The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-03-19
MAIL aEavI:E m GEORGIA.
1.-THE MONTICELLO NAIL COMBINATION"

We last week published some account
OF the Star service debate in Congress and
the result iD the House. Blount, OF Geor-
eia. was the leader of the raid against the
western service while protecting his own
States Star service. Incl dental to the de-
bate Mr.. Page had read the following from
the Atlanta Constitution giving an account
of how the mails are carried in MIR. Bounts
District. 1t provoked roars Of laughter.
The glory of the Government Is the
Monticello mail combination. say com6i-
nation, for it is composed OF three parts,
each dependent on the other and all neces-
sary. First, there is Bospherus, the mule.
who has been in the business for years, and
knows the route better than any living man.
Bosphorus is curiosity; he is estimated to
be thirty odd years Of age, and his skin
when he trots looks like blanket spread
over a man having fir. But Bos. has ge-
MUS. 1t is said that frequently last year
when the carrier, who had tnen grown
somewhat old and thck-headed, would fix
his eye ON Orion or Mars and pull the old
mule around toward where he thought
Monticello lay, slackened the reins, Bos.,
relying only on memory, would return to
the proper road and jog along quietly home.
Latterly it has only been necessary to shove
him out of Monticello, to land him safe in
Macon or tice Uersd.
The second and next important part OF
the combination is the conveyance, an an
tique two-wheel sulky that wabbles along
with the mail bag slung upon the axle.
The sulky has heartless and discouraged
appearance and careens frightfully. A
friend of the carrier lately made calcula-
ton to show that for every mile it Travelled
straight ahead the occupant travelled two
sideways, and now they have framed Pc
tition to increase his pay on the ground
that his route has been trebled in length.
The third portion Of the combination is
the driver. 1t is a matter of surprise to
some that the Government did not issue
the commission to the mule, furnish him
with calendar and list Of the legal holi-
days, and do away with the driver. have
been reliably informed, however, that
driver is absolutely indispensable. In the
first place, the mule needs company. Just
think OF making beast travel eighty miles
q week with nobody to commune with-no'
body to shares its hopes and fears! Even
a great and powerful Government would
not thus impose upon a helpless beast. And
then the mule needs driver, and he needs
assistance. There are hills along the route
where the driver has to alight, shoulder
the United States mail, and sulky cushion,
and, having scraped the mud from the
wheels, shove Bosphorus, sulky and ell ovel
the crest. His assistance is also necessary
on the down grade, for Bospborus has but
one way of going down hill it is always
race for lie, when that sulky begins tc
crowd him, and were not the driver aboard
to throw out his block of wood and rope at.
tached as sort of drag anchor, the United
States mail would run off with Bosphorus q
dozen times day. trust, therefore, that
the driver will not be dispensed with
There is such thing as running even po
litical economy in the ground.