\ VOLUME 36. NEW SERIES. UNITED STATES MAILS. PENNSYLVANIA. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 10,1859. VLS will be receivefl at th f, I Cont-act Office of this Department until 3 p m., of Saturday, March 31, 1869, for con veVin" the mails of the United States for four vears,"commencing July 1, 1!560. and on,Jm 2 , June 30, 1864, in the State of PENNSi L\ A NI'K, on the routes and lay the schedules of de partures and arrivals herein specified. Decisions announced by April 04, iB6O. ,Bidders will examine carefully the instructions annevrd.) 2552 From Bedford, by Schelkburg, Mount Worth, Buckstown, Stoyestown, Jen ner's Cross Roads, Latighiinstown, Ligo nier, and Youngstown, to Latrobe, 59 miles anefback, three times a week. Leave Bedford, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a m ; Arrive at Latrobe in time to connect with mail for Pittsburg, say by 11 pm ; Leave Latrobe Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, on arrival of mail from Pitts burg, say at 10 a m ; Arrive at Bedford next days by Gam. Proposals are invited for six-times-a-week service. 2553 From Bedford, hv St. Clairsville, Sarah, East Freedom, Newry, audjDnncaasville to Hollidaysburg, 33 miles and back, six times a week. Leave Bedford daily, except Sunday, at 6 a m ; Arrive at Hollidaysburg by 4 p m ; L-ave Hollidaysburg daily, except Sun day, at 10 a m : Arrive at Bedford by 8 pm. 255}. From Bedford, by Cumberland Valley, to Cumberland, Md., 30 miles and back, three times a week. Leave Bedford Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, at S a m ; Arrive at Cumberland by 6pm; Leave Cumberland Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Sam; Arrive at Bedford by 6 p rn ; Proposals are invited for six-times-a-week sei vice. 2555 From Bedford, by Charlesvilleand Rains- Ivirg, to Elbinsviile, 22 miles and back, twice ; Leave Carmichael's Thursday at 0 a m; Arrive at Uniontown by 6 p m. i 25S3From Smithtield, by Reppert's Cross Roads ' New Geneva, and Greensboro', to Ma pletown, 9 miles and back, three times i a week. Leave Smitlifmld Monday, Wednesday, ; and Friday at 1 p in; Arrive at Mapletown by 3 p m; Leave Mapletown Monday, Wednesday j and Friday at 4 p m; Arrive at Smithfield by 6 p m; 2554 From Waynesburg, by Day's Store, Simp- j son's Store, East Finley, [Good Intent, j West Finley, and Dallas, \a., to West Alexander, Pa., 40 miles auu hack twice a week- Leave Waynesburg "Tusday ami Saturday at 7 a m; Arrive a'. West Alexander by 7 p m; Leave West Alexander Monday and Fri day at 7 a m; Arrive at Waynesburg by 7 p in. j 2585 From Waynesburg, by Rugerxvtlie, Jolly town, Blacksville, \ a., and Spragg's, Pa. to Waynesburg, equal to 20 miles and back, once a week. Leave Waynesburg Wednesday at 7 a in; Return to Waynesburg by 7 p m. 2586 From Waynesburg, by Muiedock's and Whitely, to W illovv free. 14 miles and back unce a week. Leave Waynesburg Wednesday at 12 nr. Arrive at Willow free by 4 p in; Leave Willow Tree Wednesday at 7 a m: Arrive at Waynesburg by 11 a in. 2557 From Waynesburg, bv Hunter's Cave, Harvey's, Windrige, Kyerson's Station, and Rock Lick, Va., to Cameron, 28 miles and back, twice a week. Leave Waynesburg Monday and Friday ot 8 a m; Arrive at Cameron by 5 p rr: Leave Cameron Tuesday aud Saturday at 8 a in; Arrive at Waynesburg ny s*p m. 2588 From Waynesburg, bv Oak Forest, White Cottage, New Freeport, Milo, Va., Sugar Run, Knob Fork, Pine Grove, and Lone Tree, to Mrddlebourne, 72 miles and back, once a week. Leave Waynesburg Thursday at 6 a m; Arrive at Knob Fork by G p m; Leave Knob Fork Friday at 6 a in; Arrive at MiJdlebourne by 6 p m; Leave MiJdlebourne Saturday at G a m; Arrive at Knob Fork by G p m; Leave Knob Fork Sunday at G a m; Arrive at Milo by 9 p nri; Leave Miio Wednesday at G a in; Arrive at Waynesburg by 4 p m. 2589 From Bellefonte, by Buffalo Run, Half Moon, Centre Line, and Warrior's Mark, to Tyrone, 32 unles and hack, three limes a week. Leave Bellefonte Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 a m; Arrive at Tyrone by 5 p in; Leave Tyrone Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 9 am; Arrive at Bellefonte by 5 p m. 2590 From|Bellelonte, by Milesburg, Fleming Julian Furnace, Port Matilda, Hannah, and Olivia, to Tyrone, 32 miles and back, three times a week. Leave Bellefonte Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8 a m; Arrive at Tyrone by 4 p in; Leave Tyrone Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at JO a m; " Arrive at Bellefonte by 6 p m. 2531 From Bellefonte, by Milesburg, Snow Shoe, Meshannon, and Pin- Swamp, to Karthous, 29 miles and back, twice a week. Leave Bellefonte Monday and Friday at 8 am; Ariive at Karthous by 5 p ru; Leave Karthous Tuesday and Saturday at 8 a in; Arrive at Bellefonte by 5 p m. Freedom of Qlicnght and Opinion. Proposals /or three-times-a-week service are invited. 