Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-03
UNCLE SANS PET POsTDoG.
How the Collie OF Calico Carries the Mail
of the Miners Day by Day
g., E-,,r;sro Chronicle.


of the Miners Day by Day.
san Francisco Chronicle.
"If all the mail service was as promptly
and faithfully performed as Is the DOG
route between Calico and Bismarck there
would be nothing left to complain OF, re-
marked POstofhce Inspector L. r. Tracy 10
a Chronicle reporter yesterday.
Dog route2 Do you mean that q DOG
osrr,rs the mails there asked the re-
Certainly. Did you never hear of the
dog Dorsey? Ne. Well, Dorsey Is the
regular mail carrier between the Postothce
At Calico, San Bernardino county, and
the Bismarck mining camp, three
or four miles over the mountains.
Calico is q stage station and has q
postofice, but Bismarck is neither, and, as
the three or four miles between them are
the kind Of mines peculiar to mining dis
tricts, it is q great Inconvenience Tor the
Bismarck miners to get their letters; Dor
sev ia a black and white collie, with intel
Hgent eyes, shaggy coat and pointed nose.
One dsy the postmaster wanted to ger
word 10 his brother at Bismarck. de DID
not want to mako the trip himself and no
one offered to make it for him. 1t sud
denly occurred to him to try Dorsey. a
letter was conspicuously tied around the
doVs neck, his nose was pointed toward
Bismarck, and he was told to git. de
trotted of little way, and then around
! inuuiripgly, but was met with a Volley OF
stones thrown bY some small boys anxious
to teach Dorsey's young idea how to shoot:
The collie took the advice and trotted on
in business like way. .,
The next day he came back with an
answering letter tied around bis neck, and
showed signs Of having been we'll treated
At the other end of the route. The ex'
psriment was repeated, each time success
| fully, aud each time Dorsey assumed an
air of greater dignity. The news OF ms
success was, of course, the talk OF both
CAMPS, and the Tostmaster received many
renuests from miners at Bismarck 10 send
their letters over the next time Dorsey
made a trip. The result was that pretty
Soon Dorsey had more letters to carry than
could be conveniently fastened 10 him.
The miners tnen Oruereu nahueoho ti'',e
mail bag made and fitted to the dog 8
shoulders. The bag is fastened by two
strsus, one around hi5 chest and one under
his BODY Just back OF his fore legs. When
the mail bag was finished and supplied
with the regulation brass lock Dorsey was
formally installed IS msilcarrier between
the two points.
Every day, Just about the time the stage
is due, Dorsey wakes up from his nap
stretches himself and walks into the Post
office. When the stage has arrived and
The Bismarck letters have been put into
Dorsey's mail bag, the Postmaster says,
the mail is ready, and Dorsey so6eriy
walks up to have the Dag put on. Then
he starts of on little trail, which be has
worn for himself over the hills. If be
meets a stranger he makes long detour,
for he knows he is engaged on important
business and he don't want TO run any
risk of having trouble. He stays in Bis
marck over night aud returns with the
mail the next day in time for the outgoing
stage. He has never missed connection,
lost a letter or been behind time.