Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-29

In 1911 there was awarded TO Ill. M
Norton, who represented the Texa
and California stage company, a con
tract for the route, let for three time
q week, from Memphis to Terrene, anC
three times a week from Terrene t,
Vicksburg, and according TO thu
schedule a delay of many hours wa
necessitated at Terrene, both ways.
was then interested in The Texas anC
California stage company and manager
of its steamboat service. Memphil
merchants will recollect the trouble j
had starting and in performing tn,
{ service, and the heavy opposition /
had to encounter, both Of the Citizens
packet company and the Anchor line
but the schedule time was not salts.
factory to the people along the line
and at the end of a few months a petit
ton signed by every postmaster be.
tween Vicksburg and Helena wa;
presented to the postoffice department
urging the adoption of a new schedule
for
TWO THROUGH TRIPS
from Memphis to Vickshurg as prefer
able to the three trips under the old
schedule, with the delay at Terrene.
| agreed to carry out this change, and
accordingly the old contract made
with Norton was annulled, and a new
contract was made in my name as con-
tractor, on a much faster schedule, |
having bought out the steamboat in
terests of the Texas and California
stage company. The steamboats,
0uachita Belle and Red Wing then
carried the mail and made regular
trips. A few months after | bought
out the boats of the Citizens packet
company, another trip being added be-.
tween
MEMPHIS AND ~VIOKSBURG.
| made a compromise by which the
Anchor line was to carry two trips
and the 0uachita Belle one trip a
week. This agreement was afterwards
modified so that the three trips a week
between Memphis and Vicksburg were
carried by the Anchor line, and |
withdrew the, 0uachita Belle from the
EicksbVrg trade once a week, and
started her in the trade between Ar
kansaw City and Memphis-t trips
a week-which | thought might be
built up. Accordingly, | proposed to
carry two mails a week from
MEMPHIS TO ARKANsAw CITY
temporarily, at any price that the de-
partmcnt would fix, which proposition
was urged by the members of congress
along the line, and the compensation
was finally fixed at the low rate of
$1,000; but | believed the business
would grow, and only a few months
later two mails more per week we're
added to the service between Vicks-
burg and Greenville, on the earnest
petition of the people below Green
vile. Unasked and u~ninAuenced by
me, | was given the privilege of per-
forming the service at pro rata of my
contract, and in case of refusal it was
to be let to others. Captain Williams,
who then was running a boat between
Vicksburg and Greepville, was INK
ious to get the CONTRACT. therefore
accepted the increase Of two trips be-
tween
YGCKsBURG AND GREENVILLE.
[ may here add that General Chal-
mers, member of congress from that
district, has always been in favor of
increasing the trips when it could be
done, and sometime after this, when
Captain Lee and myself started the
Coahoma between Memphis and
Vicksbure, had the mail ordered on
it, which made four trips through
from Vicksburg to Memphis and six
trips between Greenville and Yicks-
burg. We found very soon, however,
that u running this mail would be
likely TO bring on another steamboat
fight with the Anchor line, and | en-
deaVored tO.get the mail taken of.Dut
the members Of congress along the
line would not agree to that, and |
had to send a man over the line as
best | could to make up the fourth
trip, for compared with the expenses
Of a steamboat the mail pay amounts
to nothing. Either before or aftsr
this. | do not noE recollect, General
Chalmers strongly urged that the gap
OF torty-hye miles between
ARKANsAw CITY
and Greenyille should be closed. |
objected that it would not compensate
me to run a boat for the mail pay
alone, aud there was not business
enough to justify me in running two
boats from Memphis to Greenyille but
| finally agreed that if the temporary
contract Nas aplulled aud they gave
me pro rata tor the balance ofthe con
tract between Memphis and Green. J
vile l would take =. winch was AZ
last accepted, and I was awarded bro
rata pay less a few hundred dollars.
CONTRACTS AND ROUTES.
My contract now is for three time
a week straight through from Mem
phls to Vicksburg, which is route No.
1900, the fourth trip Of which is
from Memphis to ArkaDsaw CITY once
a week. Route No. 29064 is two trims
a week between Memphis and Green.
vile, and three trips a week between
Arkansaw City and GreenVille. Route
No. 1908 is three times a week be-
tween Vicksbufg and Greenville. So
that 1 am carrying the mail three
times a week from Yicksburg TO Ar
kanssw City, which embraces route
No. 29,063 and that part Of rolte No.
Z9,064 which lies between Greenville
and Arkansaw City, which service IL
performed by the steamboat Dean
Adams, three trips a week. Route
No, 29,O6f, between Arkansaw City
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