Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-20
: Another Star ISOute Case.

Another star route case, affecting the PhiIa-
delraia parties arrested at the beginning of the
Investigations Of the Postmaster General has
been discovered In the Post Office department.
Joseph r. Black, his coachman tJoseph Black
maB>, VIM. r. Cason and HenSy Arbuckle were
arrested for frauds committed In connection
With routes from Fort Elliott TO wichita Falls
FoIt SBffhn to Fort Elliott, AID Brackettsvtlle
20 Fort Stockton, in Texas. The newly discoV-
ered route in which these parties were later
ested was No. s2,0s2 from Camp supply, In1ian
Territory, westward to Otero, New Mexico, a
cistarce OF $50 miles, the schedule calling for
ole trip per week, running time los hours
There were great many bidders for this route,
sureties accompanying his bid were William r
Cason, who sW ore that he owned $25 900 worth
OF town lots In Philadelphia and cultivated land
In New jersey; and Robert Campbsll, who
IN Philadelphia.
The contract was awarded the hostler, Black
man. his bid being the lowest 81 $50 per annum.
Blackman's sureties were Cason and Henry
Arouckle. the former Of whom swore to the
owLeI ship OF property as above stated In Black s
DID, and the latter declared himself the pos
The contract was awarded Blsckman, to begin
Oct. =, 1879 On the 10th OF November, 1879. he
was declared q falling contractor no service
having been performed meantime on the route.
whoever the parties representing Blackman
might have been. they found it was Impossible
10 stock the line and make any money off IT,
The next lowest bidder On the route was th
rirg contractor j. B. Price, but ths department
evidently regarded his bid OF 81 400 too high,
and they awarded the contract TO Geo. q. Gid
d1rgs another ring favorite, for 81 $780, or SO
less than Prices bid. Gddfngs term began
Dec. l: 1879 and it continued until July 81,
when the route was entirely discontinued.
The inside history OF this route Is interest
Ing, ana the papers In the case show the reasons
Which led to lis establishment, as well As those
which caused Its disconttnuance. Stephen w.
Dorsey appears to have conceived the idea thai
the route would be a good thing, as he made
personal appeals for its establishment az the
department., and secured letters from Senators
ID Gehalf OF the new service. II seems as though h
Mr. Dorsey lost all interest In the route af er
his Reck- Miner combination was underDd for
the service.
The utter uselessness OF the service was ex
posed by man Iamed Levi Lef1er, OF Troyburg,
station On the line. MIR. Lefer's lett er Is O 1
file In the department. His character for verac
ity Is vouched for by prominent gentlemen. He
says that he was asked 10 ST. q petition for q
0a'iy mail on the route, Ct having been GID
the pay would be multiplied by six,) aud he
protested against any increase Mr. Letter said
that there was not ten people on the line who
would be benf1tted by daily mall and that lt
would cost 800 piece for each letter or news
paper sent over the route. Mr.. Letter informed
The department OF what it very well knew, that
OterO. Troy burg and Madison, on the western
end of the line, had each a tri weekly service
from Trinidad, Colorado while Camp Supply
had tri-Weekly service from Dodge City, Kan
sas: The long distance between Camp supply
and Madison, about $50 miles, passes through
an unsettled country. chiefly Inhabited by
gIeaseIs. Gen. Brady replied that as present
advised the department would not put daily
service on the route. Giddings sublet his CON
tract TO Henry Reed. Reed turned 1t over TO a
driver on the route. who sold the stock, and ran
away With the money, and after keeping up the
farce seven months longer the rou,e was dis
continued,