Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-10

uluutI WIS puhutu OuI VI Tue way, ana
the ring was now making its next move.
Here is the next telegram;
"WAsHINGToN, May 3, 1879.-To F. r.
Wilcox: l have no interest In star routes
except Bridge Greek and Looking Glass.
The contract on Bridge Creek is for one,
three, six and seven times a week on
schedule of fifty hours. One of the prices
named in my letter of the 18th the de-
partment demands four miles an hour
speed, and you must contract covering
that speed or more. Don't 90 above the
following; Three times, $1,000; six times,
Sl5,OOG seven times, $l65O0. Telegraph
me fully before you close contracts.
IS. w. DORSEY"
The following is the last telegram sent
Wilcox at Eugene City:
"WAsHINGTON, May 3, 1879.-To +. r.
Wilcox; ] presume you understand you
must make contracts before you try to get
up papers for an increase.
rs. w. Dorsey"
AS a result of these operations by Dor
sey in Oregon mail contracts he got the
compensation for carrying the route
from Eugene City to Bridge Greek
increased from S246S to $2l ,460 The con-
tract stands in the department as received
from Eugene City to Mitchell, and is to
the name of j. M. Peck, brother-in-law
of Dorsey's
The Looking Glass route, referred to so
frequently, was expedited" under Dor
sey's management from $500 to Sl3,775 a
year.
The next question was to get a route in
! Washington Territory expedited" This
was the route from Wallula to Pleasant
Grove, on the upper YOkemena
Under direction from Dorsey Wilcox
went to Walla Walla on an errand SINH
lar TO that which he had performed at
Eugene City, where Dorsey .telegraphed
HIM
WASHINGTON, juno TO- lS79.-To F..
r. Wilcox, Wallula: Have you done any
thing with the Wallula and Pleasant
Grove route? Answer"
To this Wilcox returned the follow
ing:
"WALLULA, w. T., June 10th. 1872
To Hon S w. Dorsey, No llll, street,
Washington. ID. c. Have been over the
route from Wallula to Pleasant Grove,
your figures are impossible to the west,
and sold bid for $500 for two trips, for
$1,000 for three trips, $1,000 for six trips,
| Sl2,500 for seven. What shall | do?
Signed, Wilcox"
To this the following answer was re-
| turned.
WASHINGTON, DC, June11th, 1879
+. f. Wilcox. You may give 81, 800 for
one trip, 5000 for three trips, $500 for
six trips, $1,000 for seven trips. Signed
Dorsey"
Wilcox replied on the same day
"Your figures are impossible Mine of
yesterday the lowest can get. The con-
tract was closed at $ll 600 for six trips
Though Dorsey telegraphed Wilcox
that he waJ interested only in Bridge
Greek and Looking Glass routes in Ore
gon, the statement is probably to be un-
stood only as notice to Wilcox that these
were the only routes that he Wilcox was
to work upon, for the greatest swindle of
all is on route from Dallas to Baker
City, via Canon City, 1t was, however,
under the manipulations of the ring, in
creased to a service of six times week
which is wholly unnecessary, and pay
YVES raised from S82eS to S72,520.
j. M. Peck als) has another expedited
route, viz: From Canon City to
Camp McDermott most Of the way
through a country withoutpopulation and
! luCupublt Ol sustaining NnN. j HIS route
was expedited from $2S8S to $2l 500.
| j. w. Dorsey, brother Of S. w. Dorsey,
has contract on a route from Dallas to
Lake View in southern Oregon, which
route also was expedited from $3089 to
$4,000. 1t is probable, therefore, that
| Wilcox had charge of only small part of
the business of the Dorsey ring in Oregon.
The Oregonian Of fto-morrow will say Of
the developments in the star routes fraud;
"EX-Senator Dorsey will hardly ask the
postmaster general now to write a letter
generating him."
George A. Steele who has been nomi-
mated for the postmastership Of Portland,
was special agent OF the postofice depart
ment for Oregon, Washington
and Idaho at time when the
star service was so largely expedited"
and the pay on many routes soimmensely
and fraudulently increased. He knew all
about these transactions, MS he had his at
tention called to them, and especially to
the route from Dallas to Baker City via
Canon City, which route was expedited
from SS288 to $72,520,
1t would be pertinent inquiry to learn
what was the nature of his reports to the
department on these routes and what rec
concentrations he made. Did he help
contractors to work up these routes and
get their enormous increase of pay, or did
he expose its iniquities to the depart
ment?
Just now, slnee he expects to be post
master OF Portland, these are pertinent in
quiries We venture the opinion, and
that without special hazard, that as post
official he threw no obstacles in the way
Of "expediting' contractors.
Suit was begun at Denver for the rea-
son that plaintiff was able to get the SER
vice on Dorsey there. Wilcox is still in
Oregon. The attorney who sent the claim
from Portland to Denver to be sued is ]. .
| X, Woodward, formerly county Judge Of
this ["Multnamay") county. The original
documents printed above are here in Gus
tody of the Associated press agent.