Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-05-12
The Mails.

Since last Thursday the mails have
been brought to this city early every
morning, except Monday morning,
by the tug Wescott, from the railway
terminous. On Thursday an insur-
rection broke out, owing to the mail
not being brought to this city until
"a hours after its arrival at Black
River. Previous to that date there
had been great delay in the mails.
The negligence of the mail contractor
had been reported by post master
Culligan to the post office department,
and on Thursday the citizens began a
vigorous protest. Some one wrote a
petition to the assistant postmaster
general, and left it in the post Office
room. Before long it was signed by
a large number of citizens, and it
would not have been difficult to have
got thousand names to the document.
The petition was as follows:
To the assistant Post Master General.
The undersigned, citizens of Alpena,
Michigan, desire TO enter our earnest pro-
test against an imposition which is becom-
ing, for some unknown reason, each season
more intolerable We refer to the irregu-
1arity with which the mail is delivered in
this place. The post Office department at
Washington has, apparently, always wink
ed" at irregularities in this service. We are
not strangers to what is meant by daily
mail three times a week. Former contrac-
tors were dilatory enough, but the present
arrangement exceeds all bounds. The con-
tractor evidently does not care whether we
get any mail or not The mail that ought
TO have been here May 4th, arrived about
noon of May 5th. The mail that ought TO
have been here last night-it having arriv-
ed at Black River on time-is not here at
this writing; time IL o'clock of May 9th.
The Detroit Free Press of May 9Th, got
here last night by "tote team," carrying
freight. The Free Press Of the same date
in the mail bag is not here yet. We sub
NIT that in all fairness to the inhabitants
of city Of upwards of ten thousand, as
we'll as the claims of business men general
ly, we ought at least TO get our mail within
eight hours after the arrival at Black River.
Geo. L. Maltz now telegraphed to
Governor Alger, at Detroit, in regard
to the delay, and the Governor
promptly replied by saying he did
not blame the citizens for Directing /;
that he had supposed the mail had
been brought regular, and had given
orders to that effect, and he would sec
that hereafter the mails were brought
regularly. The result of the Cover
nor's telegram was that the remon-
STRANGE was not sent, as it was very
evident that the Alpena railroad COM
pany intended to carry out there mail
contract promptly. 1t also appears
that the railway company had ex-
pected the new steamer to be on the
route before this, but the work of
building said steamer had been unex-
pectedly delayed-partly owing to
the eight hour strike. Since that
event the mails have been brought
promptly and at considerable expense
to the railroad, as the company's tug
Westcott had to be used for that pur-
pose and the cost of sending the tug
here exceeds what is paid for carry
ing the mail. The Governors ex-
PLANTATION was satisfactory to the citi-
zens, as far as our observation went.
The new steamer not being able to
come on the route as soon as expect
ed, and the company not being able
to spare the tug Wescott to bring the
mail, therefore the railway company
have entered into a contract with
Captain Person to carry the mail be-
tween this city and the railway ter
minus at Black River. The steamer
Golden Eagle will therefore leave this
port every morning except Sunday
morning, at 7 o'clock, and take the
mail to Black River, going by way Of