The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-25
More of the Star Route viIIainy.

The New YORK Times washington special says:
The great political sensation of the day may
overshadow, but they do not disturb the invt sti-
CATION I'm progress under the direction of the Post
master General. The work OF examining records
and papers and accommodating evidence against
members of the ring is going on slowly but
surely. Ii is intended the investigation shall be
q thorough one, and for this reason it can not
be completed In few days. There Is vast field
to be covered Some divisions of the inveStiga-
ton are but just begun. The table of the ninety
three Star Routes published some time ago by
authority OF the Department was only sample
of the work of the rings. IL Is true ii contains
some of the most striking examples of rascality
which can be found In the service; but 1t is also
true that there are hundreds of routes out
side that list which the rings have manipu
lated, and the field which demands investi-
CATION stretches away on all sides of that list
The field is wide, and the examination of il re.
quires time So much has been said about the
rottenness of the star Service. and so many
revelations have already been made, that ii is but
natural that some who are unacquainted with the
controlling circumstances should become imp
tient and call for immediate administration of
justice. The ordinary business OF the Department
Is sufficient to keep the employees at work. That
ordinary business has not been stopped. and it
must be attended to by the officers and their sub
Ordinates. The investigation has caused hardly
any perceptible decrease in the Departments
working force. There has not been sufficient time
as yet, since the change in Administration, to put
in motion all The machinery for accumulation of
evidence. Nevertheless gOodly amount has come
in, and abundance OF IL will follow. In the
meantime the foundations for an exhaustive
investigation being laid with great care
AS for reductions in the cost of service already
made, the routes upon which action has been
taken have been-eXcept those reported by the
COMMISSIONER the South. those which came I'M
der the eyes of officers from day to day in the reg
ular course OF business. A search for useless
service has been begun, but, except in steamboat
routes and one or two other cases. its results have
not yet appeared.
The Times correspondence gives a history of
several Star Route contracts, OF which the follow
ing the most prominent: Route No. IS, O1S,
from Monument to River Bend Col, held by the
Dorsey combination, shows some very suggestive
facts. Distance ffty-nine and a half miles:
service, twice a week; time. thirty-three hours.
lowest, Joshua II. Watts, of Santa Fe, s9iS. The
contract was awarded To Watts. The latter sub-let
the route N. p. Williams of Denver, for 81 200.
1t was soon announced that Watts mad failed, and
the route was re-et TO A. II. Brown by
Braky, for 81 200. In thirty-two days after the
route had come into possession of Brown, orders
were issued by Brady which raised the pay from
81, 200 to Sli 90. Trips were incTeaSd TO seven
trips per week, and the time reduced from thirty
three to seventeen hours Brown has received
on this route 81, 900, and for the same time.
under the original codtTact. Watts would have
received about s.. 900. There is a sworn testimo-
ny to the effect that Watts Miner, Peck and Dor
sey were partners. Watts seems to have been un-
fortunate and TO have gone out Of the combina-
ton.
Route No IS 1l3, from RawIins to White River
Colorado, was let to John w. Dorsey for 81 200. 1t
afterwaru passed into the hands of ex-senator
Dorsey. The service was TO be once week dis
lance, $50 miles: time, los hours Service
finally increased to seven trips per week and the
pay TO $30,9S1.