Chapter II: Part 2

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been received by the government of Old Spain, transported over this road, in the interchange of productions between the flotas of Spain and the galleons of the Indies, and millions of American commerce are yet to be rolled over it in the progress of American enterprise. The distance direct (as will be seen by the annexed itinerary) from Vera Cruz to Acapulco is 404 miles, and via the city of Mexico 517. Colonel Ramsey has since shortened this distance to under 390 miles, and it will be reduced to less than 350.

Over this road the materials and machinery for the vast coffee and sugar plantations of Mexico have to be transported, and these plantations for magnitude and productions are almost unequalled.

From the fact that the current of foreign travel has been turned towards the capital of Mexico, by the way of Jalapa and Perote, and also from the further fact that the very _limited amount of American_ knowledge of Mexico is associated with the line of operations of the American army during the late war, less is publicly or _correctly_ known of our lower, or more southern route, than of the upper or northern route. The lower and shorter route presents the facilities of being six hours shorter to Puebla, and of having lower grades, and a climate unequalled for healthfulness, salubrity, and intertropical luxuriance of productions.

There are features about the roads of Mexico generally that distinguish them from our northern roads; they are not muddy, having no frosts to produce periodic deterioration; they are only slightly disturbed during the rainy months of June, July, and August. The rains during these rainy months are not continuous, all-day rains, but fall in showers seldom longer than an hour, generally in the afternoons and at night, and the intervals between these showers are unclouded and salubrious. The whole geological formation of Mexico is eccentric, and the soil generally composed of the debris of matter of volcanic origin. Such materials form the best roads, and with an exemption from frosts, dust, mud, and rain, except in the rainy seasons, and with no fences to obstruct the facilities for turnpike, road-making, and travelling, presented in this part of Mexico, are unequalled.

It should be remembered that this company are not encumbered with the necessity of enormous expenditures for making canals, building railroads and plank-roads, to develop their resources; they have only to expend under $50,000 to make one of the finest roads in the finest climate of North America, to travel smoothly and pleasantly, at the rate of seven and ten miles per hour, from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.

From the certificate of Mr. Blumenkron, (see Appendix A,) a gentleman intimately acquainted with the whole route from personal observation, it will be seen that the facilities for the transportation of mails and passengers across the republic is the work of but little effort and expense; and from the extracts of Colonel Ramsey’s letter, (see Appendix B,) it will be seen what has actually been done. From these statements—and they are daily corroborated by Americans and Mexicans who have passed over the route—it appears that the mails have been carried over (at the worst of all seasons, the rainy ones) in 50, 60, 70, 80, and 81 hours; that the letter of Mr. Tyler announces their arrival at Acapulco in six days from New Orleans, and that the mail time across may be reduced to 48 hours, and passenger time to 54.

The difficulties, dangers, and expense of mail transportation over this route are not comparable with the Panama route, as it formerly was, or even as it now is, as to the 17 miles yet uncovered by railroad; and this company confidently believe that they will be able to carry the mails over this route for a sum 50 per cent. per mile less than by the Panama route, and in a time under three days.

The company have placed a portion of their rolling stock upon the road, at present equal to the transportation of fifty passengers per week from ocean to ocean. This rolling stock consists of the very best built Albany and Troy post-coaches, Concord (New Hampshire) passenger, baggage, express and specie wagons, and about 500 horses and mules, (at the last report 493.)

It is hoped the next advices from Colonel Ramsey will give information that this rolling stock is in operation. It is intended to increase the rolling stock with the increase of travel. The local travel and business in Mexico will alone pay a large interest on the investment; and were there no connexion with steamers on either side, and as a mere stage route, the profits will be large, especially when that portion of the route through the State of Guerrero is properly worked and widened, and over a portion of the route the company hold the exclusive right of passage, ferries, tolls, &c., for fifty years.

This company apprehend no difficulty in transporting any mails on account of the weight, inasmuch as the company will be prepared to transport the English mails, between England and Australia, in under 47 days; and those mails, it is said, weigh 11 and 12 tons.

The remarkable feature in this route is, that it passes through a constant succession of cities, villages, ranches, &c., (few scarce ten miles apart,) and through a population as dense as might have been found on the old turnpike mail road from Albany to Buffalo before the age of railroads, or on any of the great leading mail routes of New York and Pennsylvania of a ratable distance; and the annexed itinerary, taken from official Mexican documents, verifies the position.