2592 From Caledonia to Karthous, 27 miles and back, once a week. Leave Caledonia Monday at 7 a m; Arrive at Kartiious by 7 p nri; Leave Ivartbous Tuesday tt 7 a m; Arrive at Caledonia by 7 p m; 259'J From Beilefbnte, by Walker, Mountain Eagle, Howard, and Beech Creek, to Lrck Haven, 27 miles anil back, three times a week. Leave Pellefonte Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8 a m; Arrive at Lock Laven by 4 p m Leave Lock Haven Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6 a m; Arrive at Beliefonte by 2 p m. 259+ From Bellelonte by Benner and Farm School, to Pine Crove Mills, 16 miles and back, three times a week. Leave Bellelonte Monday, Wednesday,and Friday at 4 p m; Arrive at Pine Crove Mills by S a m; Leave Pine Grove Mills Tuesday, Thurs day, and Saturday at 2 p in; Arrive at Belleloute by 6 p m. INSTRUCTIONS, Containing cowl it ions to be incorporated in the contracts to the extent the department may deem proper. t. Seven minutes are allowed to each interme diate office, when not otherwise specified, for as sorting the mails; baton railroad and steamboat ■ outes there to be no more delay than stilii cient for an exchange of the mail bags. 2. On railroad and steamboat lines, an I other routes where the mode „I conveyance admits of it, J tin; special agents of the Post Olf.ce Department,' also post office blanks, mail bags, locks, and keys • are to be conveyed without extra charge. 3. On railroad and steamboat linps the route a- ' gents ot the department are to be conveyed without ; charge, and for their exclusive use, while travel- i ling with tne mails, a commodious car, or apart- j meat in *he center of a ear, properly lighted, war med, and furnished, and adapted to the convenient j separation and due security of the mails, is to be provided by the contractor, under the direction of the department. Railroad and steamboat companies are required to take the mail from and deliver it into the post 1 offices at the commencement and etui of their routes! and to and from all offices not more Than eighty rods from a station or landing. Proposals may be submitted for the performance of all other side ser vice—that is, for offices over eighty rods from a Elation or landing. Receipts will be required for rnai' bags conveyed ,:i charge ol persons employed by railroad companies There will also he "way lulls" prepared by post masters, or other agents ol the department, to ac company the mails, specifying the number and ■ ! -stination of tfco several bags. On the principal stage joutes, likewise, receipts will be required and way bill* forwarded ; the latter to be examined by the several postmasters, to insure regularity i:i delivers of mail bags. t. M-.tl .... i.. rftt l ''hrm+J ; and for each cf such omissions not satisfactorily ex plained three times the pay of the trip may be de ducted. For airivals sojlar behind tune as to break connexion with depending mails, and nofsufftcient ly excused, one-fourth of the compensation for the trip is subject to forfeiture. Deduction will also be ordered for a grade oi performance inferior to that specified in the contract. Tor repeated delin quencies of the kind hereiu specified, enlarged pen alties, proportioned to the nature thereof, aad the importance of the mail, may be mi.de. .*>. For leaving behind or throwing off the mails, or any portion of them, lor the admission of passen gers, or for being concerned in settling up or run ning an express conveying intelligence in advance of the mail ; e quarter's pay may be deducted. 0. Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency be promptly and satisfactorily explained by certifi cates of postmasters or the aflidavi ts of other credi lle persons, for failing to arrive in contract time; for neglecting to take the mail frorc or deliver it into a post office ; r or suffering it to be wet, destroy ed, robbed, or lost ; and tor refusing, after domain', to convey the mail as frequently a- the contractor runs, or is concerned ui running a coach, car or steamboat on a route. 7. The Postmaster Genera! may annul the con tract for repeated lailures to run agreeably to con tract ; for violating the Post Office laws, or diso beying the instructions of the department: for re fusing to discharge a carrier when required by the department to do so ; lor running an express as a loresaid ;or for transporting persons or packages, conveying mailable matter out of the mail. 8. The Postmaster General may order a:i .ncrease of service on a route by allowing therefor a pro rata. increase on the contract pay. He may change sche dules ol departures and arrivals in ail cases, and par ticularly to make them to conform to connexions with rail roads, without increase of pay, provided the running time be net abridgec'. He may also order an increase ol speed, allow ing, within the restrictions of the law, a prorata increase of pay lor the additional stock or carriers, if any. The contractor may, however in the case of increase of speed relinquish the contract, by giving prompt no tice to the department that he prefers doing so to carrying the order into effect. The Postmaster General may also curtail or discontinue the service in whole or in part, at pro rntn decrease of pay, al lowing one month's extra compensation on the a mount dispensed with, whenever, in his opinion, the public interests require the change, or in case he desires to supersede it by a different grade of transportation. 