, 1878-01-11
THE MAIL SERVICE.

! OH bWIlN'Ill, anu Ol lnc "UhIr bl
the lower Sound, ON the fact that the
Sitka mail will start from here in.
stead OF Portland, aud that we are t.
have = daily mail from Tacoma and
way ports. This is AN act of tardlly
extended Justice which the Govern.
mcnt at last, yielding to the dictates
Of common sense, has accorded to us,
The mail service between the
Sound and Sitka, WAS commenced in
October, 1869, by the Steamship
Constantine, owned hv Messrs. Hut
crimson, Kohl & Co., the contractors,
who carried the mail till the follow
ing June, when Ben Holiday Sc,
cured the contract which continued
till 1874, when Selucius GarhsIde
was the successful bidder, and the
contract was awarded to him, but a
decision of Attorney General VIII,
liams being adverse on the ground
that the bid for proposals was defec-
tive, the contract was taken from
him and given TO Ben Holiday, not.
rithstanding the strong protests of
the people Of Puget Sound.
On the 9th of May, 1874, Hon. O.
B. McFadden, then our Delegate in
Congress, together with Gen. Nc.
Kibben, of Indiana, James McNaught
ESD, of Seattle, and Hon. James G.
Swan, of Port Townsend, went be-
fore the Postmaster.G General and en-.
dsavored to induce him to advertise
for new proposals to carry the Sitka
mail starting from Port Townsend;
showing among other facts, that Port
Townsend was and is the end of the
postal route between Portland and
Victoria, that the steamer from Port
land had to call here for the military
mail, and that the line from Portland
to Port Townsend was made double
by being carried via Tacoma and by
ocean steamer, adding an extra and
entirely unnecessary expense. The
Postmaster General admitted the
truth of all the arguments of the
gentlemen, and admitted that COM
mon sense would indicate tho proper
route but the interest of Ben. Holli-
day, and the influence Of the At
torney.G General we're too much for
him. Mr.. Key, the present Post
master General, has called common
sense to be his councillor, and the
result is the present advertisement
for proposals.
The merchants at Fort Wrangel,
Sitka and other points in Alaska,
can purchase their goods at Portland
if they prefer, and have them shipped
via Tacoma here, or they can make
their purchases at Seattle or Port
Townsend, or San Francisco; but
wherever they purchase they can
have their goods put in the ware
house here, as they did when the
Constantine was running, instead Of
having .hem subjected to the delays
and dangers of the Columbia River
Bar.
The following are the advertise
ments for bids, from the Post Office
Department:
No. 43O96-From Port Townsend by
Fort Wrangel, to Sitka, 10ll miles and
back, once month. To leave Port Town
send on the first day of every month, ar
rive at Sitka on the seventh, leave there
on the tenth, and arrive at Port Town
send on the seventeenth. Present cost OF
service $2G. 900. Bond required with bid,
30. 600; and check with bond. 1900.
No. 43096-From Port Townsend, by
San Juan. Friday Harbor, Lopez. East
Sound, Orcas. Guemes. Samish and Sc
home, to SemiahmOo, 1872 miles and back,
once n week Present cost Of service. Co.
Ola per annum. Bond required with bid f,
5000, and check $500.
No. 33O9S From Seattle, by Mukilteo,
Snohomish. Lowell, Tulalip, COnpeville,
COveland. Oak Harbor, Utsalady, La
Conner, Fidalgo aud Samlsh, 10 Sehome.
lIG miles and back. twice 4 week between
Seattle and la Conner, lljlI miles, aud
once a week to the residue. The sche-
dulles. on routes 1907 and i309s, remain
as At present.. Present cost OF service,
eG.7l7 per annum, BOnds required with
bid O.. 900. aud check. $3.50.
No. 43Oa9-Fr0m New Tacoma. by Ia
coma. SEATTLE. Port Madison. Port Gam
be and Port Ludlow. 10 Por Townsend,
- miles and back. si1 times n weck.
Present rost ~ service. t3t.9ll.l9. Bond
r,quirrd with bd. So. 900, and check. fl.-
400. Mail o. leave New Tacoma every
day except SUNDAY, At o'clock in ths
morning. and arrive At Port Townsend ~
4 o'clock the same afternoon; leave PoH
Townsend AZ II O'Clock each day, and ar
Fiyr at New TAoomA a. midnight.
The concert Of newspaper sction
which has operated 80 strongly in
bringing about the above indicated
increased mail service on the Sound
is worthy Of Hute. Our friends ln
SnobUmish, Island and Whaicom
counties, who are 20 be served with