The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-03-03
THE STAR MAIL SERVICE,
Monroe Salisbury Before the Senate
Committed


Last Monday Mr.. Monroe Salisbury,
OF the firm of Gilmer, Salisbury g. Co.,
OF this city, appeared before the senate
subcommittee, and testified that his
firm are contractors for service ON
about five thousand miles of mail
routes including the routes extending
through Dakota from the Union Pacific
railroad to the Black Hills; the trunk
route running through Southern Utah
and Nevada; the Kelton and Walla
Walia route, and a number of long
routes in California and Arizona.
Referring to the oft repeated assertion
as to the existence of a contractors
ring, he pronounced them absolutely
false, and declared that there is not,
n SO far as he knew, never has been
any combination among large contrac-
tors, either for legitimate or Legitimate
purposes. He said men of means IN
questionably get the most of the large
laws passed 10y congress, which deprive
poor men, and men of moderate means,
of the privilege of bidding. Under the
existing laws, bidders are compelled to
deposit five per cent. of the amount of
their bids. When over $1,000 they
have to give double sets of securities,
and fine and Imprisonment are the pen
alties for failing to perform service.
A single letting at the last general let
ting, required a certificate check for
$4,000 and double sets of securities in
$780, 900 each. When we came to the
last quarterly letting 1 was fortunate
enough to have a little means, and L
have some friends, so I bid on one very
important route in the United States.
l deposited in the postofice department
from one to two hundred thousand dol
airs, l think, in certified checks; 1 got
my friends to assist me; l had some
friends in California, Haggis and Tevis
and other gentlemen, who have large
quantities of real estate, to go on M
bonds TO the amount of several millions
of dollars; 1 bid ON hundreds of routes
in that way. Another less fortunate
man could not bid on more.than one or
two rates, and when l bid on hundreds
| am more likely to get more routes
than the man who bids on only two,
especially when l am familiar with the
whole western country, and know pre-
cisely what / can do, and have a big
amount of stock ready to put on the
routes; that explains it.
Question-Wa there no understand
ing or arrangement among the con-
tractors on the subject?
Answer-Never, so far as 1 have had
any experience; We fight each other
very tiercely for the mail contracts; /
have always fought my own battles
alone without any help from any quar-
ter.
Salisbury illustrated the rapid growth
of the western country and the conse-
quent necessity for increasing the SER
from time to time, as follows: 1
ran the first stage line from the Union
Pacific railroad to the Black Hills, a
distance of about three hundred miles.
| started it about four years ago.
think. When I first commenced 1t my
mails would not amount to a hundred
weight in a week; now on the same line
of road L am transporting from a
thousand pounds to n ton per day; and
that increase operates very frequently
through that western country on all
of our lines.
With reference to the argument that
the provisions of the house bill, requir-
ing the annullment of contracts for
service, is not unjust to con-
tractors, because they took their con-
tracts subject to annullment, or one
months pay. He insisted that although
this was true in letter, it was false in
fact, for the reason that the perform
ance of such contracts for increased
frequency and expedited speed involved
gre 1t additional expenditures on the
part of the contractors, which they
would not have entered into II they
thought there was any possibility of an
abrogation of the contract, except for
causes as an extension of railroads,
etc. He also remarked concerning this
provision of the house bill, that it not
only takes away from us the pay, after
we have established ourselves on these
routes, paid for hundreds of stations,
bought thousands of head of horses,
but reduces us back again to such a
schedule and such a rate of speed that
no business man will %patronize us, as
such men cannot afford the time to
endure the hardships it would take
over a route of that kind. The mer-
chants who patronize us, to a great ex-
tent, with heavy and bulky freight that
cannot go through the mails, except
when they can save six, eight, or ten
days by doing it, will patronize a
freight company that makes almost the
same time we could, and carry at a
much less rate. 1t not only takes our
mail away from us, but ruins our bust
ness after we have established it.
The indications, at a meeting of the
full senate committee, on Tuesday,
were that the committee will advise the
senate to increase the amount granted
by the house to a sum sufficient to con-
tinue the mail service under existing
upon all the sthr roufes