The Evening critic., 1882-01-16

Texas 60 Yuma, Arizona as an Instance
fraud upon the part of thos, whom Wool-
ward ANA Gibson dcnominated "star-routo
consprators." Tho ustrumolt used TO
disseminate tlcirlios wa5 Young man who
signs his name 4. A. Root. This young
man diatcd upon the usclcs5nes7 ana cnor-
nifty of the "cypcd,ion ana increase
in this case. hc grow pathetic over the loss
Of the peoples money and Gcrce in his
dcnuucations of Che bold robbers and
couspw,ors" and the Star.route press
echoed his dcnuuciations while Is wiped its
eyes at his pathos.
Leaving ont pathos and "ptetormit5ing'
dcnuuciation let us examine into the flc.s
of this case.
The distance from Fort Worth TO Yuma
by the stage line as originally let. is 1863
miles, and the contract was LET. service to
commence July ], 1873, to John C.. Chidos-
ter the lowest bidder at sl3i0)) por year
for seven trips week, the time being soy
cntccn days, or IN average Of ninety miles
per day The Texas Pacific Railway tor
minus was at Fort Worth and Che Southern
Pacific at Yuma, and both roads were be-
ing constructed at such a rate that they
have met at El Paso and the mail is now
carried over that route by rail.
After LEAKING Fort Worth short dis,
tancc the route ran through spar3ely
settled country 10 which supplies of all
kinds had to be transmitted by the tedious
and costly method Of wagon transportation,
but the few people along the line were on
titled to mail privileges, and it was Of vast
importance that the terminal points should
be connected, that Importance being proven
(bctter than it could by any argumentl by
the fact that in less than three years and
six months tho entire 1860 miles of
railway has been built, q fact almost, if not
quite, unparalleled in the history Of rail
road building. On the 9TH Of August the
order was made by Brady TO expedite
this route, reducing the time to thirteen
days, the new schedule to commence on
the 18th of August, and the additional pay
to be S165,O00, which was smaller sum
than the contractor would be entitled to
aader he Tar for the increased speed.
What induced Brady to order this expe-
dition? Woodward, Gibson and their hired
coterie of defamers declare it was corruptly
done. They have flooded the country with
lies upon the subject and crcdulous people,
notknowing the character ofthe5e men, have
believed them-haye concluded that i'm
proper influences have been brought to
bear to extract money from the Golfers of
the Government. These patent high pres
sure, copper and copper fastened liars have
declared that petitions were prepared by
contractors, and that innocent and confdinr
citizens-rural donizeus who knew nothing
Of the willy ways Of the world--had been
induced to sign these petitions, and that
Brady aided these self-seelling contractors
by bringing the awful pressure Of his high
official position" to impress these rural
clodhoppers and cowboys with the neces-
sity for them to sign and the penalty of
failing to do so.
The records show the names
of the men who asked for this
increase, when they did it, and the
reasons which they gave. It would be
impossible, in the limits of newspaper
article, to even enumcrate the parties, bu5
we will select extracts from what was said
by some.
From Austin, Texas dated July II,
1878, comes letter asking for the expedi-
tionEof this route to thirteen days, which
says: "SOme of our reasons, therefore,
are:
II. The unprecedented and marvellous rapid
ity with which that section Of the country Is
settling upi ?, the commercial Importance Of
The large and growing towns, particularly the
county seats on the route, and tho disalva.ages
they labor under by reason OF the distance
they are from the railroad and telegraph; 3,
the fact that communities with less claims are
favored with GUQul If not gIInnriDp ma
ties than are herein asked for; 4, and finally,
we submit that It IS I'm furtherance Of Wise
and beneiicent policy 10 lend encouragement
and aid, rs far as possible, especially with
regard 10 mail facilities, 10 the brave AMI en-
terprlslng people who are settling in ana build
ing up our frontier country"
This letter is signed by j. w. Throsk
morton and d. c. Geddings, ex-Congre5s.
men from Texas; by John II. Reagan, then
and now in Congress; r. b. Hubbard
governor; II. II. Boone, encouragement
and J. G. Stacy, secretary of State of Texas
July %, Senator S. b. Maxey, Unitet
States Senator, then in Washington, wrot,
urging expedition, and closed his letter By
saying; Il believe the increasing needs o
this rapidly developing country not o,l.
Justify, but, in my Judgment, make it the
duty Of the Department to put this great
line on a solid basis at reasonably renum
erative rates to the contractors"
From Tucson, Arizona, July Is, II.
Stevens, delegate in Congress from tha
Territory, writes, inclosing a petition from
''the principal business men and official,
praying for an increase in speed in the con
veyanee Of the United States mail on rout
between Fort Worth and Yuma"
Delegate Stevens urges the increase, an
J. X. Luttrell, NJ. C., from California in
doIses on the letter, 81, therefore, in be
half Of the people Of my own State as wei
as for the people east Of it, add my earne5
request for an order requiring increase G
speed upon this great national route
Next come some large dealers in St. Loui
urging the proposed increase OF speed 70
commercial purposes, and then Gen. o. Il
Wilcox, commanding the Department
of Arizona, asking it for military reasoni
Following these are letters and petition
from all the postmasters, city aud count
officials and leading citizens in ever
county and town from Fort Worth
Yuma, all setting forth the reasons VIII
the increase speed should be given. The