acted a subordinate but not unimportant part in the scheme. At the instance of the contractor's attorney, this gentleman took a carriage one day in this city to circulate a petition for increased service on this route among Senators and Representatives from the Southwest, chiefly from Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. He called upon members of both houses, and all who were invited, except two, signed the paper without hesitation or comment. One member of Congress said: "This ought not to be done, and if I were Postmaster-General I would not do it." After some further parley he added his name with the general remark: "This is wrong and the Postmaster-General will not be fool enough to do it, but I sign to oblige you." The gentleman received $500 for his afternoon's work. In the earlier stages of the development of the job other prominent public men, doubtless with equal lack of reflection, lent the weight of their names to its furtherance. In this connection the manner in which another paper, which was likewise made an additional excuse for the increased service, was manufactured, may be briefly given. Mr. Joseph W. Parish, now of Washington, was employed by the firm of which the contractor was a member to circulate petitions among members of the Merchants' and of the Cotton Exchanges of Saint Louis, asking for daily trips on route No. 32024. They proposed to give him a share in the profits, and talked of schemes for cattle raising and colony planting in a way to greatly stimulate his efforts. Mr. Parish was told to represent that he had an interest in the route, that his friends in the Exchange might think they were benefiting him by giving their names. He labored three or four days in the appointed vineyard with great success, using the letters and arguments furnished by his employers. He recognizes the petitions now on file as the ones circulated by him in the month of February, 1879. For the above services Mr. Parish received $100 in cash and a loan of $750, with the understanding that it was never to be called for if the petitions were granted, but otherwise to be repaid. Parish gave his obligations for the amount subject to this contingency. After the Department had granted the increases the firm attempted to collect the Joan. About October, 1879, E. W. Parker tried to excuse broken promises by alleging that so many were holding their hands behind them that he could not do anything then, but would soon. Subsequently, in Washington, he repudiated his original verbal agreement on the ground that the firm would not furnish the requisite funds. The dispute is in litigation. On August 16, 1879, E. W. Parker wrote to Mr. Parish: "Be careful and impress Hunt that you are an interested party and find out his price," &c. Mr. Walter L. Hunt, then superintendent of railway mail service for the Southwest, with headquarters at Saint Louis, had, during the previous winter and spring, reported to the Department a number of unpalatable facts with regard to the general uselessness of the route and the poor quality of the service upon it. Parker wished to change his attitude and knew of but one method. With the directness characteristic apparently of the business, he urged Mr. Parish orally and by letter to ascertain the cost of securing the support of Hunt, and volunteered to furnish the purchase money. Acting under such solicitation Parish saw Hunt, whom he knew well, told him he had an interest in the route, and asked his aid, but offered no money, believing that Hunt would resent any attempt at bribery. Parker also urged Parish to ply Hunt with liquor in order to bring him more fully under control. Parish claims that his efforts to influence the officer were confined to strictly legitimate methods. On his side Hunt represented that the matter did not concern him particularly, and he seems to have dropped it. Let us now examine the manner in which the length of the route was manipulated, whereby it was first cut down from 725 to 638 miles, and then by embracing new offices extended to 810 miles. An official distance circular sent out January 6, 1879, and filed March 17, 1879, gave the total length of the route as let as 638 miles. A second circular, without date, but, like the former, directed to V. W. Parker, filed March 18, 1879, gives the length of the route as 810 miles. This last circular, which seems to have been made the basis of the subsequent increases of distance, is throughout in the same handwriting. The names of all postmasters were signed by a single person. There is an original, marked "4" in blue pencil in the upper right hand corner, and signed by 12 postmasters, from which it was obviously manufactured. In the original the distance from Hayes to Fort Bascom is given as 85 