Fears have been expressed that robberies might endanger the mail, passengers, or property. This difficulty has been wondrously magnified, and is provided against, as the vehicles of this company are all armed with blunderbusses and revolvers; and small, but strong, light, iron boxes for specie, jewelry, and valuables, are securely attached as fixtures in each coach. The material fact, however, on this point is, that this line of route is seldom visited by robbers, owing to the more peaceful, permanent, and dense character of the population, and the consequent exposure to detection. General Santa Ana has, moreover, made a decree that the inhabitants of each district shall be responsible for the damages by such depredations.

Much more might be said in relation to this route, but this memorial has already become too long. Reiterating our former assertion, that we only ask the opportunity of placing ourselves honorably before Congress, on our own integrity, we hope that our enterprise may receive such official sanction from the Post Office Department as may be most compatible with the interests of the government and the benefit of the community.

With great respect, your obedient servant,

ROBERT G. RANKIN,
_President M. O. M. & I. Co._

Hon. JAMES CAMPBELL, _Postmaster General_.

APPENDIX A.

I hereby certify that I am intimately acquainted with the road between Vera Cruz and Puebla, and thence to Acapulco.

Having been engaged in mercantile business at Puebla for the last seven years, I am intimately acquainted with every mile of this road, having, from the nature of my business, been compelled often to travel over the whole route, and am therefore free to say that the whole distance can be travelled in stage-coaches without any impediment—this road being free from robbers—and will require only an expenditure of from $25,000 to $30,000, to make it equal to any stage route in the United States; and at this time, without the expenditure of even a single dollar, the whole distance can be travelled in stage-coaches, with the exception of about thirteen leagues, with the utmost facility and expedition. The mail is now taken from Vera Cruz to Acapulco in sixty hours, which time will be shortly reduced to fifty hours; and this distance can be regularly travelled with the mail coaches in that space of time the whole year round.

J. BLUMENKRON.

CITY OF NEW YORK, _November 22, 1853_.

APPENDIX B.

_Extracts from letters received from Colonel Ramsey, in Mexico, of the dates following._

“AUGUST 29, 1853.

“I have received a letter from Mr. Markoe, an agent at Vera Cruz, dated August 22, in which he says: ‘The Texas left this morning at 8 o’clock a. m. The express arrived last night at 8. It left Acapulco on the 17th at 4 p. m.’ Mr. Tyler writes me: ‘The riders have done nobly in getting through in the time they did, considering the state of the roads, (in the height of the rainy season.)’ Mr. Denman, at Acapulco, writes me from Acapulco, August 23: ‘Your express which left Vera Cruz on the 17th instant at 4 p. m., arrived here on the 22d at 4½ a. m.’”

* * * * *

“SEPTEMBER 15, 1853.

“I only returned last evening from a trip I have been making over some distance of our route. The express mail is not working to my entire satisfaction, as too much time (80 hours) is too long, and I am anxious to improve this important service.”

“By the time that the rains are over, all our animals will be in prime condition—say by the 1st November—and then our agents assure me they can easily make the distance under 60 hours. This season has been unprecedented for heavy rains and bad roads. We have now passed through the worst of it, making the experiment under every possible disadvantage, and proving that we can always run from port to port in 80 hours at the farthest.”

“I have a letter from Señor Gernez, the Secretary of State of Guerrero, dated the 7th instant, in which he says: ‘The courier left Acapulco on the 4th instant, at 4 p. m., and arrived here, (Tixtla,) in this city, on the 5th, at 2 o’clock p. m.’ Now, by looking at the distance, you will perceive that it is over the worst part of the road, and more than one hundred[1] miles, at the very worst season of the year.”

[1] The distance has since been reduced.

* * * * *

“OCTOBER 3, 1853.

“I have been informed by the agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company at Acapulco that the steamers will not hereafter touch at that port. If this be the fact, it will be grave matter for the consideration of our company. In that event, we will be cut off from receiving or forwarding any California mails until we establish a connexion of our own.”

“The careful examination I have directed to be made recently of the whole length of our route, has dispelled many of the obstacles and difficulties which we had supposed would have to be encountered. I always supposed that, as we became more familiar with the route, and with the country on both sides of it, difficulties would vanish.”

“Our express mail has not only demonstrated the time in which we can run over the route, but also the obstacles in the very worst season of the very worst year.”

“My last reports received of the time of the couriers from Vera Cruz, on the 17th September, 4 p. m., were as follows: Arrived at Puebla 4 p. m. on the 18th; arrived at Mitapec 11 a. m. on the 19th; arrived at Draper 3½ p. m. on the 19th; arrived at Papagallos river 10 a. m. of the 20th; arrived at Acapulco at 6 p. m. of the 20th—the whole time three days and two hours. At least four hours were lost by the courier going through Chilpanzingo, which was out of the way.”

