Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-06
Observation-Disclosures 6, 1895
VIRGINIA MAIL SERVICE.

To the Editor of the Dispatch.
II the discussion Of the subject of mails
.n the Dispatch should result in n re-
arrangement of star-route mail schedules
so as 10 make closer connections with
trains at railroad dopots. and give the
ueople on the Rappahannock better mali
facilities they will owe you a deDt OF
gratitude to- be remembered ana reclprO-
Gated The mail route from bowling
Green TO Tappahannock Is TOO long ana
IS over bad roads, with too many post
Offices TO stop at
The mail closes at Bowling Green AT
u. M. and leaves the following morning
al A. NJ. and does not bring us the
early morning mail from the North or
south We do not get IL until the fol-
lowing day. This might be remedied by
having the mail made up on the trains
and DISPATCHED from Milford Station in
stead of from Bowling Green on the ar
rival of the morning trains and estab-
fishing no more new post-oiiices on the
route.
But In one Of your editorials you men
ton the fact that the mail leaves Pa
nola station Just seven minutes before
the morning train from Richmond pass
es This makes It very evident that 1t
would be a very easy matter for the
Post-Office Department to have close
connection made at Pamela. The Pamela
md Tappahannock route has a branch
route from Newtown to Lloyds, where
st connects with the Bowling Green and
Tappahannock route. The morning mail,
then. from Richmond for Tappahannock
and below should go by Lester Manor as
now. and for all Offices on the route from
Pamela Station to Tappahannock and
Tewtown 90 Lloyd's via Pamela Station,
aud the Richmond papers by this means
would reach subscribers the day or pub
lication, instead of next day, rs now.
There will be a petition TO the POST
Office Department. numerously signed, 10
extend the route from Newtown 10
1Joyd's TO Leedstown across the river at
layton's Ferry. "a distance OF about ten
miles. This would enable the people IN
that part OF the Northern Neck TO get
their mail from Richmond and South via
Pamela nearly day sooner than around
nv Bowling Green and Port Royal or
fredericksburg. This route. then from
Newtovn to I.eedstown will become the
most important one we have. as II will
cross and connect five other routes, put
ting post-offices i'm more direct commune
cation that can only communicate in cir-
cujtous ways now. y. S. GARNETT.
Champlain, Va.
The mail service in many sections of
Virginia is frightfully bad, yet we do not
feel like condemning the Post-Ofiice De-
partment harshly. Inasmuch as our peo-
pie have submitted quietly for years TO
the present service the authorities at
Washington may be excused for not at
tempting to thrust better schedules upon
us. We undertake to say that there are
few other people who would have been so
blind TO their own interests as we Viz
ginians have been. But we are glad to
saw that there is now an awakening.
FARMERS and country merchants, as well
as city folk, are beginning 10 see the in
Justice that has been done them.
And this recognition is not confined TO
one section of the State, and the griev-
ance, so far as railway schedules are
concerned. IS not against one railway
out of Richmond only. A few days
ago we printed communications from
the Lower Valley and Old Church. Han
over county. showing that both Of those
sections suffered seriously from the pres
ent discriminating schedules Here Is
an extract from letter from a Eureka
Mills charlotte county, correspondent,
which makes il plain that the mail SER
vice of that vicinity is little less than an
outrage:
''Our people are heartily in accord with
the efforts the Dispatch is making TO
benefit the mail facilities a great i'm
proyement Is needed in this direction.
The same condition exists here as 10 the
receipt of mails that your Comorn cor
respondent says is the case at his office
Richmond papers are twenty-eight hours
old when they reach here. The same Is
the case with other important mail mat
ter. This Is the occasion Of great an
nOyancc, 20 say nothing OF the loss which
is sometimes incurred thereby 1t is sim
cerely hoped the Dispatch Will continue
10 agitate this question Till Il and the
public shall be rewarded with better mail
facilities
The thing 90 do is 10 make known our
grievances TO the Post-Ofce Department
and 10 the managers OF the several rail-
road lines. Let us ask for nothing but
what Is reasonable, and let us keep up
our work TN we get what we are entitled
TO have. In this we recommend for our
country friends the same platform that
we have adopted here in Richmond. We
are going TO present our city's grievances
time and again until we get satisfaction.
II Is q fact, we believe. that the Post
Once Department IS, or until lately has
been. ignorant Of the unsatisfactory mail
service IN Virginia. For instance. doubt
less. they have been OF the opinion that
there has been good service from Rich