners gave permission TO the sinking
fund board to employ him. and he was paid
for his services by the District OF Columbia
and OF by the United States. The sinking
fuud board, from its creation by act of the
Legislative assembly up to that time, had
never adopted any regular system OF keep
lug its accounts. Mr.. Guthrie undertook
this work outside the hours of mis- official
duties: and succeeded in producing the
financial statement at the time required
and tnaugu rated q satisfactory system for
keeping these accounts, which has since
been followed by the sinking fund board.