miles, but "109" is written boldly over it; from Fort Bascom to San Hilario, 20 or 22 miles, over which "28" is written; from Gallinas Springs to Las Vegas, "40" is written over an erasure-perhaps "30." The distance from Cabra Springs to La Liendra was also changed to 30, possibly from 40. From Vinita to Darlington the circular is blank. By an order of September 27, 1878, prior to the beginning of the term, Hayes, Wheeler, and Tascosa, all in the Panhandle of Texas, were embraced from October 1, 1878, the pay for supplying them being left for future adjustment. The three offices were established on the recommendation of Stephen W. Dorsey, dated April 26, 1878, his views being indorsed on the several location papers, which in each instance purport to be filled, as far as they are filled, by "William Burnes, mail carrier." The vital queries, intended to inform the Department whether the distance is increased, and if so, how much, are all left unanswered. It should be borne in mind that the figures below given are prorated on a basis of $6,330, the original contract price, and that after the subsequent manipulations they were multiplied by over twenty-two. On March 19, 1879, General Brady ordered: I. From October 1, 1878, allow contractor $843.34 per annum pro rata for 85 miles additional for Tascosa, Hayes, and Wheeler, embraced by order No. 8392, September 27, 1878. Inspector Edward E. Boyd, in a report dated February 9, 1882, says that Tascosa and Wheeler are directly on route No. 32024, between Fort Bascom and Mobeetie (Fort Elliott). Tascosa is a small town, having a few stores and, in my judgment, from 100 to 200 inhabitants. Wheeler, 25 miles east of Tascosa, is only a cattle ranch, and directly on the main trail to Mobeetie. Hayes, which was discontinued in 1879, was also a cattle ranch, but its exact locality I was unable to learn. W. L. Nicholson, esq., topographer for the Post-Office Department, in January, 1882, prepared a map of the route from the best attainable data. The above offices are therein located in the valley of the Canadian River, and hence they must be on or near the traveled highway. Hayes was discontinued February 18, 1879, and Wheeler, temporarily, December 11, 1878, so that both were defunct when the order of March 1879, was made. Again, March 19, 1879, General Brady ordered: V. From January 1, 1879, allow contractor and subcontractor $535.77 per annum pro rata for 12 miles additional for Seven Oaks and 6 miles additional for Prior Creek. A location paper issued from the appointment office November 12, 1878, filed at the same November 23, 1878, and filed with the topogra pher December 5, 1878, states, over the signatures of Alexander M. Rider, proposed postmaster at Pryor Creek, and James C. Blythe, postmaster at Vinita, that Pryor Creek is directly on route No. 32024, 20 miles from Vinita. Another location paper issued November 19, 1878, and filed as above December 9 and December 23, respectively, states over the signatures of Thompson M. McFadden, proposed postmaster, and W. M. D. Lee, postmaster at Fort Elliott, Tex., that Seven Oaks is directly on route No. 32024, and will increase the travel nothing. It gives the distance to Fort Elliott as 27 miles and to Darlington as 140. These papers, seemingly of the highest authority, show that the distance was not increased at all by embracing Pryor Creek and Seven Oaks. Referring again to the comprehensive orders of March 19, 1879, which I have not treated as originally arranged, General Brady ordered: II. Modify order No. 8879, October 8, 1878, to embrace San Hilario next after Fort Bascom, and Cabra Springs, La Liendra, Chaperito (n. o.), Hatch's Ranch, and Gallinas Springs, in the order named, next after La Cinta, increasing distance 69 miles, and pay $684.89 per annum pro rata. The above is grounded in part upon the map and explanations, copies of which follow: SIR: We, the undersigned, certify that to supply the post-offices on route No. 32024, from Vinita, Ind. Ter., to Las Vegas, N. Mex., in the Territory of New Mexico, in the following rotation, viz, Las Vegas, La Liendra, Chaperito, Hatch's Ranch, to Gallinas Springs is impracticable, because there is no regularly traveled road; because the Gallinas River has to be crossed six times, and often, owing to the rise and fall of its waters, more times; and because of the mountains which, in one place, have a grade of about fifteen hundred feet to a mile, down a rough, rocky mesa or table-land, very dangerous to ascend or descend for a man or horse; and would recommend and ask that the route be run to supply the offices in the following rotation, viz, Las Vegas, by Gallinas Springs, Hatch's Ranch, Chaperito, to La Liendra, this way being the only one by which these places can be