, 1891-04-16
MAILS ON SNOWSHOES.
PERILS OF THE SERVICE m THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

The most welcome Of al in the mining
camps far up the Rocky peaks
are the mail carriers Brave, hardy fellows
they are that climb The perks ON snow
shoes delivering the mail and many pre-
cious packages hat AWAY ill the pouch.
Delivering the mails in the mountains ia
mldWilrgr is "a difficult % dangerous
WORK Sometimes the carrier is swept
away by O. sUowsllde, months roll
away before the brave fellow and his pouch
are Gun About fifty Of these mountain
mail carrier lose their lives yearly on the
dangerous trails In Colorado CARRYING the
mails on su0yshoes to the frontier mining
camps In Utah, Idaho aud other parts Of
the west So the same manner they force
their way over the lofty ranges
Some m-ountailesgs arc showed in farth
winter, and DC Is impossible TO reach them:
but rs far as possible the remotcst settle
neuts lu The valleys and ON the peaks OF
the Rocky mountains have the mail sent
10 them The carrier iu the frontier Of the
Rocky mountains straps the mail sack.
usually q No = On his back. puts on his
Norwegian suuw-hues, and with % long
guiding pole starts on his weary climb
over the range Usually there is a crowd
at the little frontier post7fHCc to wish him
good luck Only men Of known strength
and COURAGE can Io this work. for twenty
five p1inds ot letters, papers aud packages
become ycTy heavy and Cumbersome IN
climbing the mountains
HARDY gAEIsTLEs
These carriers know the peaks, passes
and trails as well A. the city carriers do
the streets and uumhers OF their districts d
Bat sometime fhr storms are So severe
that even tho old m9uurainrer grows weak
with his heavy burden, and sinks, almost
exhausted lu tle obscure trail With a
compass ia bis hand he carefully feels his
way along the preeIpIccs aud dangerous
places, aud often the storm l. 80 severe
and binding that he Is compelled 90 u
shelter under some friendly cleft or dig
for himself "a bed in the snow banks. II
no fuel be handy be must keep awake all
night for sleep would mean "A rest from
which be would not awaken.
Although their great overcouts and cloth.
ing may look rough, yet their underwear
would please the fancy Of the u=thetic.
The most Of them have silk underwear.
rostiug from twenty 20 forty dollars % suit.
Under the rough louking gloves are hand
some silk ones The silk keeps the cold
out and retains the heat, and, 10 hand mp a
mountain mail carrier viii buy rhr1p outer
clothing 10 save money Tor a handsome
and warm suit Of SILK underwear aud
gloves On reaching the summit uf the
mountains the carrier shoulders the pole.
and, placing The su-ow-h1as close together,
begins his descent
Tn old timers on thu trail, will go down
the mountains with the -wiftuess Of tho
wind, a mile a minute. hut woe % the one
who in inexperienced for out slips the
guiding pole, up come su1,g-hoes. aud the
unfortunate carrier. mail sack aud AID. goes
rolling down the mountain. Sometimes
the ice and snow are as hnrd aad smooth ns
glass The carriers Of tile Rocky mount
ain are AS expert and agile as the channels
hunters Of the Alps, and the man who can
not keep his equilibrium. rushing with
lightning speed down the mountain side,
Is hardly worth "a position under Uncle
sam for this work In midacoutiucut
The P~erllous trip brings him 10 some lit
tie mining camp nestled in the mountains.
What a joyful greeting he r~ccciycsI There
Hrc people there from the east, far away
New England and the sunny south some.
times be Is delayed hy the storm on the
range. and already the men Of the camp
have been searching Tor him. fearing that
he bad been lost or swept AWAY by the ter
nblc suowslide. Where d. the postofieep
In the corner Of the little store or rude ho-
tel The villagers collect, aud all are eager
to learn the latest news and read their let.
ten
BuEfED N SNOW TWO YEARS.
swan Nilsson, the SycIe mail carrier Of
the san Juan, was lost la a snow slide
Dec %. 1868, and was not found for nearly
two years His route was from Silvcrtou
70 Oph!r. Only tho hrayrst would attempt
the "Trip through % storm Nilsson was
warned against making the attempt. \
terrible storm waz raging between Silver
ton mud OpLlr. and those who had been
Longest IN the Rocky mountains told him
he could not reach Dph.r |u That mountain
tempest But Nilsson would not listen to
their warnings aud even II 10 were peril
Gus he must 20