Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-12

all the mails from Bismarck, on
he Northern Pacific railroad, that pass over
that lire for the Hills, mus be returned to
once . week on q long schedule. It SCENE
impossible for gentlemen living in
parts of this country to form any
conception of the great northwest
or to comprehend lite growth and unparral-
leled development. Thew measure its wants
aud necessities BY their OWE surroundings,
in which they have seen no change since
the day they were born. They cannot un-
derstand that away out on the plains, almost
under the shadow Of the Rocky Mountains,
in that strange and interesting country
known as the Black Hills, which less than
four years ago was a solitude, there is to-day
population Of over thirty thousand people,
with prosperous. busy, thriving towns; eight
newspapers, five of which are daily; school
houses and churches; national banks, large
commercial houses; the richest mines in the
world ; the largest mills and finest machin.
cry for the reduction Of ore and the produc-
ton of precious metals that can be found on
the continent.
And they may not know that that min
ing region alone has contributed to the
wealth of this country in bullion during
the last year from three to five millions OF
dollars, which is a low estimate 1t will
readily be understood by every one, except
be who is willfully blind, that the interests
of such a community must be CLOSELY iden-
tilted with the people and capital of eastern
cities, aud that their business relations re-
qulre the very best possible mail facilities
And yet I o those honest, hardy, daring
pioneers who have opened up for you the'
mine of marvellous wealth, and who are
,ia,ly adding so much to our sources ol
national prosperity. you begrudee the poor
privilege of two daily mails leading in, as
they do. from two of the most important
railroad t%horoughfsres 10 the northwest,
These stage companies, as was 50 vel
stated on yesterday BY the gentlemen from
Kansas. (Mr. Haskell, are the %forerunners
If emigration and civilization. These two
lines leading into the Hills n run
ding over two hundred and fifty miles and
the other two hundred and ninety Though
a country with little or no settlement. have
nr,dRed streams, improved roads, and con.
structed ferries over rivers, and by stoppins
4, no expense by way of coaches aud equip
,nents have made the long and tedious
journey not only tolerable but pleasant.
% the route from Bismarck to Tongue
river, a distance of three hundred and fifty
miles, I am reliably informed it cost the
mail contractor the sum of *35 900 to pre-
oare a road, build bridges, provide ferries,
construct stations with stabling, &c, in or
der to make travel and the transportation
If mails possible.
And now after an immense outlay Of
money on the strength of their contracts,
which they have always faithfully executed.
they are to be told that they have no right>
under these contracts which the great gov
eminent is. hound to respect, o the peo-
Ole depending on them for their mails any
interest in that service worthy the
consideration o! this house. And why
The friends of this measure talk wisely and
with an assumed indignation that is per
fectly wonderful against the alleged dere
LECTION of officials, but their reasons for this
great wrong to the people of the west are
lame and impotent, and will fall far short
If being accepted as satisfactory by the
country. Out Of one hundred and seven
star lines on which the service has been
increased or expedited, four or five onlv are
in which anything could be discov-
cred to arouse the eusp,cion of even q com.
,nittee in search of matter to justify an In
Aud I call attention to this fact. that 80
far In this debate no one fact or figure has
been produced to justify the conclusion go
hastily and gladly jumped at by certain
gentlemen. that the expedition of service
~ these four or five routes was unwise, IN.
justifiable, and not in the interest of III
public service. Must we be judged by the
returned? How much income did
he government resllz. from the service on
The routes from Saint L,uis to San Fran
cisco via Texas, and from Omaha to Sacra-
nento, from 1858 to 1861, when they cost the
one running twice q week and
he other six times a week for eight months
md three trips q week for four months.
} 100000 per annum? Had these two
roules been increased to daily they would
have cost over $3. 500, 1000. 1t was not for
that these routes were established
md service put OF at such great cost. but
Tor the accommodation Of the people to
open up the country, to make q highway
Tor settlement and civilization. But now
hands are held up 10 holy horror when
welve routes are found, on many OF which
there is daily service. costing the govern
ment $4,000. 900. From 1850 to 1861 nu-
nervous routes cost per mile, for q c q week
slow schedule time, from fifty 10
,ver two hundred dollars per mile, while
he highest cost iser mile OF any of the one
hundred and seven routes affected by this
bill does not exceed ga. and the average
cost per mile on these one hundred and sew
rou,es will not exceed $32 per mile, the
average cost of the entire star service being
80 "a per mile less than it has been since
1858. The tact is that under the present
management of the p~ostof1ce department,
the country has cheaper mail service, and
more efficient, than 1t has had for the las,
twen'y-one years.
But to return. These four or FIVE routes
10 which gentlemen claim to find something
that is crooked and irregular, but which
they have failed to make apparent to this
house. are made the pretext for striking
down and cripplioe TO an alarming degree
be star service Of the coultry-no. not Of
the entire country. hut of the west and north.
vest. Is there anything wrong in the 10
or expedition of service on any OF
the lines of Dakota! No; hut it has been
h'nted TO me that they might get along
With q weekly mai! 10 Deadwood. Any
thing wrong in the service 10 Colorado
M. In Kansas? No. In Wyomiug OF
Montana? No. 10 any If the other on.
hundred sni one routesi No; but the,
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