| From the Daily Picayune (New Orleans, La.) |
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| August 3, 1861 |
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| Our Texas and California Mails |
| Col. Geo. H. Giddings arrived here a few
days ago from Richmond, Va., having effected a new arrangement and
contract with the Confederate Government for the transportation of the
mails from New Orleans to Texas, and for the continuing of this mail
service on the overland route from San Antonio to El Paso, and from
thence to California. Col. Giddings left this city this morning for
Texas, to complete and perfect his arrangements. |
| Under this new arrangement a weekly mail
communication will be secured to us with California, and letters may now
be sent via San Antonio, the mail leaving that city every
Tuesday. |
| A contract has also been effected by
Messrs. Giddings and Taylor to run a daily mail line between New Iberia,
La., and Orange, Tex., connecting with the New Orleans and Houston
Railroads. A mail will therefore leave New Orleans daily for Houston,
Tex., and if the railroad connections are regularly made, the time will
be reduced from New Orleans to Houston to two days. This line went into
operation on the 1st of August, and everything will be done to
facilitate the transportation of the mails, as well as for the
accommodation of passengers, and a double line will be put on this route
in a few days. The following is the table of distances: From New Orleans
to Berwick's Bay, by railroad {New Orleans,
Opelousas & Great Western RR}, 80 miles; from the Bay, by steamer
to New Iberia, 50 miles; from New Iberia to Orange
{by stage on the planned New Orleans & Houston RR}, 140 miles;
and from Orange to Houston {on the Houston to New
Orleans RR}, 85 miles; making the whole distance 385 miles. |
| From the distinguished energy of character
and perseverance which Col. Giddings has so long been known to possess,
we may confidently expect the greatest regularity in the mail service
thus established to Texas and California; and we congratulate our
citizens on this new arrangement, which is of the highest interest and
importance, at this time, to our community. |
| {Giddings had operated a San
Antonio to San Diego stage mail line from 1854 to the start of the war.} |
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