The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-12-06
THURSDAY. DECEMBER C 1900
Weather forecast for Fred
erickSburg and Vicinity.
Fair and colder Thursday.
THOSE MAILS AGAIN.


The papers of Richmond, Urbspns
and Irviugton, as we'll as those OF
this city, have been aroused to right
eous indignation over the faulty
mail system between Richmond,
West Point aud the Northern Neck.
There are few people that concern
themselves as to the dispatehiug Of
mails throughout our section, whose
interest in this direction extends little
beyond the action of dropping
their letters and awaiting delivery for
return answers. To the subscribers
of newspaper, either urban or ru-
raj, the punetusl arrival of his paper
is Of much greater importance than
any other mail matter. The people
in cities have little or no cause for
complaint, as the system there is
pretty near perfect, but to the ous-of-
town, and, maybe, out'of way reader
the faulty delivery has become a
matter Of no ineOusiderable impor-
lance.
The city of fredericksburg has
large business interests and connec'
ions with the counties lying on both
sides of the lower Rsppshanuock
and with Gloucester, Mathews and
King and Queen, and it may be news
to many Of our business men to learn
that by far the greater portion Of
their post service reaches these cOun
ties-the lower Northern Neck in.
cluded-by way of Richmond and
the railroad to West Point. II is
there, on this division of the South
eru Railroad, that the trouble
which has gradually increased, un'
til within the past few weeks it has
appeared to be about as often wrong
SIS it is right-hss arisen. THE FREE
LANCE and its contemporaries of the
other localities named have gotten
at the root of it ard found that an &C.
commodation trsin-s combination
Of freight and passenger which
leaves Richmond daily st a. m, and
due in West Point, 80 miles distant,
by q. M, just as often does not
reach there until Q O'Clock, or later.
The carrier from West Point to
Shacklefords, three miles distant, is
scheduled by the POst.ofice Depart
ment to leave West Point not later
than 9 o'clock. He it is that conveys
the large and important mails arriv
ing from Richmond intended for he
counties of King aud Queen, Glou
cester. Mathews, Middlesex, Lancss-
ter and Northumberland, and when
he leaves before the arrival of this
train all these sacks Of mail remain
in West Point until the following
day. He departs in these instances,
without any mail of Importance and
the various other carriers that
branch out from ShacklefOrds, Salu.
ds and Urbanna, and the little
steamer "Owen billiard" which
crosses the Rappahannoek and dis.
perses the mails through Lancaster
and Northumberland, have prs cti'
cally to make their trips for naugbt.
Even large Northern msil is sent
in this way, to say nothing of the
Richmond and Fredericksburg pa
pers that should reach the offices in
these counties up;n the days Of pub
licsti0n.
Because Of more frequent delays pa
irons throughout the counties named
and the papers directly interested
have agitated the subject much of
late and it is to be.sincerely hoped that
this will have weight with the postal
authorities and arrangements be
made so that connections will be
continuous. For our part we have
not been content with airing our
grievances through the press, but
have made clippings Of the news
= paper articles and, with letters from
private individuals, have forwarded
them to the department at Wash
ington. . We think this plan q good
one, as the pr7per officials rarely
otherwise see thu newspaper COM
ments, aud we beg leave to suggest
to our contemporaries similar &C.
ton. This method should accom-
plish the desired ends, particularly so
if they are reinforced by petitions of
patrons along the routes, as urged in
recent issue of THE FREE LANCE.
TrNNEOESSARY NITIsANOE AND A