Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-17

Oe6u CUlluIOus 1u0 ucSIl Oh LuCIr faces
and breasts peeled off and their lives are
despaired of.
STAR ROUTE STEALS.
MIsslns Papers and other Ob..soles met by
the Postmsster Genorsl-Blaokmsn-
Funk COntrscts.
The New York Times gives detailed
statement of the frauds about "star ="
routes in the South, recently investigated
and reduced by Postmaster General
James, telesraphed from Washington by
its special correspondent. Incidentally it
says
The postmaster general has discovered,
since taking charge Of the department,
that many valuable papers, which ought
to he on file in the Offices of the second
assistant postmaster general, are missing.
Among those which cannot be found
are reports made by special agents in
relation SO some of the routes held by
the rings and manipulated for their
benefit. Many of these reports severely
criticised the routes and the increased aud
expedited service upon them, and threw
much light upon the rings methods. In
most cases the agents retained copies of
these reports, and some of these copies
have recently been secured by the depart
ment. Brady completely controlled his
division. No one can tell how many in
teresting documents he regarded as unnec-
essary for the files. 1t is believed that
the rings are relying upon the expected
indignation of the people who have been
served, or partly served, by their routes.
They hope that this indignation will be
manifested wherever service may be
reduced or cut off, and manifested
SO strongly that it will produce a senti-
ment in their favor. There are indications
that some of the contractors are hard at
work endeavoring to prejudice tho people
in their vicinity against the postmaster
general and his undertaking. The rings
may discover that the inhabitants of tho
frontier, while they desire mail facilities,
arc unwilling to be swindled or to aid
other persons in robbing the peoples CON-
mon treasury. The rings are also un-
doubtedly expecting that the exposure
of their transactions will be an old
and almost forgotten story when the
next session of Congress begins. In
this they are mistaken. Should tho peo-
pie become impressed with the belief that
their postal service might even now he self
supporting if it had been in good hands
for the last few years, they will not forget
this, nor will they allow their representa-
tives to forget it. There are intelligent
persons acquainted with the service who
believe that an energetic private corpora
tion could take the postal service on its
own shoulders and carry it on at profit,
and at the same time give the people as
good mail facilities as they now have.
And yet the deficiency for the last fiscal
year was S3,222j, 600. II it should be as
sunied that the department ought be self
sustaining, it must be added that years
of bad and worse than reckless manage.
ment have placed tine service in such a
condition that all the necessary reforms
could not be made, perhaps, during tho
term of one administration"
The official history of the two routes in
Texas upon which James Blackman and
Joseph Funk offered bids is given below.
Blackman and Funk were recently arrest
ed in Philadelphia for having been straw
bidders
Route No.31, ,5S9-Fort Elliott to Wacll-
ita Falls, Texas.
Distancc-223O miles.
Service--Once week.
Time Schedule-4S hours.
Bond. with Bid-$4, 600.
Bidders-There was a very long list,
Kerens standing at the top with an offer
PISS, 300. The last 1e were rs follows:
w. Parker. .ss27OIJ. +. Reside. 81 40
K " II. FSrkcr $50 b M e e. ksrdcli s
H. Tisdalc. ....... g 739 j. ID. Emerson. 1926
J. NJ: Hinas....... $50 !seriah Masoftin.. 1913
Hugh White...... $500 James Blackman. /, $50
The contract was awarded to Blackman,
whose address is given in the books as
"care Of George II. Giddings, Washing
ton, d. c." Giddings was connected
with Col. McKibben, and the latter was
the agent for the Gilmore and Salisbury
combination. Blackman failed to fulfill
the contract. Thereupon the department
went up the list of bidders. Nine of the
bidders whose names are given above de-
clined to take the work at the prices
set against their names. This was an
old trick, made familiar to the public at
the time when the practice of straw
bidding was investigated by Congress.
J. B. Price had offered to do the work in
his bid for $2,9Gl. George Fl. Giddings,
whose connections have already been ex-
planned, stepped in and offered to take the
route for 81 less, or 1890, and it was
given to him. In November, 1880, the
contract wes transferred to Z. w. Parker,
of the Parker combination. The manner
in which the bonds Of BIackman were pro-
cured has been described in the report of
the legal proceedings against him.
Route No. 81, 599-Fort Griffin to Fort
Elliott Texas.
Distance-540 miles.
Service-Once a week.
Time Schedule-72 hours.
Bond with Bid-$4, 800.
There was long list of bidders for this
route. Funk was the last at 81, $50 and
the contract was awarded to him His
address was, that of Blackman, "care of
George H. Giddings, Washington, d. c."
Funk failed, and the bidder above him re-
fused to stand by his offer. Giddings
then appeared aud offered to take the route |
for 81, AGO, or $40 below the next bid,
For some reason there has been no
increase of pay upon Blackman's route,
tescribed above, but after Giddings GOT |
Funks route his pay was increased. Two
additional trips per week were ordered |
Nay 16, 1880, about five months after his |
contract term began, and "a, 99O was added |
@ his pay. This shows how Funk's bid
vas serviceable. In the latter part of the
anne year this route, like Blackman's, was
urned over to E. w. Parker ut the full
rice. This increase of trips was ordered
'stensibly upon the recommendation of a
enatOr and severa! army officers.
Toli-Keepsr Killed.
Joseph Reimers, toll keeper at the draw