Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-01-12
Cottonwood Denied Mail.

been handed another package
by the local railway company
in the way of bum mail service,
or rather, lack Of service at al,
this week, and the officials Of the
road are certainly deserving Of
severe criticism by the public
for the manner in which
they have shut off Cottonwood
and neighboring towns from
both mail and passenger service
by foolishly tieing up all Of their
trains down in the snow bloch
AIDED country near Fem and
Grangeville.
The trouble started Monday
afternoon when the local freight
got stuck in drift ON the prai-
rie and could not get through.
In direct opposition to the re-
peated advice of the local agelt
TINT the line was not open Il e
passenger train was not held It
this place but was pushed on out
onto the prairie where it en-.
countered heavy drifts in the
SUITS and was stalled. The snow
soon drifted in behind the trains
and they could neither go for
ward nor backward. On Tues
day work train with small
crew of shovelers came up the
line about noon and went out to
the relief of the stalled trains
but as the wind was still blowing
hard this train also got showed
in and none of them got through
to Grangeville until Yesterday
afternoon, after which the NAL
train run down TO Reubens TO
meet train from Lewiston al d
came back with an accumulation
of mail late last night. In this
way we We're practically without
mail serice for three days, and as
the towns of Winona, Greencreek
and Keuterville, and one rurl
route, get their mail through this
office, it is easily seen what iii
inconvenience the foolish action
Of the railroad officials has put
this part of the country to. Had
the train been held at this point
and not been sent out onto the
prairie it could have made the
round trip from Lewiston to Cot
tonwood every day. as there has
never been any trouble from
snow blockades between these
two towns.
Not alone satisfied with deny
ing us mail service, the state
university demonstration train
was held up at Vollmer Wednes-
day and turned back rather than
to have it run to this place and
then back down to Vollmer
again.
1t is reported that Grangeville
has been getting mail by way Of
Sites since the tie-up and that
Vollmer and the other towns
along the line got a mail train
Wednesday, but we will net
vouch for this statement. Should
it be true, however, it would
seem that this place is not con-
sidered as being on the railroad
map or of enough Importance 10
be considered, in spite Of the
fact that it is one of the best sta
tions, both in freight and pas
senger traffic, on the entire line.
A railroad is supposed to be a
public servant rather than
public nuisance, and it is up to
the people of this section to pro-
test vigorously against any req
etition of the treatment accorded
US this week, especially as tie
same stunt" was pulled off by
the railroad company during a
similar tie-up two years ago. and.
if necessary, the postal authori-
ties should be asked to invests
gate the delay and act on the
same as the occasion demands.
We are in receipt Of letter this
week from Frank Patterson. of
Bassano, Alberta renewing his
subscription to the CHRONICLES,
and in which he says that the cold