Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-01-16
No Prospect for an early day mail
from Richmond and the North.

| NO Prospect for an early day mail
from Richmond and the North.
| The proceedings of the Staunton Chamber o.
| Commerce of the 10th, December, asking the
management of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
way to change the schedule SO as to have so
| early day train, which would leave Richmond
| for the West at an early morning hour, have
| received consideration and Will not be granted.
The Richmond Chamber of Commerce united
with that of Staunton. The Dispdtch of that
city and business houses also warmly support
ed the application. That paper Immediately
after the Staunton Chamber published its pro.
ceedings, reproduced them and sustained the
movement in the following editorial which ap.
peared on the 9th of December
I'VE publish elsewhere an article from the
Staunton SPECTATOR regarding the mail ser
vice on the Chesapeake and Ohio railway. The
Inconvenience, not to say grievance, the SPEC
TATOR complains of is certainly one that needs
Staunton and Richmond, but in the interest OF
the general public along the line of the road
1t Is to be hoped thai the efforts of the Staun.
ton Chamber of Commerce. noted in the SPEC
TAToR'S article, to secure an early morning
train from Richmond for the West Will meet
with nearly and favorable response from the
authorities of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
way"
Subsequently the proceedings of Staunton
were presented to the Richmond Chamber, and
referred to the committee on inland trade.
This committee waited upon Mr.. Ingalls,, the
President of the Chesapeake and Ohio line, who
was then in Richmond. The Dispatch OF the
18th contains the following report ofthe result
ofthe interview between Mr.. Ingalls, and Col
onel Jno. B. Purcell and his colleague Mr.. An
drew H. Christian of the committee to act in
the PROMISES
"Colonel John B. Purcell and Mr.. Andrew II.
Ahn VkrA ~
mittee on Inland Trade, Saturday waited on
President Ingalls,, OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
COMPANY; With tne view OF ascertainlng II u
mail train from Rich mond Westward. At pres
ent the train leaves at ll:05, and the Richmond
newspapers arrive at Stauneon at 5:45.
The Staunton Chamber OF Commerce and the
people all along the line OF the road have been
moving for an earlier mail and the Richmond
Chamber has Joined with them; but Mr.. Ingalls,
yesterday said to the committee that 1t would
not be possible to give the desired service at
prseent. To do II would require special train.
and sent Oh, he SAID. by the 60 P. N. train. and
the special train would Mr. Ingalls, thought.
he st though would pop Justify the sx psn.e."
II thus appears that all efforts to secure an
early mail have proved unavsiling. The whole
matter concerns the business interests OF Rich-
mond So vitality as 1t does those of Stanton
and they are immeasurable.
Then commenting III the SPECTATOR of the
2sth OF December, at the time the proceedings
or the Staunton Chamber of Commercs were
published, we coupled that comment With the
suggestion that If the chief desire of an early
day train from Richmond. which would also
take up the Northern mails for staunton and
the West at Charlottesville at 1I:45 A. M, and
at Waynesboro' junction at P. M, the latter
received by the Shenandoah Valley route, we
at least might find remedy in the contingent
service of the Postoffice department by which
all our Northern mail from Baltimore and 9TH
er points could be transmitted by the Shenan-
doah Valley route, and with special service
from Waynesboro' to Staunton would be de-
livered here before P. M, instead of at 5:45 as
now, and perhaps at still later hour when
the new schedule of the Chesapeake and Ohio,
soon to be prepared, shall go into effect. We
are not particularly advised in reference to
the special service to which reference Is made.
but 1t is very clear If all the Information we
can bring to bear to sustain such an applica-
ton is made knewn, the case is QUE coming
within its provieions. and therefore should at
once he Investigated.
Apart from the communication by written
correspondence, the business and the Com
merce between Staunton and this section of
the Valley with Richmond Is largely conduct
morning daily papers Of Richmond, but If we
cannot have the benefit of that no inconsid.
cradle advantage, we can in large measure
secure it through the Baltimore and Philadel-
phia papers that are received at Waynesboro'
junction at P. M, by an extra run Of half an
hour from that point to Staunton.
The Staunton Post office yields now an an
nual revenue Of over fifteen thousand dollars
and is daily increasing, and if the Postoffice
department will investigate the merits of the
proposition we believe the relief we seek will
at once, to q certain extent, be granted, and
finally wholly complied with.
In our comments of the Goth of December.
we introduced an article from the New York
Journal of Commerce, urging President-elect
Harrison to place in his Cabinet at the head
of the Post Office department an able and ex-
perienced editor in order that one so thorough
ly qualified for the position could properly APP
preciate the inconvenience to which the
country generally was more or less subjected,
and the evils would consequently be the earli-
er removed. In view of our situation, the re-
production of that article is entirely proper,
for II these interests of stanton are ever to
meet with favor, we know of nothing from o
general standpoint SO thoroughly convincing
for reformation. Omitting the first part Of the
article from the Journal Of Commerce. follow
ing IL the conclusion OF it:
"The reasons OF the inaction are not far to
seek. The government owns no railroads and
the Postmaster General is Obliged to consult
private corporations and obtain their consent
to the running of mail trains and to pay their
prices for the service. The railroad companies
have no objection TO httchtng on mail car
to any passenger train which is run at q time
to suit themselves. Their charge for this &C.
cou2 modotion Is not unreasonable. But when
ft.nrvo yodf 20 ord t1n oil NJ
| early morning hour when the passengers can
not be relied upon to pay the expenses OF q
train, they fatty refuse or else put the price Of
the de.ired service SO Ugh as to frighten Off
the Postmaster General. He hesitatss to take
| the responsibility or making the necessary
contract. He hates to recommend to Congress
increased apr oprlatfons to cover IT, He Is Ia
| a chronic 1T Of economy about expenses.
If he seeks to make any improvement at
| all 1t is in the line OF increased weights &at
| reduced postage for letters. This is a snowy
| and always popular policy. But the real in
terests of the public would be far more promo
| ted by the quiet, unostentatious expediting OF
| the mails by new and fast trains In the way
we have pointed out And ifthis extraOrdina
| ry service should cost millions of dollars a
| year let IL be secured at all hazards. The mon.
| ey would not be missed from the surplus. No
| possible abatement of the plethora could he
suggested more beneficial IN its results than
| liberal appropriations for special trains for
| carrying letters and papers and other mail
matte from the financial and commercial
| ctnters of the country to important towns and
| villages within radius. say or 300 miles.
| These trains should start at an hour to suit
| the morning papers. and Tor that object alone
| would be we'll worth all they cost. But they
| would also bear the accumulated letters, books
and other merchandise parcels which are now
| dropped into the postoffice too late for the
present evening mails and therefore fail of the
| morning delivery at the places to which they
are addressed On the plan that We propose
| all this matter would reach its destination at
| an early business hour"
| STAUNToN VIRGINIA NURSERY COMPANY
This new Nursery Company and candidate fol
| public favor has received clear indication
| through correspondents and agents of thu