Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-30
lFro. Saturdays Dsaly.I
An Outrage Committed BY Postal
Authorities.

To ono who possesses implicit faith
in the honest intentions Of Ill govern
nental officials there is semeihine,
wholly unacoountable in the astion 81
the postoficc department il ordering
the mails to be carried on the reuto
from Bismarck to the BlAck Hills
three times each week from the Let
day Of May, ana twios each week iron
Fort Pierre to tho Hills, beginning On
the lst day Of October. To one Who
has becone tinctured with On inward
belief that irregularities ars so.s.
times practiosd to asconplish invisibls
ends, the suspicion presents ITSELF that
there is something to hs explained in
connection With this action which
might not reflect the highest credit
upon the powers who nake and un.
make nail routes. 70 reach the Hills
via Bismarck itis necessary to soavey
the mails hundreds Of miles avsy from
the direct line Of travel froa Chica.
60, tho great western distributing
point, over railroad which is wholly
unreliable during six months Of the
year, and then to carry them over !
land route seventy niles longer than
the one from Fort Pierre to the Hills,
Yet the postoflice department hes com.
nitted the absurdity Of placing
service Oh that route three times I
week, to begin Immediately, while il
orders that, late in the fall, the mails
be earried twice each week froa
Pierre. 1t may b useless TO rsiter-
ate the fact, but for the sake Of seeing
it in print once moro We viii state
that mails can be carried from Chica.
60 to the Hills In Eve and oos-half
days, while BY the roundabout rosts
which has recsived : prsfsrsncs at IL
postofioe department Il cannot -
done in less than double thar tins.
Another argument in favor Of inms.
diste and frequent TRANSMISSION Of the
mails between Yankton and tho Hills
is that Yankton is the capital Of ths
territory of which the Hills are part,
and II is Of the utmost Importance
that . mail route direct between IL
two points be put in operatioa at
once. A large proportion of The
trouble which the peopls Of the Hills
haYs experienced from delay in the or
ganization Of courts and counties
would never hays occurred had tho
means of mail communication been
sufficient. Emergencies arc csnstant-
y arising in which speedy communi.
cation with the territorial oficiah is
an absolute necessity, and while tie
government compels the transfer Of
mail matter by roundabout routes
over the Northern Pacific and the
Union Pacific rosds the delays which
ensus will retard the progress Of :
people entitled to every assistance in
behalf Of their advancement. Again,
Yankton, - an extensive jobbing
point, has important Commercial rsla.
tions with the Inhabitants Of the Hills
and for the sake Of the business inter-
ssts Of oil concerned the establishments
Of mail route from Pierre westward
should not be delayed . single day.
From Yankton to- Fort Pisrre : nail
route is already in operation and has
becn running within few niles Of
that point for the past seventeen
years. From Fort Pierre to Dsadwood
the distancs i one hundred and eighty
nAes, wbicS viii b the length Of the
new r,ute asked for. We are satis-
fed that the postofSoe department hes
either made serious blunder in this
matter, or it il psrposly subjseting "
to the slight through tho msroenry
influence Of men who are personally
interested in despoiling tho people of
some Of their hard earned money q
the price Of that which should be
theirs without fee. In the light Of
some facts which have come to our
knowledge We incline to the latter
opinion and We put forward our pro-
test in behalf Of al the people Of
southern Dakota and Of the east be-
yond ,he.. We-ask the pos.ofkos de-
partmens to thoroughly investigate
this subject.