9. Payments will be made by collections from or drafts on postmasters, or otherwise, alter the ex piration ot each quarter—say in February, May August and November. 10. The distances are given according to the best information ; but no increased pay will be allowed should they be greater than advertised, if the points to be supplied be correctly stated. Biddders must inform themselveson this point, and also in refer ence to the weight of the mail, the condition of roads, hills, streams. Nc , and ail toll-bridges, jer ries, or obstructions of any kind by which expense may be incurred. No claim for additional pay, based on such ground, can be considered ; nor tor alleged mistakes or mi-apprehensions as to the de gree of service ; nor lor bridges destroyed, ferries discontinued, or other obstructions increasing dis tance, occurring during the contract term. Offices established alter this advertisement is issued, and also during The contiact term, are to be visited without extra pay, if the distance be not in creased. 11. A bid received aftpr the fast day and hour named, or without the guaranty, required by law and a eertiticate as to the sufficiency of such guar anty, cannot be considered in competition with a regular proposal reasonable in amount. 12. Bidders should first propose for service strict ly according to the advertisement, and then, if they desire, separately for different service ; and if the regular bid be the lowest offered for the advertised service, other propositions may be consid ered. 13. There should be but one route bid for in a proposal. Consolidated or combination bids ("pro- posing one sum (or two or more routes") are for bidden by law, and cannot be considered, 13. Ihe route, the service, the yearly pay, ths name and res.dence of the bidder, (that i, his usu al post office address,) and those of each member ol a firm, where a company offers, should be distinct ly stated. 13. Bidders are requested to use, as far as prac ticable, the printed (orm of proposal furnished by the department, to write out in full the sum of their bids, anil to retain copies of them. Altered bid; should not be submitted ; nor should bids once submitted be withdrawn. No withdraw al of a bidder or guarantor will be allowed unless dated and received before the last day for receiving pioposals. Each bid must be guarantied by two responsible persons. General guaranties cannot be admitted. The bid and guaranty should be signed plainly with the full name of each p-rson. The department reserves the right to rpject any bid which may o; .leemel extravagant, and ah to disregard the bids ol failing contractors and bid ders. 16. The bid should be sealed, superscribed 'Mail Proposals, State of ," addre d, "Sec nnd Assistant Postmaster General, Contract Office," and sent by mm!, not by or to an agent; and post masters will not enclose proposals (or letters of any kind) in their quarterly returns. 17. The contracts are to be executed and return ed to the department by or before the Ist day of August, ISbl) ; but the service must be commenced on the Is. of July preceding, or on the mail day next after ; oat date, whether the contracts be exe cuted or not. No proposition to transfer will be considered until the contracts are execute ' and re ceived at the department ; and than no transfer will be allowed unless good and sufficient reasons there for are given, to be determined by the department. In all cases the retiring contractor will be required to oaie one of the sureties on the new con tract. IS. Postmasters at offices on or near railroads, but more than eighty rods from a station, will, im mediately after the Gist of March next, report their exact distance from the nearest station, and hovv they are otherwise supplied with the mail, to ena ble the Postinastc General to direct a mail-messen ger supply faom ti.e Ist of July next. !&. Section eighteen of an act of Congress ap proved March 3, 1835, provides that contracts for :he transportation of the mail shall be lei "ir. ev jry case to the lowest bidder tendering sufficient guaranties for faithful performance, without other -eference t&the mode oi such transporlat.on." L'n ler this law bids that propose to transport the •nail with ''celerity, certainty, and security," hav ng been decided to bethe only legal bids, are con strued as providing for tbe entire mail, however large, ami whatever maybe the mode of convey ince necessary to insure its-'celerity, certainty and lecurity," and will have the pretereuce over all Hbers. 