New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-02
. nan CONTRACT SCANDALS.

r,,r nrpA RTNfRNT OF JUSTICE-A sfbOH"i-'
on uNNHcEssARY AND COSTLY MAIL EN- 'l."
srArRp--IETrER FROM Ex-sENAiOk D'''
fHy TELEGRAPH TO THE fhiBUNEl
rr,,,,oroy Nav IA gentleman who has been
.-;5an.ollv connected with the star route lhVeSu-
oxnresses the opinion that it will, during the
ta, ,reet he transferred from the Post once De
Pn,t to the Departn.ent of Justice such transfer
-, d;reetlv TO ultimate action IN the courts
.;,he, In the nature Of criminal proseeuuoh 'oi
.ansniracy TO defraud the Government OF Oh sun
e. the recovery of money unlawtully oDtalhen hon'
- clcvernment The stlgauon Is not yet hl-
,shoA but il is thought it may he more advantage
ST. ..oaocrtad with the machinery of the Depart
-, % Jnstice than with that of the Post OIlce
Department. ..,-v.,,..,.
CoIouel p w. Norris, superintendent OF the 1elo"-
..one National Park, knows something about slar
,,rtes He says he has been for about four years
:; his present position and that there has been 1or
.s;,l Ionrer period a llail route from Bozeman NJ.
r via Hayden tO Chico, some forty-nVe mites
"a a regular weekly service, excepting for
-. N 1870 when il was suspended in favor OF
nsu ron,e from Bozeman via the Park to Camp
p,ovvn in the Wind River Valley. Colonel Norris re-
..voa his first knowledge of the latter from IT, W.
vaIaon who il il learned was a stagc-driver and
adnmmv y for Salisbury. Nelson stated that he was
..ontractor upon it, and asked Norris ~ get some
. ona 20 carry the mails One Of NOrTis's employees,
daring mOuntaineer, offered to carry the
walls for 500 900 per year, which was not an uii-
reasonable price, as the route was one OF the rough
at in that rough region, frequented by semi-hoS'e
..vaOes and without white settler for over ZoV
miles
Norris continued to get his nail by carrier
s.o,, Clco ar Bozeman until late in 1879, when he
met Mr.. Salisbury, who represented that an oilcla
staterept from Norris regarding the impTacncable
nature of the route would aid him in getting IL dl'
sontinned in favor of route in connection WIN INC
Gilmer and Salisbury route, up the Yellowstone TO
$ the Utah Northern Railroad in Idaho, and that IN
the simmer they could carry the mails in connection
With line of passenger stages-a feasohsbe PROJECT
? ts this was a desirable thing to obtain, Mr. Norns
made the desired statement. The statement, IN
dorsed by the Postmaster at Bozeman and other
leadjng citizens. was forwarded to Washington, and
the recommendations were granted. Colonel Norris.
also Al the solicitation Of Salisbury joined Dele
nate Dowpey and others in petition Tor a
mail route TO Red Rock, but he did not
recommend daily service, nor did Secretary Schurz
Colonel Norris finds that according TO the records III
the Department they were made to appear as haV-
Eng recommended daily service plain case OF for
eery bv some one Colonel No. ris assisted Mr.. Sails
bury TO open his route and establish stations and al
much trouble opened road through the Park
for the line. He was afterward surprised 10
learn that portion of the new route was being
abandoned by Salisbury for a much worse and
longer line over the Snowy Mountains, and still
later that detOur to Virginia City had been made,
for purposes which he did not then un-
dsrstapd. Daring all this time the official
xatements from Bozernan and Mammoth Hot
Springs, and the memorials of prominent citizens
Of tho Upper Yellowstone Valley, backed by
earnest personal appeals to General Brady were In
effective 20 secure the placing Of service upon the
forty-fye miles Of est .blished route from Chico
10 the Mammoth Hot Springs, the headquarters of
the Park through settled region along practc-
able valley road open at all seasons OF she year
The whole mystery was subsequently, cleared
up and may be best explained by al ex-
tract from letter written to the Post
master-G General by ex-COngreSsman John McNulta,
dated Springfield. H., October |, 1850. Mr..
NcNulta had been in the Yellowstone Park
during the previous summer for his health, and
there learned the facts which he relates. lie wrntr
There was advertised a daily stage and natl from the
terminus of the Utah and Northern Railroad 10 the
Mammoth Hot Springs in the Park. I40 miles, 20
lnence July l. 1880. There has been stage run on
doSbea w ii not be this Year beaver station Is the
point the Geysers from there II l. fifty miles
routes over natural road Going twenty,nine miles
further north the railroad 20 Red Rock Station the
present terminus from where the mail route nrst
ttarted 1t Il sixtyve miles to Henrys Lake what
y now, for that country good road As
roads are impossible, which Is not true, and
s9es with v,ysSs sS G City, stns IDlS %es % Sm %eny
Lake over road not not 20 good n q, either Gr 9f & S'ns
aud passengers any there for the Park 70 60 07
miles frOm Bed Rock Station the present terminus TO
pnrpos except H. give custom the stage line and the
people OF Virginia City For like purpose the mail stage
nnues before tae ARRIVAL OF the BOzeman stage compel
ling passengers and % TO the railroad 10 lay over there
accessible While II l. possible TO get In there for
longer period Of the year there il no motive TO induce
vsiiors 60 there between August and october l. EX-
elusive % military lar,es and people living IN the ada
cent country-AontanR prncipaliy-therc not To
exceed sxty persons visiting the Park this Yet
when facilities OF travel and accommodations pro-
yided nany thousands viii 10 there yearly for it fact
awOndeTand and now several hundred from nelgbOring
places 10 there yearly but there stopping place
fn there. All people go through without st0pping
There Is permanent resident within the Park or
valley far below IL. At the Mammoth Hot Springs
one man. j. G. Mccartney. who seeks To establish a
squatteT'e claim, and VINO has suall log cabin
nay stay % hold his claim and two or three Of the Gov
sfnneni employees may stay 10 look after the Govern
rht property and protect and observe tho hAos o th'
The Postmaster at Fire Hole Station will be there
AXE These two solely 70 keep up a mail route viii be
tke only human beings along this whole hDe or within
shty 10 nfty miles OF IL Inc man - nov a.
Mfongh when Sarriedand there Il some rreguailly III
=, eettGlg tLyOugh-On poUics when tlie Wlhtff Hho"
@ that cannot be passed for several months *
ysrk ~ '
ners any use whatever for mail route there, all
rt Gfeed Il pony mail from Beaver Station 10 the
i1str tire Holes one twice week from July -
Vseoet l, ST a cost Of from $500 To $780, instead
ss1ee now paid g. 900 Of which goes 10 the parties
ts.tAe o contract and the balance to the Eghrc0u-
The only ground pretended 70 justify this pay
- not The need OF mall facilities but 10 encourage
ssenshns Of lines Of travel and furnishing aeosdn-
for visitors the Park, which 80 iar has not
tad nlth present arrangements VIII moi be IHere
w ao1se IN course OF construction at the Lower
ngses when left there, ylicb could not he nde
IL LA this year Few visitors will appreciate being
fDa Beaver Station 20 Virginia City l3O 20 100
49, yoi Oh theK way, merely ~ patronize somebody
IA % tFny SAID that daily line OF mail steamers