The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-20
SPECIMEN STEALS
OF TaG STAB ROUrR sw1NDLERs.
Some Big Cases UnsaFihed by the Pres-
ent NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of Be.
euFipg the BOOty-"PAilinR"
Contractors and Bogus Rids,

NEw' YORK, June 10. - The Wash
ington correspondent Of the Time
say: The collection and classification
Of the evidence upon which to base
the prosecution Of dishonest Star route
contractors and their coniedsrates in
office has been continued quietly but Wig
oroualy during the last week, The force
employed is small, but excellent progress
has been made, The evidence Is coming
in from oil parts Of the country, and the
Investigators have had their attention d.
rected every day 10 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 bus-
ness principles to the existing fraudulent
Star route service, and the incomes
Of ring iavoriles are continually becoming
beautifully less. Reports made by the
honest special agents In relation 10 the
'Crooked" service are now coming In every
day and much useless and fraudulent ser.
vice has been marked for continuance.
Action on these cases 10 not taken until
after the exhaustive examination and con.
siderAtion Of arguments on both sides.
The Department proposes 10 be sure Ii 10
right before II goes ahead, At the same
time the methods which have prevailed
In the department allotment OF clerical
work, location OF divisions and many
other details have been closely examined
by the Commissioner, whose purpose 10
To introduce proper business methods
and to TeorRaniSs the working force in
the most sthclent manner which cirCum
stances will allow. The results OF the Ia.
bofs Of investigations, examiners OF fraud.
ulent and useless service and inspectors
OF the internal economy OF the depart.
ment cannot fail 10 be OF almost incalcu
liable advantage to the people Of the Ma.
tion. The correspondent tells a story Of
another Salisbury route, In which he
says the records show, in this case as in
many others, that Salisbury was not
troubled by the little tormality OF adyer.
tising each route once In four yeers and
letting II under competition. The route
was advertised and Telet, but these pro.
CeedinRs made but little difference to them,
In 1873 Gilmer and Salisbury were car.
rying the mails from franklin to Helena,
Idaho, as they are now. Their annual
pay was A7,500, or more than SIS per
mile for one trip per week. The distance
was 450 miles and the service seven trips
per week. In the list Of the bidders ap.
pear several persons who then represented
the Salisbury combination, but who do
not now appear 10 the same way, Sand.
erson, OF the Barlow combination, would
work for Sl35,00O. Salisbury would take
II for $l20. 900, but sanderson's q man Hunt.
ley could do II for COS, 900, and salisbury's
men, White and others, could do It oil the
way down from $0,750 to $4,000. This
was certainly remarkable.
The Mormons put In bid OF $4S, 900.
Jackson was given the contract for term
Of four years from July |, 1874. His prin.
cipals continued their work on the route
for four months, Their pay was reduced
by the result Of advertising, from $47,5OO|
per year to only $4,000 At the end Of
four months they awaited themselves Of
the old plan. Jackson was allowed TO fail,
and he was declared failing contractor,
because, as was said, he refused to carry
the mails. He failed December IA, 1874;
but before. that time Gilmer 4 Salisbury
had got In one aud one.half months work
at A7, 500. The Department went up the lst
OF bidders and could fnd no one who would
stand by his bid until D. 7. Parker was
reached. His bid had been $84, 800 and
the route was handed over 10 him at that
price, although Il had originally been let
for $l6, 600. Parker waB apparently the
highest bidder controlled by Salisbury
and bis address was "care OF Gilmer K
Salisbury" For the last lew years the
Parkers have run the combination their
own way. Parker, or Salisbury, held the
route at $64. 500 until July !, 1873. AT the
end Of the term JackSon's pay would
have been 5000, 900, and Parkers must
have been OF least $225, 900 Then Tor some
reason the route was not advertised
Tor the term Of 1873 and 1889 until three
months alter the proper time, 80 the new
contractor could not begin work until
October lst, 1873, instead Of July let, '78.
This left gap Of three months, which was
filled by employing Gilmer and Salisbury
for that time at the old pay, $64 800. We
have now reached the beginning OF the
current contract term, 1878 and 1882. The
result Of the advertisement Is given on the
hooks as follows: Route No. 42,122,
franklin 10 Helena, Idaho, dis.
tance 4l6 miles, services seven trips
per week, time schedule 75 hours
In the sumner and 150 hours In the
winter, or 81 miles and q miles per hour,
and 200 hours for third class matter bid
ders. There were eleven OF these: OIL.
Salisbury, $07 900; 8. 8. Huntley, $49, 400;
O. ". Bsnnet. $4,000; W. NJ. Griffiths,
$4,000; H. NJ. Morton, $3S,SSO; V. ".
Parker, $aS, ,7S0; VIM. Wilson, $aS, 900
Joseph Evans, $4,000, W. II. Williams,
S33, 900; L. ]. Travis, $3l, 900, and ]. W.
Travis, $4,000. Four years before the
Barlow party had put In the highest bid,
now Salisbury outranked them all, while
the TravlSes, bis representatives, were
ct the foot, the Barlow party was second,
and the kerns party, new one, backed by
active politicians. On July 81, 1878,
Travis was given the contract. His prir.
oipals continued the service I'll October 4,
1878. Then be became contractor, on
paper OF least. OF course he failed, az
jackson had failed before him. Travis
downfall, according 70 The books, occurred
on March Is, 1870. Brady went upon the
list, and II 10 supposed circulars were sent
10 the bidders. They either declined or
refused reply at oil, Till Salisbury, the
very highest man, was reached. The at.
ranRement by means Of which Huntley,
Griffith and Parker were induced 10 keep
out lB not described on the books.