30. A modification of a bid in any of its essen ial terms is tantamount to a new bid, and cannot )e received, so as to interfere with a regular com letition, alter the last hour set for receiving bids. Making anew bid, with guaranties and certificate, s the only way to modify a previous bid. 21. Postmasters are to be careful not to certify the sufficiency of guarantors or sureties without knowing that they are persons of sufficient re sponsibility : and all bidders, guarantors and sure ties a>e ill sir net,, y notified that or a failure to enter • nto or !••*-! ••- "ta contracts fcr the ice propo sed for in the accepted bids, their legal liabilities will be enforced against them. 2'J. F.-csent contractors, and persons known at the departsent, must, equally with other--, pro cure guarantors and certificates of their sufficiency substantially in the forms above prescribed. The certificates of sufficiency must be signed by a post master or by a judge of a court oi recoid. No other ertificates will be admitted. J. HOLT, Feb. 3d, 1560. Postmaster General. For the Bedford Gazette. Poor Tain. How beautiful \un setting sun: He has al most finished his daily couise. His last beams play around the summits of the eastern hills— md in a flood of glory and unwearied be sinks jeneath the western wave. How delighllul to conleuiplate such a scene! how grand! how sub ime! It raises one above the things of ear'h— lis thoughts above their common level. I\a ure seems rejoiced at his setting, sings for him in evening song and bids hiin a happy "good light". But though the scene be beautiful, lor nany it has no charms. Man}' who rose with nni buoyant and gay, now writhe in pain and orment—raging fever scorches their pallid :heek c and insatiate disease gnaws at their vi als. Others, disappointments have sorrowed md adversity wounded. And death—lor 'Pallida mors aequo pulsal pede pauperum taber las. regumque lerras"—has trken from the amily circle some dear, lender one and slraight sned him lor the grave. Over his cold lifeless orm bend some broken hearted mother and rereaved lather, or seme sweet lovely maiden rattles his pallid cheek with tears. Alas ! 'man was made to mourn.' The brightest dreams of lis life remain unrealized—his londeat hopes ire blasted by the killing hosts of time and weariness his every stepaitends. But—what means that wail of riispair resounding through he vale?—that deep, solemn, mournful, sound rf the village church hell, breaking the stiil aefs of eve? Ah'tis dpath—with muffled stop ae entered the quiet village—and with UDrelen ing handhas destroyed the frail tenement ol rlay—A!a^! 'Tis thee, poor Tom'. Tis thee,whom ieath has taken from our number. He was i thrice welcome messenger to thee. Poor Tom: :hy course is ended. And 'tis well for thee. For thou didst not possess gold with which to aoothe down the cares of life, nor wealth to pur chase the boon ol enjoyment ; poverty was thy companion. Upon a bed of straw thou did-t repose thy weary limbs. Often did I watch by thy b'-'d>ide, many weary nights I ministered to thee, and fanned thy burning brow, whilst 1 saw Lie ravages of disease trace their lurrows on thy cheeks and the icy hand of death lay hold upon thee. Thou hadst no mother to sootnethy lying pillow, sister to kiss thv fevred lips, no maiden to mourn ther with her (ears of love. But I was a friend to thee, a pitying sympa thizing friend. Thy suffering was a pain to me. I wept when I saw thy body racked with pain, thy spirit tossed in anguish, I comforted thee, aud strove to make thy dying pillow soft : if I failed to do so, it was r.ot for want of affec tion, for I loved thee well. When thou d dst drink the cup of affliction, eat the bread of sor row, and no one came to amelioiate thy condi tion, or speak a kind sympathizing word to ther, U 0M; \l YEKI'K, 3SS7. I forsook thee not but staid the scalding tear , i with the cordial of sympathv, and the anguish . of thy heart with the halm of affection. r But now thou art gone. 'Tis true I behold thy form but tis lifeless and ailUat was lovely in thee has . be r ; that expressive eye is closed, that silvery voice is hushed in death, and those lips no more speak of love, of Christ, of heaven. But all is well with thee, for thou wast the son of affliction. Even in the sunny morn of vout.i, When thy face was wreathed in smiles, a.id g.ossy curls in rid profusion fell around thy j rosy cheeks, when thou toil of joy,ol hope. br.gh , anticipation j disease laid its cruel hand ; upon thee. But with Christian fortitude, thou j ,i!dst bear t,i? of life. No cloud rested up on thy brow, no fear from within alarmed t .ee. Ihy spirit was calm and unruffled as a sum : ! nei da) , for thou wast too meek to complain. INo murmur ever escaped thv lips. Thou didft I seen, too good for earth—a flower planted la ar> I uncongenial soil. But, now, in hirer worlds on •ugh, thou shalt bloom forever. Thy end was peace, tor tiiee death had no stin