The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-12
What il Means Stealing.
Stealing. Stealing!

As many persons do not comprehend
the frequent illusions TO the Star
Route Frauds, we will briefly explain
that the Star" routes are certain long
distance, weekly routes, let TO contract,
aud subject to revision by the Postoffice
Departm ent, as fast as the needs Of the
service seem to call for.
But herein is great opening fer fraud
as The officials at Washington, by com
blning with the contractors, can Increase
the pretended cost without increasing
the actual cost, and pocket the differ
ence.
Here is an illustration, condensed
from the New York San:
Postoffice Route 32,024 pretends to
run from Vinita. iu the Indian territory,
to Las Tegas, New Mexico, a distance
of SIS miles. Two years ago, it was let
to contract for Sc $50 year, weekly
trips Soon after, the contractor was
allowed $40, 429. So for pretended addl
tional trips.
Alter while, $l1.S79. SO more was al
lowed on the pretence OF more trips.
Finally other trips were allowed and
$50, 053. 80 were added to :he contract.
So within is months, the contract
which began with So $50 was swellcd to
81 30, 693 O3, : trentg .Hcc ttnles greater
than II stdrtcd ,ctM
Now, the reader will be curious to
see what amount Cf increase there was
in the actual service.
Charles Adams, special agent Of the
Department, was put on oath by the
Cong res~ional committee, and made to
testify that, in July 1873, he ascertain
cd that there was no ntnI cnrried ut ali
on some 800 ni,Ies IF The route lie re
ported his discoveries at once but not
the least notice of 1t was taken for more
H,nn nine months
Meantime, here were Brady (the
postoffice lhieD and the contractor
tanother thief pocketing $50. 600 a
year for q single route! And there
were hundreds Of similar routes.
Adams report was pigeonholed for
more than nine months, aud in the
meantime the obnoyious postmaster
who had told tales out Of school wa
either removed or 'Gxei." The test
m"ny pr' ce Us
@. ~. understand you con- munica
ted to the Post Office Department the
complaint which you had received
from tie Postmaster at Red River
Springs in the fall Of 1873. that here
was no service being performed east of
that place; that is, over, say, 500 mlles
of that route? Answer cannot re
member exactly what | said, but, as |
remember, the case was this: The mail
carrier would pass the office at Red Rlv
er Springs with the mail sack In the
usual way, and he very seldom had any
thing in it (in fact the postmaster SAID
there was no n.ni going east; and the
same man, actM the same sack, Utth the
same contents, when there were any,
would return next day. which led the
postmaster to believe th re was no ser
vice being performed east of the office.
20 The carrier would return next
day, wien he had still 500 miles of the
route to go over? A-Ies, sir. So
the postmaster at Red River Springs,
if he had any mail to send east, would
send it by way Of Las Vegas. If he had
letter for Ninita, or the Indian terri
tory, he would put it in this sack, and |
took it from his letter to me that 1t
came back to has office the nert day !;
that the sack was not opened at all any
where
"Q-Tben it did not go through at
all? A-No; it was carried back next
day to Las Vegas.
1t is thus made clear that this route
was barefaced swindle, and was mere
creation Of the ring to plunder the
treasury. No mail was carried over
fve-sixths of the whole route, and
carrier passed east one day and back the
next day with an empty sack. for which
Brady allowed his confederates over one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
year! This example may be regarded
as d specimen of the Star service ras
cality.
In truth, the country is already too
large. The distances are so great, and
the revenues so enormous, land party
discipline always ready to frown upon
any exposure Of rascaiity) that even the
most honest men soon learn to plunder
the treasury.
There are hundreds of prominent
public men to-day, who deserve to be
in the penitentiary yet now that they
are rich ard Influential will not only es-
cape detection, but also be honored by
the rabble, and puffed by the press, and
die in the odor OF sanctity.