Evening star., 1907-10-27
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Delayed were the mails" indeed. in
| Malta those days in comparison
with the present that lapses
were at once apparent to the public. In
The Star OF October 10, 1857. is a para
| graph setting the department straight in
this respect:
"As we perceive growing in the news
papers against the Post Office Department
on account of recent mail failures be
tween Cincinnati and this city. we have
taken occasion to ascertain the cause Of
them, and have satisfied ourselves that
the blame, If any If justly chargea Bile
anywhere, does not lie at the depart
nent's door. Thus the failure of the
| Cincinnati morning mail of Friday last
was occasioned by the breaking down, at
New Creek, of the express train going
west, which delayed the train above men
toned sufficiently to cause failure to con-
lect at Benwood.
The failure of connection with the mail
hat left on Tuesday morning 1ast-the
l3th-go!ng west. resulted from the break
ing Of an axle of the tender. between
Cambridge and Zanesvile The same
nail vas again delayed by a somewhat
similar railroad accident five miles west
of Henia. Thus two connections were
,ost by this one mail through railroad
rccidents The public will at once
hat no blame In these matters lies at
the departments door"
While the east was thus beginning to
show irlpatience with slight delays. of
few hours each, in the
overland transportation of letters,
M,u, the west had to be content
with slow processes. In
deed long distance overland mails We're
lust beginning to come into vogue.
ne following paragraph from The Star of
October 22, 1851 indicates:
The first mail On the overland route
between the Mississippi and the Pacific
coast, under the contract of the Post Of
see Department with James z. Birch, ar
lived at San Diego. Cal. on the 21st of
August. after a journey of only thirty
| four days II is remarkable from the
IA ct that the journey was made from
San Antonio in about half the usual time
required to cross the backbone OF the
continent over any other route, and with
out the previous placement of relays of
animals along the route. which will In
lue time be stationed there to facilitate
the enterprise. The entire success Of this
trip vindicates eminently. the wisdom of
the frmness Of the President and Post
master General in resisting the sectional
appeals against that particular route,
when making the sele ection.'
In contrast with the thirty-fOur days
from the Mississippi to the Pacific scored
in 1857 and exploited as an achievement
extraordinary, stands the common
place performance Of sending a letter IN
Ave days from a writer In San Francisco
to a reader in Washington in five days
And even this time may in few years
be cut down by 20 per cent.
Washington was greatly concerned over
-
and took frequent occasion
balt1more to express itself on the sub
po1i+;c. Ject in terms Of earnest
protest against the laxity
displayed in the neighboring city by the
municipal authorities at election time.
In The Star of October 90, 1857. is a para
graph to this effect:
The question has arisen whether the
democrats OF Baltimore should or should
not essay to avail themselves Of their
nominal rights as citizens Of Maryland IN
The approaching election for state off
GERS and members of Congress. 1t strikes
Us that unless satisfied before hand that.
they will be protected in the exercise of
the right of suffrage. to essay to vote on
that occasion will be simply to imperil
their lives to no good end. 1t is clear to
nearly all outside the limits of that cor
Doration that its author!tes-of course, in
cluding the poice-are leagued with the
gangs which consider the attempt of a
democrat to exercise the right of suffrage
there crime worthy OF the death PEN
atty, and who act with impunity on that
axiom 1t is also very certain that with
the authorities in so close alliance with
the Blood Tubs, Plug Tglies,' Killers
etc, the hope that without drenching
the citys thoroughfares in blood in de-
fense of their rights or citizenship, there
can be hope of a democratic triumph
in Baltimore on this occasion. Undsr
such circumstances we feel it to be our
duty to advise the democrats of that
city not to risk their lives in essaying
to avail themselves of their political
rights"