The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-06-02
POSTMASTER GENERAL JAMES,
lie will Unearth All of the ,Secrc,
Of The Stnr knufe SerNiCH


Of The star Route service.
A Times Washington special: The
great political sensations of the day
may overshadow but they do not dis
turb the investigation in progress under
the direction ofthe Postmaster General
The work of examining the records
and papers and accumulating evidence
against the members of the ring is go
ing on slowly but surely. 1t is intend
ed that the investigation shall be
thorough one, and for this reason it
cannot be completed in a few days.
There is a vast field to be covered in
some divisions Of the investigation
which are just begun. The table of
ninety-three star routes published some
time ago, by authority Of the depart
ment, was on Y a sample of the work
Of the rings. 1t is true it contains some
of the most striking examples of ras.
cality which "an be found in the service
but it is also true that there are hun
dreds of routes outside of that list
which the rings have manipulated and
that field which demands investigation
stretches away on all sides of that list.
The fields are wide and the examina-
ton of them takes time. So much has
been said Of the rotteness of the Star
service and some who are unac-
quainted with the controlling circum-
stances should become impatient and
call for the immediate administration
of justice, The ordinary business ofthe
department is sufficient to keep en-
ployes at work. The ordinary business
has not been stopped and it must be at
tended to by the Office and their subordi-
mates. The investigation has caused
hardly any perceptible decrease of
the departments working force.
There has not been sufficient time, as
yet, since the change in the admins
tration to put in motion all the ma
chinery for the accumulation OF evi-
dence, nevertheless, goodly amount
has come in and abundance Of it will
follow. In the meantime foundations
for exhaustive investigations are being
laid with great care. AS for reductions
in the cost of the service already made,
the routes upon which action has been
taken have been those reported by the
commissioner in the south and those
which come under the eyes of the of.
ticers from day to day, in the regular
course of business. A search for USE
less service has been begun, but except
in the steamboat routes, and one or two
other cases, its results have not yet ap-
peared. A correspondent gives his
tory of several Star route. contracts, of
which the following are the most prom
inent: Route No. 3S 9lS, from v onu-
ment to River Bend Colorado, held by
Dorsey. The combination shows some
very suggestive facts. The distance is
593 miles, the service twice a week,
the time 33 hours. There were 90
bidders, the highest $297O ard the low
est, H. Watts, of Santa Fe, $95S. The
contract was awarded to Watts. The
latter subIet the route to N. P. Will
iiams, of Denver. for $1,000 1t Was
soon announced that Watts had failed,
and the route was relet to A. H. Brown,
by Brady, for $1,000. In 80 days after
the route had come into the possession
of Brown orders were issued by Brady
which raised the pap from $1,000 to
$l1, 200. Trips were increased to seven
per week. and the time reduced from
33 TO II hours. Brown has receiv I'd on
this route s23 900, and for the same
time under the original contract, Watts
would have received $4,000. There is
sworn test!n: ony to the effect that Watts,
Miner, Peck, and Dorsey were partners.
Watts seems to have been unfortunate,
and to have gone out Of the comhina-
ton. Route No. 3S, 1l2 from Rawlins
to White River, Colorado, was let to
John W. Dorsey, for $1700. Itafterwards
passed into the hands of ex-senator
Dorsey. The service was once a week,
the distance $50 miles, the time 1OS
horus. The service was fiually increas.
ed to seven trips per week, and the
pay to 80 9S1.