* * * * *

“OCTOBER 15, 1853.

“Since writing the above, I have thought it best to finish the subject of the gold-placers on the Mescala river. The existence of these mines have long been known. You will find them mentioned in my notes on this valley, under the article on ‘Mines;’ but recently gold has been found in such abundance as to cause a sensation; people rush in crowds.

“Since then other more extensive placers have been discovered on the Papagallos river, in the line of our route. These have created a still greater sensation, as you will see by the papers. My notes on the mines are almost incredible; but it is gratifying to find every day new confirmation of all that I described of the astonishing mineral wealth of that country.

“If I can leave the city in order to attend more closely to this express line, I could soon convince you that eighty hours is slow travelling. The last reports I sent you show an improvement on this, by reducing the time to seventy hours. My orders will now, I trust, be obeyed, as it is pretty evident I will take no excuses. I have now ordered the mail to be carried in sixty hours, which is only a beginning. If my orders are carried out, in six weeks time _I will have it done in forty-eight hours, which will be at about seven miles per hour. This is no great feat in such a country, in such a climate, and on such roads._ Were the horses now in the proper condition, which they would be, had they been properly fed and attended to, I could now perform it in forty-eight hours. You remark, ‘the route being feasible for an express mail under all the difficulties incident to such an enterprise, why not feasible for heavy mails and passengers?’ To this let me answer that the route, beyond all question, is feasible for heavy mails, as much so as for light mails; we will gain vastly in time as soon as we can put on our stages.

“You must have been in mind that between Rincon and the crossing of the Papagallos there are no mountains; and, to make the road practicable for stages, it only requires some widening at the most trifling expense. Our Concord wagons will suit admirably for this purpose.

“I am ashamed of our contract to carry the California mail to New Orleans in sixteen days, when I know we can carry it even to New York in a less number of days. It has actually placed us in a false position, from which we ought to relieve ourselves by a practical demonstration.

“I regret extremely that the steamers have not joined us at the ends of our route, so that we could demonstrate the few hours in which we can make the distance across Mexico. All that I may report to you—all the certificates of speed—will not satisfy the public; they must have the letters and news from California. It is your affair to require them to make the connexion.”

* * * * *

ACAPULCO, _September 23, 1853_.

DEAR SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 16th September. In reference to your metallic-boat, it is in good order, excepting that the air-chambers have been cut open for the purpose of stowing baggage.

It is with much gratification that I received correspondence from New Orleans in six days, by your last mail, which arrived here on the 20th instant at 7¼ o’clock p. m.; and I am now satisfied that, at present, this route presents facilities for the most rapid mail communication between California and the United States.

Yours, truly,

S. TYLER, _Agent_.

ALBERT C. RAMSEY, Esq., _Vice President and Agent, Mexico_.

* * * * *

OFFICE P. M. S. S. CO.,
_Acapulco, September 21, 1853_.

DEAR SIR: Your mail was received last night at 6 o’clock, bringing dates from New Orleans to the 14th inst., which is very satisfactory, being as yet, I think, the quickest time from the United States.

The down boat from San Francisco I have advised you will not touch, for which I am very sorry; but your mail matter will receive quick despatch for San Francisco.

Yours, truly,

S. TYLER, _Agent_.

ALBERT C. RAMSEY, Esq., _Mexico_.

* * * * *

[From the Universal, September 19, 1853.]

_Improvements in the State of Puebla._

The Eco del Comercio of Vera Cruz, in its number of the 14th inst., (September, 1853,) has the following paragraphs:

“The Prefectura of Matamoras, in the State of Puebla, have under their charge the repairing of the road which connects that State with the State of Guerrero, and the work has been under the direction of Señor José Maria Pavon since last January, with 70 presidential soldiers, afterwards increased 80, provided with plenty of tools, rations, and clothes from the municipal funds. In the first three months of that year, 15,000 yards of road were opened near Mitapec to the State line of Guerrero; and to the last dates, the 31st July last, 3,563 yards were repaired near Chietta; and near Tepeojiema, (S. Juan Espanthan,) 8,529 yards.”

* * * * *

_Order of the Mexican government to facilitate our mails.—General direction
of mails._

MEXICO, _July 18, 1853_.

