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.