Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-31

Inc IOrtncOming report OF the ouPerlh-
tendent of the Railway Mail Service will
show that during the last fiscal year fifty
nine lines Of railway postofiices have been
operated over 1880 miles Of railway.
performing about $4,000 miles of daily
service, and nearly 100000 miles of
railroad mail service of all kinds. includ-
ing the transportation not only Of postal
cars but Of closed pouches, was over 93.-
100000 miles during the year.
The number of letters handled and dis
tsibuted by the employees of the Railway
Mail Service In postal cars during the
twelve months was about 1865, OOO,-
600. There were also nearly $50. 900, 600
newspapers, showing . total increase Of
about 400.OOO.OOO pieces, or nearly 20
per cent. in the amount of work as COM
pared with the preceding year. The to-
til number Of errors in distribution (many
Of which were. however, merely technical
and involved no delay.) was about 763, 900
or one error in each $500 pieces. The
Railway Mail Service employs 1901 trav-
cling postal cars, 1893 route agents. 247
mail messengers, and 1874 local agents.
The Fate Of Bodies Discoverer.
P0UGHKEEPsIE, Oct. 2S.-Waterman s.
Bodie. the original discoverer of the famous
silver-mining district, whose body. it il stated
has been discovered near the town of Bodie,
was. 30 years ago, . resident Of Poughkeep-
Gle, where he worked at his trade of tinsmith.
He was regarded by his associates ~ kind
Of leader ON account of his superior skill q
workman and because of his naturally en-.
ergstic disposition. He was member of the
Odd-fellows, and introduced some Of the now
prominent citizens, who were then young
men, into the mysteries Of that order. On
the breaking out Of the gold fever in lS48,
he took passage in the sloop Matthew Vassar,
and sailed round the Horn To California. AZ
Ter spending several years in prospecting and
business, during part Of which time he Is
said 10 have lost heavily in the dry goods
business, he finally struck the surface vein Of
the Bodie mine, and. with several other men,
built stone hut, and began work. During
wife in the city, and had sent her money for
her support. In November, 1859, the mining
party found itself threatened with starvation,
and Bodie, with companion, started for q
neighboring settlement to buy provisions. On
the return trip the two men were lost in a
snow storm, and, bewildered by the binding
fakes, they wandered for hours in the intense
cold through drifts and gulches. Bodie final
~ became deliri0us, and his companion was
forced to abandon him in order to save him.
self. Luckily, he was only short distance
from camp, and stumbled suddenly into
warmpth and comfort. As soon as the ex-
hausted man could tell his tale, the others
started out to search for Bodie; but, though
they trxmped around in the snow all night,
they could not find the slightest trace Of their
missing leader.
For 10 years. therefore, mystery has sur
rounded the death Of Bodie, and his wife has
never given up faint hope Of seeing him
again. During all these years she has resid-
ed in this city, earning q scanty living ~ a
sesmstress, and enduring an accumulation of
misf0rtunes in the successive loss of six chill
dren--some Of them meeting violent deaths.
One vas drowned in an old mill-pond, and
another, who had learned his fathers trade,
fell from high building in New Brunswick,
n. j., and was fatally injured. 1t has been
rnmored that Bodies claim in the mine was
still good, and that the proof Of his death
viii throw an immense fortune into the hands
Of his destitute widow, but good authority
states that Bodies partners, discouraged by
his death, len the claim, which, after several
years was dumped" and the mine reopened
BY other persons.