In a supreme order of the 6th inst., which I received on the 16th, his excellency the Minister of Hacienda (Treasury) writes to me as follows:

“His excellency the President is informed, by your official despatch No. 95, dated the 22d of June last, of the improvements introduced by Mr. Albert C. Ramsey in the line of steamers between Acapulco and San Francisco, in California, and between New Orleans and Vera Cruz, and in that of mails from that port to Acapulco, whose days of arrival and departure are stated in the copy which accompanies yours; and you ask to be authorized to publish the same. His excellency has been pleased to accord this permission, which I communicate to you in answer for that purpose. To the same effect, their excellencies the governors of the States of Vera Cruz, Puebla, Mexico, and Guerrero have been written to, to place no obstacle in the way of the fixing the posts of Señor Ramsey, but, on the contrary, to afford every facility in placing these very useful establishments.”

I have the honor of transmitting this to you for your information, and in answer to your communications of the 16th June last and the 12th inst., assuring you of my consideration and particular esteem.

God and liberty.

P. M. ANAYA.

To Mr. ALBERT C. RAMSEY.

* * * * *

_General direction of mails._

MEXICO, _July 18, 1853_.

By virtue of the contract (by supreme approbation) made with Don Alberte C. Ramsey, with this general direction, to transport through the territory of the republic the mails coming from foreign places, and going also to foreign ports, by means of the ocean line of steamers between Vera Cruz and New Orleans, and between Acapulco and San Francisco, in California, the said Mr. Ramsey has arranged the trips of the said mails in the following manner:

_Line of steamers between Vera Cruz and New Orleans._—Leave New Orleans every month the 1st, 14th, and 25th; arrive at Vera Cruz the 4th, 17th, and 28th. Leave Vera Cruz the 1st, 8th, and 22d; arrive at New Orleans the 4th, 11th, and 25th.

_Line of steamers between Acapulco and San Francisco, connecting with the express from Vera Cruz to Acapulco._—Leave Vera Cruz every month the 4th and 17th; arrive at Acapulco the 9th and 22d. Leave Acapulco the 9th and 22d; arrive at San Francisco the 17th and 30th. Leave San Francisco the 8th and 24th; arrive at Acapulco the 16th and 1st. Leave Acapulco the 16th and 1st; arrive at Vera Cruz the 21st and 6th.

All of which is, by supreme order, published for information.

P. M. ANAYA.

* * * * *

NEW YORK, _November 28, 1854_.

SIR: The undersigned would respectfully call your attention to their contract of the 3d of March, 1852, with the department, for the transportation of the United States mails between Vera Cruz, in Mexico, and Acapulco, San Diego, Monterey, and San Francisco. By this contract it was stipulated and intended to transport the mails semi-monthly between New Orleans and San Francisco in sixteen days, (consecutively,) and surety for a large amount was given for the faithful performance of the service. By the terms of this contract it was subject to the approval of Congress, and also to an appropriation by the same.

The undersigned immediately prepared to perform the service in order to satisfy the requirements of the department, and also to save their surety harmless from their heavy obligation. Steamers were provided for the service on the Pacific ocean, and one of the undersigned proceeded to Mexico to take charge of the line between Vera Cruz and Acapulco. Horses, mules, harness, stages, wagons, and other materiel, were rapidly collected to furnish all that was required for the 384 miles of land conveyance across Mexico. At the same time a small letter mail was established, which commenced operations in July of the same year. By this method it was designed to transmit, rapidly, intelligence between the Atlantic and Pacific cities of the Union until the stages and other materiel, were properly placed on the line. Under this temporary arrangement, newspapers and letters were carried between California and New Orleans in fourteen, thirteen, and twelve-and-a-half days. Had the arrangement been completed for connecting with the steamers at Vera Cruz and Acapulco, in no instance would the time have exceeded thirteen days, as the distance by land across Mexico, from sea to sea, was performed with great ease and security in less than three days. Frequent experiments were made on parts of the Mexican road to test the time required for the transportation of the mails when the stages were placed on the route, and it was found that as soon as the mails were transported in the vehicles prepared for that purpose, the time would not exceed forty-eight consecutive hours between Vera Cruz and Acapulco.

It was the intention of the undersigned to have commenced with the mail stages in the month of December, as they were all ready prepared and on the ground for that purpose. The expenses incurred under the contract at that time, amounted to the sum of ninety-eight thousand dollars, ($98,000,) of which $56,000 have been paid, and the balance remains unliquidated. But the department having at this time expressed, in an annual report to Congress, a disapprobation of the contract on the ground of the impolicy of conditional contracts, the undersigned ceased their operations, and, consequently, have sustained serious damages from the action of the department. It is to be regretted that the department should have interposed to break up this enterprise, which, by the terms of the contract, was to be exclusively in the power of Congress. It is also to be regretted that this route, the shortest and best for the rapid transmission of the mails, should thus remain unoccupied at the present time. The undersigned are still ready and willing to perform the service in the time and mode specified, and would further suggest that if they were not required to touch at Monterey and San Diego, they would further stipulate to carry the mails, at all times, so as to make each trip between San Francisco and New Orleans in less than thirteen days. By the other routes the time now required is some nine or ten days more. Thus an important saving of time would be effected, and a corresponding benefit to the public.

