“ Rep. 287. As, however, the correctness of the items in the account depended upon proof of the fact of the delinquency of McCoy, the contractor, it remains to determine whether the evidence introduced by the government at the trial prima facie established such delinquency; in other words, whether the evidence was sufficient, in the absence of proof to the contrary, to show that McCoy had totally abandoned his contract on May 5, 1893. ”

“ Whenever a contractor for postal service fails to commence proper service under the contract, or, having commenced service, fails to continue in the proper performance thereof, the Postmaster General may employ temporary service on the route, at a rate of pay per annum not to exceed the amount of the bond required to accompany proposals for service on such route, as specified in the advertisement of the route, or at not exceeding pro rata of such bond, in cases where service shall have been ordered to be increased, reduced, curtailed, or changed, subsequent to the execution of contract ”

“ The reports contained in the telegrams in question present an application of what is stated in the opinion in the Coruin Case (p. 385, L. ed. p. 711, Sup. Ct. Rep. p. 319) to be 'the well-established rule that official reports and certificates made contemporaneously with the facts stated, and in the regular course of official duty, by an officer having personal knowledge of them, are admissible for the purpose of proving such facts.'
The judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals is reversed ”