The Weekly Butte Record

THE PLACERVILLE ROUTE.—The Sacramento Union thinks the petitions to reduce the time for delivery of the mails between St. Joseph and Placerville, ought to be circulated in all the northern counties. The advocates of the Kirk imposition route through Placerville should not think of doing such a foolish act. The northern counties care nothing for the mountain and desert route through Placerville. They have a much better route of their own by Honey Lake.

When the Union was sustaining Kirk's official report in opposition to Honey Lake as the terminus of the wagon road, we knew and told them that they were building up a southern route and giving it precedence over all others. Then, Placerville route was decidedly the best, notwithstanding an experience of ten years had shown that its snows were impassable during the winter months. Government knew it, and after Kirk's performances, felt compelled to locate the principal route south of the wealth and business of the State.

If the Placerville route is merely a second or third fiddle to other routes, it will not be able to play its part during the coming winter months. We will sign a petition for a tri-weekly mail to Honey Lake, where it should have come in the first place, and where it undoubtedly would have come, had not Kirk's expedition shown the Salt Lake route impracticable, thus frustrating the original design of Congress.

Send none of petitions to the northern counties, but pray to Kirk; and if he cannot help you, go weep for the botch-work you have assisted to make of the overland mail routes, and the injustice you have aided in bringing upon northern and middle California.