Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-09
EMPTY MAIL POUCHES.

Not Uncommon in Uncle Sans Service
Not Always an Evidence Of Loss to the
Government---Railroa and Steamboats,
IAN Interview with Commodore David
son.
A representative of the GLOBE, having en-
countered Commodore VIM. F. Davidson, of
st. Louis, now in st. Paul, ventured to ask
him if, with reference to the late newspaper
publications concerning the river mail service
of the Keokuk- Northern line when that line
was under his control, he had anything to say
about the story that the gsvernmsnt had paid
him largely for carrying empty mail pouches.
81 don't know" said the commodore, "that
there is anything to be said. don't know
why transportation company should fail to
get mail contract because it operates on the
river instead Of on railway"
But it is published that the postmasters
were required to dispatch empty pouches by
the boats, because the mails were really car
ried by faster routes.
"We took the new contract" said the Com
modore, sat the same rate per trip which the
government paid for river mail service before
the river mail was suspended. The govern
ment gained by the contract what we call the
pickup letters-the accumulation of mail mat
ter from along shore and on board which If
our boats had not been mail carriers would
not have paid any postage. Coming out
from St. Louis, for instance, we had three
boats daily. The 10 o'clock boat carried a
mail which no railway could carry. Its pick
up for points above transferred to the 4 O'Clock
boat for Keokuk and that in turn, had always
considerable pick up for the o'clock for st.
Paul. In that way alone think the boats
earned for the government all il
paid for their mail carrying. Then,
| too, the people along the river wanted river
mail, for their communication with long
shore points which the railroads do not touch
and for maintaining and helping regu
| lar river navigation. think your people OF
st. Paul, If they could again see fine line OF
packets running to their port would be more
| than willing it should have a mail contrac!
| and good pay for it. Then there were times
when the railroads could not deliver theil
mails and we had to carry them under oul
contract The talk about our contract comes
| from superintendent of railroad mail service
Now no railroad is built, branch road, cross
| road,3 parallel road, or what not, that does moi
have a mail contract at SO much per mile; anG
| they carry more miles of empty pouches thar
couragement of mail communication and bust
| ness intercourse, and the same rule ought te
apply to the river. The Gate City
of Keokuk lately wrote on thit
subject just what ought to be said and felt by
everybody interested in river navigation. There
are certain interests and certain newspapers
always opposed to everything that helps TIT
Mississippi river route. But the people ant
| newspapers along the river ought not to adop
their sayings without reflection. We are car
| rying mails now between st. Louis and Keo-
| kuk and the people there who appreciate thu
river service will not allow their mails to b.
| abolished. l have no doubt that when WI
have again daily line of packets to St. Paul
the people of the upper river will demand
and have a river mail service
again, and that the railroad mail superintend
ents cannot prevent it. 1t will pay the gov
eminent, but if it did not it would be no worse
than more than half the mileage of railway
nails