regularly and practically supplied." This petition is signed by "Jas. E. Whitmore, P. M., Gallinas Springs, N. M.," and ten others. Col. A. B. Carey, of the United States Paymaster's Department, long stationed in New Mexico and familiar with the country, told me February 22, 1882, that the traveled way from Fort Bascom to Las Vegas always passed directly through Gallinas Springs. Two other Army officers were present and corroborated the statement from personal knowledge. In going from Gallinas Springs to Fort Union Colonel Carey usually went via Hatch's Ranch and Chaperito, crossing the mesa, which could be done on horseback or in a light vehicle, but not with a load. In this connection a letter, dated October 9, 1878, and accompanying map, from G. W. Stoneroad, postmaster at Cabra Springs, N. Mex., becomes important. At that time the service between Fort Bascom and Las Vegas was practically duplicated. Mr. Stoneroad asks to have Cabra Springs placed on route No. 32024, it being then on No. 39110, from Gallinas Springs to Fort Bascom. He says that the two mails come together at a point about one mile east of his office, and thence follow the same road to Fort Bascom, 64 miles. His letter was written nine days after the beginning of the term on No. 32024, and he assumed that "it was the intention of the carrier to cross the dangerous mesa." In the advertisements La Cinta was embraced on both routes, and the letter of Mr. Stoneroad would indicate that the point of divergence, if there was any, was near Cabra Springs and not at La Cinta, as given on the map of Mr. Nicholson. The "distance circular" filed March 17, 1879, runs thus: The "distance circular" filed March 18, 1879, runs: Miles. Fort Bascom via San Hilario (directly on the road) to La Cinta 36 38 Cabra Springs via La Liendra, Chaperito, and Hatch's Ranch to Gallinas Springs. 48 Gallinas Springs to Las Vegas 40 Total...... .162 Increase, 69 miles. The diagram of Mr. Stoneroad makes the most direct distance from Fort Bascom to Las Vegas to be 110 miles. The evidence is that, taking the year together, the only practicable road ran via Gallinas Springs. Inspector Edward E. Boyd, who made a thorough examination of the western end of the route, in a report dated June 15, 1881, makes the distances He says that, owing to the mesa, Chaperito and La Liendra, 17 miles and back, were served by a side supply, when served at all. La Liendra was discontinued in January, 1880. From September, 1880, till May 1, 1881, even Chaperito was not supplied. Mr. Boyd makes the entire length of the route, embracing every office upon it, and even the side supply to Chaperito, 724 miles, or one mile less than advertised. Excluding Chaperito, its length is 710 miles. Practically, from end to end, the length of the route was only increased to embrace new offices by the loop north of Gallinas Springs, which had no relations to the through service, being a mere side supply. Both "distance circulars" were fraudulent. The first did not follow the traveled road. The second was not authenticated by the signature of a single postmaster. Let us see what the supposititious 172 miles added to the route, first by reducing it from 725 to 638 miles, and then elongating it to 810 miles, cost the Government annually. By the order of December 23, 1878, from January 1, 1879, $31,846.31 were allowed annually for expedition, tri-weekly service. On the 19th of March, 1879, General Brady ordered: VI. Modify order No. 11421, December 23, 1878, to allow contractor and subcontractor $40,429.88 per annum pro rata for expedition in lieu of sum stated. The difference, $8,583.57 represents the annual cost of expedition for tri-weekly trips on the distance improperly added to the length of the route. 31,973 97 Annual increase for 172 miles, 7 t. w.. In other words, the sophistication of the distances superadded nearly 27 per cent. to the cost of the service: 638 miles: 810 miles :: 100: 1.27, nearly. But the memorable order of March 19, 1879, is not yet exhausted, for section VII provides Distance being now 810 miles, in lieu of 638 miles as let, allow contractor nine days running time in each direction from March 20, 1879, being pro rata, and change schedule accordingly. Thus the schedule time was first reduced from ten to seven days, and then, by methods already described, extended to nine days. What did the operation cost? Original pay, 1 trip a week Additional trip a week, 35 miles Additional trip a week, 69 miles Additional trip a week, 18 miles . Pay without expedition for one trip a week Pay without expedition for seven trips a week......... Total pay (including expedition) from July 1, 1879, 7 t. w Cost of expedition ... $6,330 00 843 34 684 59 178 59 8,036 52 56, 255 64 150,592 03 56, 255 64 94,336 39 |