Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-12-08

Ntucu u pihn ioi Wv 'N"S We
affairs TO test their fitness for promotion
is Of the utmost importance.
Tribute to sheridan.
The death of Gen. Sheridan in August
last was a national affection. The army
then lost the grandest Of its chiefs. The
country lost q brave and experienced
soldier, "A wise an discreet councillor,
and "A modest ana sensible man. Those
who in any manner came within the
range of his personal association will
never fail 10 paw deserved and willing
homage Ia his greatness and the glory
of his career. but they will cherish with
more tender sensibility the loving mem
ory OF his simple, generous and on.
siderate nature.
The Indian Question
The Apache Indians. who engaged in
a bloody and murderous raid during a
part Of the years 1885 and 1886, are now
held as prisoners Of war al Mount Yer
non barracks, in the state Of Alabama.
They numbered on the 3lst of October,
the date Of the last report, ~ men. 40
women, 20 bows and 80 girls, in all 1888
persons. The commanding officer states
that they are in good health and con.
tainted. and that they are kept employed
as fully as is possible under the circum-
stances. The children as they arrive at
a suitable age. are sent 10 the Indian
schools at Carlisle and Hampton.
The prisoners should be treated kindly
and kept in restraint far from the local
ity ~ their former reservation: they
should be subjected to efforts calculated
10 lead 10 their improvement and 10 soft
ening Of their savage and cruel instincts,
but their return to their old home should
be p~ersistently resisted. The secretary,
in his report, gives a graphic history OF
these Indians and recites with painful
vividness their bloody deeds and the
unhappy failure of the government to
manage them by peaceful means.
Progress Towards a Navy.
The report of the secretary Of the
navy demonstrates very intelligent man
agement in that important department
and discloses the most satisfactory
progress in the work of re~constructing
the navy made during the past year.
OF the ships in course of construction
five, viz. the Charleston. Baltimore,
Yorktown, Nesuvius and the Petrol. have
in that time been launched and are
rapidly approaching completion. and
in addition to the above the Philadel-
phia, the San Francisco. the Newark,
the Remington the Concord and the
HaveShotr torpedo boats are all under
contract for delivery to the department
during the next year. The progress
already made and being made gives
good ground for the expectation that
these eleven vessels will he incorpo-
rated Is part of the American navy
within the next twelve months.
n Postal Service.
The report of the postmaster general
shows a marked increase of business in
every branch of the postal service. The
number of postotfices on July |. 1883.
was 1876, an increase Of 6,l24 in three
years, and of 2.2l9 for the last fiscal
year. The aforementioned increase is
classified as follows:
New England states. ): Middle states,
1871: Southern states and Indian territory
(4tl, l,4O6; the states and territories Of
the Pacific coast, 100: the ten states and
territories of the West and Northwest,
435: District of Columbia, ,. Total,
2,2l9.
Free delivery offices have increased
from ls9 in the fiscal year ended June
30. 1856. to 35S in the year ended June
30. 1888. In the railway mail service
there has been an increase in one year of
1853 routes, and in the number OF miles
travelled per n an increase of 1907
795. BIAS. The estimated increase of
railroad service for the year was 5000
miles. but the amount of new railroad
service actually put on was az, so
miles.
The volume of business in the money
order division, including transactions in
postal notes. reached the sum of up
wards of SAB, 00O, 900 for the year.
In Parcel Post.
During the past year parcel post con-
ventions have been concluded with Bar
BADGES, the Bahamas. British Honduras
and Mexico. and are now under nego-
tiation with all the Central and South
American states. The increase for cor
respondence with foreign countries dur
ing the past three years is gratifying,
and is especially notable with the Cen
trail and South American states and with
Mexico. As the greater part of mail
matter exchanged with these countries
is commercial in its character, this in
crease is an evidence of the improved
business relations with them.
The practical operation Of the parcel
post conventions 50 far as negotiated has
served TO fulfill the most favorable pre-
dictions AS To their benefits. In January
last a general postal convention was ne
gOtiated with the Dominion of Canada,
which went into operation on March /,
and which practically makes one postal
territory Of the United States and Can
ada. Under il merchandise and parcels
may now he transmitted through the
mails at fourth class rates Of postage. IL
Is not possible here TO touch even the
leading heads 81 the great postal estab-
lishment to illustrate the enormous and
rapid growth of business or the needs for
legislative REIMBURSEMENT Of much Of its
machinery that il has outgrown. For
these and valuable recommendations of
the postmaster general attention is EAR
nestly invited to his report. a depart
ment whose revenues have increased
from Sig.I 12, 600 in 1870 Ia SOL. 10000 ia
1888. despite reductions of postage. which
have enormously reduced rates of rev.
enue. while greatly increasing ia bus
mess, demands the careful consideration
Of congress rs 10 all matters suggested
by those familiar with it, operntions.and
which are calculated " increase ius eiii-
cheney aud usefulness.