The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-11-15
U. S. GRAND JURY REPORT.

I- c. SEAAND
 To tie Hon. United States District Court q th,
 Third Judicial District cf he Territory c
 Arizona:
 The Grand Jurors empanneled at the
 present term of the United Ststes District
 Court beg leave to submit the following
 report relative to the distribution, transpor-
 taTion and general management of the Uni
 ted States mails in MohaYe and Yavapai
 Counties in said Territory, and respectfully request that this Honorable Court take such
 steps as it may deem necessary and proper
 10 have this, their report, submitted to the
 proper authorities at Washington, with a view of calling attention to the evils al
 present existing, and to protect the citizens
 of said Counties from future imposition, al
 the hands of incompetent and irresponsible
 contractors, who are totally unacquainted
 with the wants of the people, being non
 residents of the Territory, and who make
 their mail contracts in ignorance of the true condition of the country and the mail routes they propose to manage.
 In order to be fully informed, and to ascertain the true state of affairs respecting the condition of the mail service in this
 District, we caused to be brought before us a large number of substantial mail contract ors, mail carriers, Postmasrers, and Express Agents, capitalists. merchants and farmers and prominent citizens of the District, who
 were examined by Murat Masterson. Esq, A sistant United States District Attorney and from the facts so elicited, we now pre- sent few of the many outrages perpetra- ted upon the people.
 We find that Mohave County, notwith- standing its population, its large business in- terests, and its wealth, is today without anv i:iall service whatever with the exception of a bI-weekly mail from Pioche, Nevada, a route which is almost fruitless of beneficial results. We find that this state of affairs IS caused by the contractors of Route number 40105, and of route number 40l03, failing to enter upon their duties. That they never have paid any attention whatever to their contracts: That the mail for these routes is rapidly accumulatng at Ehrenberg and Prescott, to an amount that will shortly reach tons in weight, and that the people are forced to shift for them selves and make their own arrangement. s for carrying the mail matter: That the mails have been very irregularly delivered m said County for the past two years That notwithstanding the people of Mohave County have made complaint to the Postal department, the abuses of which they com plain have not been remedicd at all, but on the contrary that County is worse off in re- gard to mail facilities than it was years aoo. being cut off entirely from communication with San Francisco and with all portions of thIs Territory at the present time: That though these abuses have been of long standing, and become matter of public notonety, and that postal agents have had tnelr attention continually called to the matter, yet aO postm agent has visited that County to look into its postal affairs during the past fre yens: That we believe such agents have neglected their duty, and have consulted their own convenience and com fort instead of the public service in fail ing to visit that County.
 We further find that, since the first of July last, uyOn Route No. 40, 102. between Yuma and Prescott and intermediate sta lions, mails have been brought into Pres ,ott in damaged condition; that the oe inquencies in time have exceeded 300 hours .hat important through malls have been cit over at halting camps for days at a | lme, to suit the convenience of the drivers hat valuable through mail matter has been ost for weeks; that mail matter has been licked up on the route by individuals and | lellvered to the proper owners; that the ve- | lIcles employed are Gilapidated and unfit | or service; that the stock is worn out and | inadequate for the proper performance of ne servlce undertaken that it is almost idlcuious to attempt to carry passengers nth such accommodation, far less trans or the United States mails, and to attempt oth with the appliances used by the pres mt contractors, is an outrage upon the eOple
 We find Route No. 4O,10 in no better The only exception, we are appy to state, is with reference to Route 10: O,lOl, between Santa Fe and Prescott. hich we find to be managed with celerlty, lfety and security. In conclusion, we respectfully ask the in ulgence of the court for stepping out of < ie general track and Investigating these atters; but the nuisance has become so eneral, so long continued, SO brazen and lre-faced! !sas to become intolerable. It : 'pears that, thus far, all complaints made contractors have been unheeded and and, in our extremity. We ! 'me before this court and ask its assistance !
 vindIcate, as far as possible, our cause, Id see that we are, in the future, protected a om the impositions perpetrated upon us 7 interruptions contractors. We have no ' 'sltancy Tn stating that nowhere within | c United States or Territories does such ] ate of affairs exist. It is our belief that l c true condition of the mail service in IS district is unknown to the responsible d honest officers of the Postoffice De- rtment at Washington, and we find con- lation in the conviction that when these ills are made to appear to the Post Master 'neral, or his honest assistants, that speedy 1 d effective remedies will be resoried to.
 Golden star Mining Company ~