The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-11
STOP THIS SQUANDER[NG.
WHIT rs sam ny CONTRACTOR iDJMs
-tB0UT iIL-C.IRRrING.
Hts Defence Against The Sun's Ex po.ure. In
behnif Of Post once Reform How some
Men would Have the Country Dcvsioped.


lato Of the 2lih ult. appears letter from your
Washington correspondent. headed Reform
the Post Oflicc.' which does me such gross in
justice that must ask space in THE SuN which
shines for all to correct statements therein
made. | shall be brief. and take up the points
ms they come in the letter. He starts out by
saying: Half the money spent by the Post
Ofiicc Department on steamboat routes il spent
In tho liivor and Cult Statcs-Florida. Tevn-.
Missouri. Tennessee. Arkansas. Mississippi.
and Louisiana and these States have more
than half the steamboat mileage. Before the
war they had less than half the pay: ut the
close of tho war. 1867. they had one-liird the
mileage. and less than one fourth the uay. -
Vow lust What he proposes to show bv this
settlement can't understand All puople who
know anything of thu geography OF the United
States Know that there are more rivers in the
states named than in all others. II is also a
matter "l fact that there are frw"r railroads in
tbo-c states than in others. and much Of the
rniniry ihrnueh which land routes must go. in
cu~r mail S"rNtc,' br tnkeu off the rivers. H. for
many months in the year impasssbu FROM
overflow.
Wv understanding is that the war ended in
lsh1. and not 1867, rs stntcd. aud there were no
river rpuirs. or but lew. in those States under
contract with the United States Government at
the end of the war. and the Post Onicc Depart
mont WIS slow to put ON any after the close Of
the war.
Your correspondent further states did not
own bout. aud saws that all tic routes. 20 Ug1
2Nn9j. 29.0lG 2gWll. ~. iO3, and 30 lOi were
lci on special contracts. The facts are. and can
u" iound III the records of the Post ONCE De-
raitmeni, that | have been a contractor tor
river mail service in Arkansas ever since 1852
with few yours loss during and alter the war
commanded bOas iron 1852 w To- 1858. and
sin" then hay" had charge of n line or lines Of
hmtS with ,viirc ON shore. w To- 1874. Sinre
which tim" have had charge of no linz" hut
Ina md
II Your correspondent will look over the rec
Hris hr viii iint that 10 contractor has done
better sctNir" or more prompt mail service by
river ihhn have for nearly auuarier of a cen
tury.
hive been contractor on routes 20 100 and
~. ~ about eighteen years ~ the Twenty-Five
and goi them both at the last three regular let
tinr-; tl"r"iore they could not hc special con-
tr3lcts. ~ to contract ~ u9G was contractor on
thai route from July /. lsjs' an To MAY II
1851 when service was discontinued hy order
ut the Foslmas General and then got the
same pnt that nuw receive.
the ShMn contract he speaks Of was per-
formed 10y Hucs; lIo other three contracts or
fourteen months. aud; II couTse. II could not hs
.Npr,ted that tho service could be done for that
length Of time for anything like n, low price
stated To- the Postmaster General when I
took Tues, routes could take them for much
i'ss II could got Them for term Of years: that
/ rad' On ilc r",iir-. But he could only contract
up l" III" iinir oi the regular letting Now | will
give ... 'F.s. IN point ~ lS55 made. a bid for
spectral srrvic" rom Napoleon imouth Arkansas
ana White rivers them to Aberdeen lthe nearest
point 10 Little Rock three times per week and
,tp'9 mere To- Jnrk,oni"rt two times por week.
tractors that lid M tn. route Al the regular
lifting m 1911 having failed; and in fact,
an contra tor un that routc had failed
~ To- that time. | took the contract,
aud. although n steamboat man. did nni
I"Ssh -sa," hca!s vent to Piusbarsa
,Tlor" the TIM" agreed on. and lost mon " the
nr>i year even Al that hg price. but ! was
urpmnt. and that tact brought business Ia In.
Inc. People who contemplated moving from
.hhnr states hal regular. safe and comfortable
lall,u,s FOR l""ktng 20 the beautiful lands of
wonderful increase of population and business
pil that river. Whom tnn contract vas let again
II was tasen Tor fl6.o", then 81 900. and nov.
~ stated 10y yopr correspondent, NJ ,5.n'O The
business lustines the present price though |
must -ny ms too lowl, the trade hs, been built
M. ana though the Government did pay high
llri'c for trw Years. the excess has been pianv
times returned I" the Government by ths large
'r"ps produced on that river. in the main ey-
~" GO, einm,Ei. and tho taxes collected since
hr war by IA" b"Nrrnnl. NJ un cotton alone PRO.
W. lut Ne i"oil" hdV" had heretofore. ~
Viii 'N"r ~" nn thai river IN the future The
am 1i will arIiy t2all ,lr.e IT tho other routes
htlculnrly tile Qua hltl river. That section
4 country. has no railroad facilities exert a
r9ni ir'gi Nl"s .lurc 60 Monroe.
The valleys 81 ~" Ouariita and Black river,
go, A., Ia. ~ 'ii'eH ,,'','iFftII'
lnl .i3s miles Ou,rfitn r,,eri ,re 49,, ',tt,
richest ia The South Th' proplu on thai route
' III 80, 49,, ,lNi uim ono mn r.r we which
hoy 49, w,ll 40 M, iIrnniIno,,s dcisrst n,, a,u
"nerea~ from hnul Arkansas aud louisiana.
A., ,',,, 'n- Hs,,n" UP snn mas been done
nor hu,, asked il II the Pnstmnstsr 1snrsrs'
~ idI am afraid the SECOND trim would he al
h,,- ,v''rid ~ ~ iaru h," nhlu ahl anu sure
rip. 'V' ""'''''
lh"re ar" many points IN your correspond
l,,,. p,e,in, ,,, nau. d. Erroneous -
"A long. '''"''
, Iht BUSINESS men ot Maniphls and tho people
arr.,i th s, 49, = ~, xxx, h.t -N5 con
N fn,i, 49,, ia. ,.,,,t M " ~, ~ Ht''
~ lfl Tor fourteen monihs, run through beamii.
II H." sr,n,r,,' st"''eN,. NE man ,erv.a IN
amnI j. yory mesrr and wnulI n,t hs ,Ier.,
81 " any "i the States OF the North. MANY
.,''i ''|,| ~ ~, SCUM nave l" go 10 Is
tlc We have l. dccm.d by some L." ,n,,h ",,,
am Try IT, see THE SIN seems 10 takethat
,iny IL ~" n,il.s .. I va. We south has
al Ia 1850. aud the North has "a oOo ,Sii,s |
'urr. JoHN u. ADAMS.
mn, ~, 'e"' v 'N'N
'ep"''in' 'olect- ana as
''N',u' h"' l" develop any part of
- ''"N'i " 'hA 10 'hflN ltltcfn where there