The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-06-22
7
of Crookedness i'm the Star Route Rascali-
ties-How the Contracts Were Let.

of Crookedness in the Star Route RascaIi
ties-How the Contracts Were Let.
NEW York, June 19.-The Washington
correspondent of the Times says the collec
ton and classification of evidence upon
which to base the prosecution of the dishOn
est Star Route contractors and their cOnfed
crates in Office has been continued quietly
but vigorously during the past week. The
force employed is small. but excellent prog
ress has been made. Evidence is coming in
from all parts of the country, and the inyes
tigators have had their attention directed
every day to hitherto unknown cases OF
fraud. At the same time the Postmaster
General and Second Assistant Elmer have
continued the application of common sense,
honest methods and business principles to
the existing Star Service, and the incomes OF
ring favorites are continually becoming
beautifully less. The reports made by hon
est special agents in relation to the crooked
service are now coming in every day. Much
useless and fraudulent service has been
marked for discontinuance. Action on
these cases is not taken un,
and consideration on both sides. The De-
partment proposes to be sure it is right be-
fore it goes ahead. At the same time
methods which have prevailed in the De-
partment, allotment of clerical work, loca-
ton of divisions, and many other details,
have been closely examined by the Com
mission, whose purpose is to introduce prop
er business methods and to r~eOrganiZe the
working force in the most efficient manner
which the circumstances will allow. The
results of the labor oflthe Investigators. ex-
aminers of fraudulent and useless service,
and the inspectors of the internal economy
of the Department can not fail to he of al
most incalcuable advantage to the people of
the Nation. The correspondent tells a story
of another Salisbury route, in which he SAYS
the records show that in this case, as in
many others, that the Salisburys were not
troubled by the little formallty of adver-
Using each route once in four years, and
letting it under competition. The route
was advertised and relet, but the proceed
ings made but little difference to them.
In 1873 Gilmore e. Salisbury were convey
ing mails on the route from franklin to
Helena, Idaho, as they are now. Their annual
pay was $47, 500, or more than S15 per mile
for one trip per week. The distance was $50
miles and the service seven trips per week.
In the list of bidders appear several persons
who then represented the Salisbury Com
bination, but who do not now appear in the
/ same way. CdnueTSOn NOdlu 90 the WOrk
for $4,000; Salisbury would take it for
$4,000, but SanderSon's man, Huntly,
could do it for $50, 600, but Sslisbury's man,
White, could always do it from $50. $50 to
$4,000. This was certainly remarkable.
Mormons put in a bid of $45 ZOO. Jackson
was given the contract for four years from
July, 1874. His principals probably con
tinued their work on the route for four
months. Their pay was reduced by the re-
suit of advertising from $47 800 per annum
to only $4,000. At the end of four months
they availed themselves of the old plan.
Jackson was allowed to fail, and he was de-
clared a failing contractor because, as was
said, he refused to carry the mails. He
failed December II. 1874, but before that
time Gilmer and Salisbury had got in one
and One-half months service at S47 500.
The Department went up the list of bidders,
and could find no one who would stand by
his bid until ID. L. Parker was reached. His
bid was $64, 800, and the route was handed
overto him atthat price, although originally
let for SIS, 900. Parker was apparently the
highest of the bidders controlled by Sails
bury, and his address was care of Gilman &
Salisbury. For the last few years the Park
ers have run a combination of their own.
Parker or Salisbury held a route at $6i,500
until July 1, 1878. At the end of the term
Jackson's pay would have been $60,000
Parker's must have been at least $225, 900.
z " COAlAC - Viz OAAG Neo AAOL VI
vertised for 1882 until three months after
the proper time, so that the new contractor
could not begin work until October l. 1878,
instead of July 1. This left a gap of three
months, which was filled by employing Gil
man & Salisbury for that time at the old pay
of $64,500. We have now reached the be-
ginning of the current contract for the term
of 1852. The result of the advertisement
is given in the books as follows:
Route ~, 122, from rankin to Helena,
Idaho, a distance of AS m~iles-Service, seven
trips per week; time schedule, rs hours in
summer, and 100 hours in winter, or 81
miles and ~ miles per hour; 200 hours for
third class matter.
There were eleven bidders: o. J. Sails
bury, $97, 600; S. S. Huntley, $4,000; C. A.
Bennett, $47, 900; William Griffith, $40, 800;
H. NJ. Norton, S3S, 500; V. Parker, $3S, $50;
William Wilson, $4,000; Joseph Evans,
$37, OO0; w. II. Williams. $4,000; Il. j.
Travis, $31, 900; ]. w. Travis, $4,000. -Four
years before the Barlow party had put in the
highest bid, now Salisbury outranked them
all. White, the two Travises, his represen-
tatives, were at the foot, the Barlow party
was second, Kerns party, a new one backed
by active politicians, fourth. On July 81,
1878, Travis was given the contract. His
principals continued the service until 0ctO-
Der 1, 1873. Then he became contractor, on
paper, at least. OF course, he failed - as
Jackson had failed before him. Travis
downfall, according to the books. occurred
March IL. 1879. Brady went up the list and
it Is supposed circulars were sent to the bid
ders. They either declined or refused to re-
ply at all until Salisbury, the very highest
man, was reached. The arrangement, by
means of which Huntley, Griffith and the
Parkers were induced to keep out, is not in
scribed on the book. Griffith was the only
one who made any sort of offer. He wrote
he would take the route for
$43, 800 if Bradley would give him
time for necessary preparations he would
begin service as soon as practicable. Owing
to the probable opposition of strong parties
connected with the present service, he added,
it may require more than the ordinary
length of time. 1t is unnecessary to say
Griffith did not get the route. There was a
great gap of $4,000 between Barlow and
S~alisbury's bid and Brady did not feel like
jumping it and accepting Salisbury's bid.
Just then Levi p. Blake offered to do the
work for $4,000 and it was accepted. Blake
was another representative OF Salisbury who
was one of his bondsmen. Blake's term began
April /, 1879, but 1t was soon discovered he
had once been used as Travis Il Jackson had
been used, and had once been declared a
failing contractor. This disqualified him
and Brady gave the contract TO his bonds
men, Monroe Salisbury and ]. II. Warren at