New-York tribune., 1880-10-12
4uERJCAN MAIL ENTERPRISE.

The British Government has two mail routes TO
Australia. or rather the mother government has one
and her stalwart young infant of New Sonth wales
has another One il by way of the Su'z Canal and
is subsidized by the British Government; the other
is across the two oceans aud TINS continent from
New-York to San Francisco. aud has no suo5h
except the Sums paid the steamship ana railway
companies for their services by the Unlteo states
and the Colonial Governments. There has al
ways been sharp rivalry between the two services {;
and thus far the Trans Continental has regularly
beaten the Suez Canal route. The last named' our
inc the wear from March 1879 to March 1880,
averaged fifty three days IN transit from Sydney 10
London the route via san Francisco and New
York-which is carried b. the Pacific Mail Steam
shin Company from Sydney TO san Francisco thence
to Ney-York by rail- and hence by the British Aail
steamers TO England-averaged forty-tye days. n
clear gain of eight days. IL Will be seen that ior
the part of the route the mails by Ncw-Iork
and San Francisco are carried by Americans; and a
recent inclent has illustrated that t Is largely due
to American enterprise and activity. both on the
mart of officials and contractors, that the quickest
time is made.
On Wednesday last Postmaster James learned by
telegraph that the Pacific Mail ComDanys steamer
City of Sydney, which left sydney on September y,
had reached San Francisco on October D, two days
ahead of her tmr. Unfortunately, she was JEST two
hours too late fo cach the mail train of that day,
and delay Of twcnty-four hours was unav0ldabI".
TIE schedule time from san Francisco TO New-foIk
would bring this important mail I thls city abOu'
ten hours too late 70 catch the hrSt deplft'
ing British steamer. Mr.. james went 20 the Union
Pacific Railroad Office IN this city and represented
the facts to Mr.. SIDNEY Dillon. and asked IL a
special could not be put on TO catci the regular
mail train OF the day before IL Eappeneu that MI
H. II. Clark, General Manager Of the Union
Pacific at Omaha. and Mr. a. n. iOWne' Ocberal
Su,orntendent of the Contra! Pacific at San Fran
cisco, were present; and the case was stated TO
tbem ..Where is the train with the mail at this
time ~ M Lion asked of Mr.. iownc. " On the
Humboldt Division. somewhere" was the reply.
:" Can 4 spccal catch the other train p he asked.
Mr.. Clark replied III the Affirmative, but added,
"We shall hlve to run special n thousand
mi - and II VII cost a thousand dollars" Don't
care what II co,ts.D replied Mr. Dillon: do IT,"
Tie telegraph was put in requisiton. Mr Towne
hv telegraph detached the mail car and gave 1t a
sn.cial locomotive some where on the Humboldt
Division :" and Mr.. Clark sent word to push 1t over
The Union Pacific nj snch speed as to make mp
twenty-four hours lost time. 1t was done. Tie
resalar mail train was over:aken ut Omaha; the
Australian mail car was attached last night ut
9lS it was landed in this city, and to-day 1t goes
by the Arizona to England. Ii the vessel
makes schedule time the trip from Sydney will
have been made in the shortest time on record,
about forty ys.
This is an illustration not merely of American
energy. but of American methods. No emergency
such AS moved the postal and railway officials in
this instance wouG have had he slightest weight III
cutting English red tape. 1t is doubtful If tho idea
Of recovering lost time would have ever occurred
IN a British official trained in routine duties and
educated in tho worship of the Very Reverend
Precedent.