Year: 1876

CUSTER CITY, D. 7. Nov. l, 1876.


To the Editor Of The Leader:


The average Black Hitler has. from
the earliest period of the settlement OF
this country, been subjected to all the
inconvenience that any government
on the earth through sheer cussedness,
could infiiet upon her subjects,not least
among which has been the uncertainty
and waywardness of that class of bene-
factors(?) who have been in charge of
our mail matter. In the early days of
our history, we received our mail through
accidental channels, and rejoiced over a
letter or paper as late news that did not
bear date more than three months prior
to the date of its reception The earth
labored, and pony express company
was ushered into existence, and Clip
pinger, with Characteristic energy Pc
culiar to himself, served us with news
by OK express in from twenty to forty
days from Laramie to Custer, at the
modest sum of ten cents per letter, and
the same for papers. For time we
were happy, but when he substituted
the ox-train for the pony we were cha
grined, and demanded of the Laramie
postmaster that our mail matter be for
warded by the Cheyenne & Black Hills
Stage Co. Our demands were for long
time unheeded, but finally the world
shook again, and our mail came through
with remarkable dispatch on the Chey-
enne Stage. We were happier than
ever for time, but how fieeting are our
earthly joysl In very short time we
became aware Of the fact of our mail
being dropped at an obscure point on
the u. P. r. r. called Sidney, and after
being fondled by some enterprising ex-
press company at that point for GER
tain number Of days, finally reached us
in time to be, so far as any business
bearings they might have, too late to be
available, and we are at this time suf-
fering the inconvenience of having our
western as well as our eastern mail
dropped at Sidney, and sent through, or
over a route that makes no regular
time, instead of by the c. & B. H.
Stage Co., who make regular trips, and
deliver our mail from five to ten days
earlier than the former company.


Now what we most desire to know is
by what chain of reasoning the people
of Cheyenne, or the people of any other
section make it appear consistent with
reason and common sense to permit
western mail to pass Cheyenne on its
way to the Black Hills. when it is an
established fact that the facilities for
safe and rapid transit from Cheyenne
to Custer City are far better than from
Sidney, but the fact exists, and not
withstanding we have taken the pre-
caution to have our mail addressed via
c. IL B. II. Stage Co., it continues to
come over the Sidney route.


write at the instance of many citi-
zens of Custer, who demand of Chey-
enne an explanation, and who earnestly
hope that some steps may be taken by
her citizens to bring about the desired
change above referred to.


CITIZEN OF CUSTER.


Our correspondent reflects in his letter
the sentiments of the entire population
of the Black Hills. We are in daily re-
ceipt of similar complaints, which come
by letter and word of mouth from the
greatly wronged pioneers of the new
gold region. The assumption that the
people of Cheyenne or any citizen can
be blamed in the matter is entirely
wrong. Omaha and Sidney have secur-
ed some sort of an order by which all
mail for the Black Hills no mat
ter how directed, is drop
ped at Sidney, and the people of Chey-
enne are as helpless in the matter as
are the people Of the Black Hills.