Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-02
VOICE.

NATIONS VOICE.
The People OF the Valley OF the Jim rc.
privcd Of their Choicest Privilcxc-A
Two HOrsc Coach.
Editors fdnkton Press and Dukotdian:
1t is not often that the placid Jim gets on
q rampage. nor that the pioneer settlers of
its valley become indignant, but once let
their rights be assailed or curtuilcd and the
fire flies like the ignition of a match in the
dry grass OF the boundless prairie.
1t Is OF the Jim river stage line" that 1
purpose to write, aud with your permission
to publish, Il brief history of our wrongs.
The government generously, as it always
does, gives The homcsteaders of this valley
a daily Mail-not so much from . CONNER
cal necessity as for the encouragement of
its settlers on the northwestern border
Nearly four years ago the carrying of this
daily mail in t1o horse covered coaches
from Yankt) IN to Firesteel was awarded to
Gen. Campbell, of Scotland, the contract
afterward passing into the hands of l. w
Seaman, one Of Yankton's Industrious sons,
who, after looking closely to the return of
every dollar expended, gave good salts
faction t, both the people and the mail SER
vice.
Last November MI Seaman, having en-
larged his business 81 that his personal at
tention was called elsewhere, sub.let his
mail contract from Yank!on to Midtown to
Messrs. FELTON, Il King, also of your city.
MIR. FELTON,, coming along the line, estab-
fishing stations and appointing agents, gave
us frontiersmen very emphatically to uu-
dersland that an improvement was to be
made under the new management, with
which We backwoods fellows were very
justly elstcd-not that Mr.. Seaman had not
done well, but that Messrs. FELTON, & King
were to do much better-the representative
propriet II averring that cven if the times
were dull, and the line unproductive, they
could, should and would carry the thing
through the seven months to July, although
it did not pay a dollar, aud besides this tue
thing had been run on too %parsimonious q
plan" Heretofore covered carriages witt
two horses, had only been seen from Yauk-
ton over u portion Of tle road, when here
alter we were not only t. hive covered
coaches over The entire road. but rs the
I spring trade and immigration opened tour
horses to each carriage Was TO he put Tn,
: and from the statement railroad speed, al
most, might be expected, ard, iu fac, VIZ
up country chaps began TO think that the
good time so long delayed was now at our
very doors.
When 10! what a change. A paragraph
in one OF your recent dalies astounds us with
Y the information that the hacks on the Jim
!, river stage line are to be Withdrawn, and a
J one-horse blackboard, and a sulky are to he,
February LIST, substituted in their stead.
> This we thought a ruse to throw eager con,
Il tractors off their guard, in bidding on the
> jim river stage line; but tie climax is
: reached; and OH Wednesday, January 3oth,
the settlers along the line felt themselves de.
9 meaned, by seeing the promised improve
ment dwindle from a coach and four, to one
horse and sulkv, the driver from necessity,
, sitting as it were astride of the animal he
guided, only endwavs. AT the towns along
the way, the peoply jeered and the driver
at Midtown was heard to remark. that he
would call for a six o'clock breakfast, ant
leave before it was light.
This was not all. When the hack frou
Firesteel arrived at Milltown, it brough
two passengers for Iankton, one a lady
who was called in haste to attend a sicl
grand-child, in the capital city. Wha
should she do? We frontiersmen rave no
all a horse and chaise, like our New Eng
f.. land neighbors, but where there's a will
d there's a way, and our School superinten
l. dent was induced to hitch up his Texa
steers. in early morning, and thus equipped
take the eager travellers as far as Scotlan,
to dinner. From thence, (knowing the en-
erg of the man, Gen. Campbell will &c
them in Yankton on time.
What is to be done? asks the cage
he throng that gathers at the Midtown posi-
r. Office this evening. Some advise writing t
1t, the department at Washington others sa.
report them to Mr.. Howard, the Yankto
postmaster, who is ever foremost in acts O
Justice to the new settlers. while your feebl
Ia correspondent drops his bucksaw at tn,
10 woodpile, and grasps his pencil to, in a fec
C. bic manner. present the case to you, Messri
Publishers, and through you, not only t
he the great father at the national capital, an
re to the Yankton postmaster; but to tn
It. whole sympathizing community as vel
D. The postmaster here says he Twill not tax
the mail from that two wheel cart, unless h
b is obliged to; and the hotel keeper decline
o. sulky patronage, when carrying the Unite,