The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-05-12
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THE STAR SERVICE SCANDAL


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THE STAR SERVICE SCANDAL
Grows in mag litude. The fact that
General Brady increased the pay on
ninety.three out of 1886 routes from
1927, ,1l9 to $2O75.O95. and that these
routes were in the hands of favorites, has
been conclusively established. But 1t is
only when the details are studied that
the magnitude Of the rasCality is made
clear. Take an example: Colonel P. W.
Norris, Superintendent Of the Yellow
stone National Park, says that there has
been for several years mail route from
Bozeman, in Montana, to Chico, dis
tsnce of forty.fve miles, and regular
weekly service. This was changed in ia.
vor of a new route from Bozeman by
way of the Park to Camp Brown in the
Wind River valley. Norris first learned
of this from driver named Nelson, who
was dummy for the contractor Sails
bury. Norris got his mail by this route
in 1879, Salisbury wanted it discontinued
as impracticable, and wanted Norris's
aid in getting new route up the Yel-
loWstone to the Utah Northern Railroad
in Idaho; Norris joined others in recon.
mending it, and the change was made,
but they only ask I'd for weekly service;
it was changed at Washington to a daily
one. Then part of the new and direct
route was abandoned by Salisbury for a
long line over the Snowy Mountains,
with detour to Virginia City. 1t was all
a mystery till explained by ex Con-
gyessman McNulta of Illinois, in a letter
70 the Postmaster General. McNulta had
been in the Yellowstone Park for his
health and knew all aboutit. He writes,
after describing the routes that had been
abandoned:
"AsI am informed, under the pre-.
tense that these roads are impassab e,
which is not true, and with a view of
getting more pay for the service, Virginia
City, sixty.five miles from Henry's Lake,
over road not so good as either of the
others named, was made the initial
point requiring the mail and passen-
gers, if any there were, for the Park, to
so lO7 miles from Red Rock Station, the
present terminus, to Virginia City, just
so much out of the way, for no earthly
purpose except to give custom to the
stage line and the people of Virginia
City. For like purpose the mail stage
from Virginia City to the terminus starts
about forty minutes before the arrival of
the BO23man stage, compelling passen
gers and mail to the railroad to lay over
there one day. From July 10 to October
1 the Park proper is accessible. While
it is possible to get in there for longer
period of the year, there is no motive
to induce people to 60 tn, re- at such
times, and almost all, if not all, visitors
20 there between August and OJtober
l.. Exclusive of military parties and peo.
pie living in the adjacent country-Mon.
cana principally-there was not to ex.
ceed sixty persons visiting the Park this
season.
AuC L ObbulhblGI dI l. lI6 IlOl6 DJdIlOu
will be there solely for that purpose, and
The Postmaster at Henry's Lake. These
two, solely to keep up mail route, will
be the only human beings along this
whole line, or within twenty to fifty
miles of it, The mail is now carried
through, when Carried-and there is
some irregularity in its getting through
on ponies When the winter snow
falls, that route can not be passed for
several months except on snow shoes. | |
mean any route through the Park,
"lf there is any use whatever for a
mail route there, all that is needed is a
pony mail from Beaver Station to the
Lower Fire Holes once or twice a week |
from July Is to October l, at cost of
from $3.50 to $40O instead of $4,000 now
paid, So, 900 OF which goes to the parties |
getting the contract and the balance to |
The sub.contractor. The only ground |
pretended to Justify this payment is not |
the need of mai facilities, but to enCour.
age the establishing of lines of travel |
and furnishing accommodations for visi.
tors TO the Park, which 80 far has not |
been, and with present arrangements
WI. not be-"
O piece with this is route No. 2S 095,
running from st. Paul to st. Louis, which |
we have heretofore referred to. The
rog e was let in June last to W. F. Day.
L1s5u FIR S7l ,l9O year, beginning in
July, 1880, and to last for one year. It
was discontinued on the 9lst of last
Ma.--. For nine months of this service
tlszc we're paid quarterly Sl7791, with a
months extra compensation after dis.
Continuance, of S. 992.
II June, 1880, James E. White, Super.
iUleudent at Cairo, advised General Su,
perintendent Thompson by letter that
this route would be "entirely useless"
and could not be made aveiable in for
w2yding the mails-would, in fact, "re-
suit in delay Of the mails" He wrote
again from Chicago, in July following,re.
iterating that it would be useless, "as the
proposed route was already covered by
existing railroad routes." These letters
were referred to Brady, Thompson in the
meantime instruCting White not to send
the mails in such a way as to delay
them, But the contract was not annulled,
and the Government went on for nine
months actually paying at the rate of
$7l 900 year for carrying an empty
mail pouch backwards and forwards be-.
tween st. Louis and St. Paul.
That seems to be enough for one day
Of Gen'l Brady's enterprise in expedit.
ing the service. And yet the General
would have an innocent people believe
that there was nothing wrong in the
business, and that his hands are clean,
whoever else may be smirChed.