Very respectfully, your obedient servants,

ALBERT C. RAMSEY.
EDWARD H. CARMICK.

Hon. JAMES CAMPBELL, _Postmaster General_.

* * * * *

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
_November 30, 1854_.

GENTLEMEN: Your letter of the 28th instant has been received. The conditional contract for service between San Francisco and Vera Cruz, to which you refer, was executed on the 3d of March, 1853, just before I came into office. My attention was called to the subject of Mr. Rankin’s letter of the 16th of June, 1853. In my letter of the 9th July following, I gave my views at length in regard to this contract; and if sums of money were expended by you after that time, it was done with a full knowledge of my views, which remain unchanged.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES CAMPBELL,
_Postmaster General_.

Messrs. RAMSEY & CARMICK, _New York, N. Y._

* * * * *

NEW YORK, _December 20, 1854_.

SIR: Your letter of the 30th ultimo was duly received. In referring to the contract between the department and ourselves, you say that, on the 9th of July, 1853, you made known your disapproval of the contract in a communication in answer to a letter from R. G. Rankin; and if we have expended money after that time, on account of the contract, we have done so with a full knowledge of your views.

We were not informed, by your letter of the 9th of July, that you had any intention of annulling our contract. We had completed all our arrangements for stocking the road across Mexico prior to the receipt of your letter; and, on account of the same, have expended the sum of ninety-eight thousand dollars, ($98,000;) and our surety for the faithful performance of the contract had been given, and we were bound to be ready to carry the mails.

Your letter certainly did not annul the contract; for then our sureties would have been released from all responsibility on our account, and we absolved from all reproach for the failure of the enterprise. On the contrary, the department still considered the contract binding upon us, as is apparent from the subsequent correspondence with Messrs. Harris & Morgan. The steamers belonging to these gentlemen were carrying the United States mail between that city and Vera Cruz. They had addressed you on the subject of a change in the days of departure from each port, so as to connect, by means of our line across Mexico, with the Panama steamers, at Acapulco, running to San Francisco; and thus supplying additional facilities for a more rapid and frequent transmission of intelligence to and from California. The advantage of this arrangement would have been immense to the Atlantic and Pacific cities, without any inconvenience to the department, and moreover without one dollar expense to it; of course, this arrangement was intended to continue only until the appropriation should be made under our contract, when steamers were to be placed on the line between Acapulco and San Francisco.

The wishes of Messrs. Harris & Morgan, as well as those of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, desiring this temporary change in the schedule time between New Orleans and Vera Cruz, were fully communicated in writing to the department. But in your letter to Messrs. Harris & Morgan of the 3d of November, 1853, you refused to accede to this request; predicating your refusal on our contract made with your predecessor, Mr. Hubbard, for the transmission of a semi-monthly California mail, in which it was not contemplated that the mails sent from New Orleans, via Vera Cruz and Acapulco, should go forward to California by the Panama steamers, but by another line running only between Acapulco and San Francisco; and which contract was awaiting the sanction of Congress. You add: “No such sanction has yet been given by Congress; but apart from this, and without troubling you with my views on the subject, it is simply necessary for me to say, that there can be no recognition by the department of any arrangement by which the additional semi-monthly mail, clearly contemplated by the then Postmaster General, can be dispensed with.” In this there is a positive recognition of our contract or arrangement with Mr. Hubbard as still existing, which the department would not “dispense with,” although it would, while our appropriation was pending, have shortened the time some ten days to and from California by connecting with the Panama steamers touching at Acapulco.

When the annual report of the Post Office Department, in December, 1853, was transmitted to Congress, we were led to believe, for the first time, that you had decided virtually to annul our contract, as the estimate for an appropriation under the contract was not sent in by you, but another route for a semi-monthly mail was recommended. You will thus perceive we were not apprized of the intentions of the department until the close of the year 1853, when all our expenses had been incurred, and when, in consequence of the official report, our operations ceased.

In conclusion, the department, by its action, having virtually annulled the contract, and having assumed to do that which, by the terms of the contract, was left to Congress, we therefore deem ourselves grievously damaged, and have more than an equitable claim for redress.

Very respectfully, your obedient servants,

ALBERT C. RAMSEY.
E. H. CARMICK.

Hon. JAMES CAMPBELL, _Postmaster General_.