Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-11
DORSEY'S SHARP DOINGS,
HOW HE EXPEDITED STAR
ROUTES.
His Performances In OTegOn-Hts
Connection with the Mall Service
Swindles Clearly Made Outflow
He Cared for HIS Relatives.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1O.-A dispatch
from Portland, Oregon, says: "The tele-
grams from Denver, COL, which have been
published giving information that legal
proceedings had been commenced against
ex Senator Dorsey, Of Arkansas, now Secre-
tary Of the National Republican Commit
tee, for services rendered to
obtain an increase of mail service,
and get additional pay therefor, on star
routes In Oregon, attracted much attention
here, more SO from the fact that 1t was
stated that the papers on which the suit had
been instituted at Denver had been received
there from well known attorney at Port
land, and that the claimant was a well
known politician here.
THE OregOraiGn set on foot an inquiry to-
day and got to the bottom of the transac-
ton, and the history Of it fully identifies ex.
Senator Dorsey with the star route business.
The claimant IN the suit is Frank D. Wilcox,
who, though formerly connected with poll
nently In politics here. He went
to Arkansas from Illinois in
1869, and became acquainted
with 8. w. Dorsey there. He was Secretary
of the. State Republican Committee of
Arkansas, though he never held any other
Office, and bore prominent part In the
election of Dorsey to the Senate. Desiring
to get out of politics he left Arkansas and
came to Oregon In 1877. When Dorsey
began to operate in star routes In Oregon he
remembered that Wilcox had come to
this State, and as his relations with
him had been of the most intimate kind,
he fixed upon Wilcox as the man to help
him work up to higher figures the mail
routes In which he had become interested.
dorsey first telegraphed to parties in Port
land to learn IL Wilcox was here. Having
ascertained that he was, he wrote him, stat
ing what service he wanted performed, and
directed him to go to Eugene City, giving
him instructions at the same time how to
get up petitions and have them signed, and
make sub contracts for carrying the mails.
The petitions were to be forwarded to Wash
ington to be used In getting the service and
the pay increased. For the service required
Wilcox was to receive five dollars a
day and his expenses. The route Dor
sey fist operated in WAS from Eugene
City to Mitchell, in Eastern Oregon. The
route is almost wholly unnecessary, as it
passes through a nearly uninhabited coun-
try. Dorsey drew up and forwarded to
Wilcox the forms of petitions for increased
and expedited service between Eugene City
and Bridge creek, and directed him
to get them signed and forwarded
10 the 1usbmdoGcI 0tHSldi' ~ IHoSO
directions Dorsey added the following
words: ''Of course you want
the wording as we'll as the handwriting OF
each person to be as different as possible.
Dorsey in a number of kilograms then gave
Wilcox instructions with regard to the sub
letting of contracts, etc, telling him that
sub-contracts were not to be filed, but that
payment on them was to be guaranteed to
him Dorsey personally.
~ Of has mn nVnIIF antII moi
tions for increased service and faster time,
compensation for carrying the mails over
the Eugine City and Bridge Creek route, in
which Dorsey was interested, was increased
from 81, 46S per snnum to $2l ,460. Another
route In Oregon, known as the Looking
Glass route, was expedited under Dor
sey's management from 81 800 to $l3, AS.
per annum. The greatest swindle of all,
however, was IN the route from Dallas to
Baker City via Canyon City, which stands
In the name of j. NJ. Peck, Dorsey's
brother-in law. There was already route
from Dallas to Baker City parallel to this,
which carried and still carries all the mails
between the two points. On this route,
however, from Dallas to Baker City via
Canyon City, under the manipulation of the
ring, the service was Increased to ak times
a week, which was wholly unnecessary, and
the pay raised from S., ,26S to $72, $50.
-. w. Peck also has another expedited
route, viz; from Canyon City to Camp Nc
Dermott, most of the way through coun-
try without population and incapable Of
sustaining any. This route was expedited
from g., ,8SS to $2l 500. j. NJ. Dorsey, the
brother OF s. w. Dorsey, has contract on
route from Dallas to Lakeview, in South
Oregon, which route was also expedited
from So, ,08S to $20,30O. 1t is probable,
therefore, that Wilcox had charge of only
small part of the business Of the Dorsey
ring in Oregon. The OYegOnion of to-mor-
row will say OF the developments in the
star star route frauds: 'Ex Senator Dorsey
will hardly ask the Postmaster General now
to write letter generating him.