Mohave County miner., 1891-04-04
SNOWSHOE POST-ROUTEs.
PERtLs OF THE ROCKY NOUN
TAIN MAIL SERVICE.
Carriers Who Brave Many Dangers IN
supplying Mining Csmps--They
Must Know the Peaks,
Passes aad Canyons.

nhfuv icllOWs tHsy are tfidi tilHB tHs
peaks on snowshoes, delivering the
mail and many precious packages that
always al the pouch. Delivering the
mails In the mountains In midwinter Is
ditiacult and dangerous work. Some
times the carrier Is swept away by
saowl'lide, and months roll away before
The brave fellow and his pouch are found.
About fifty Of these mountain mail
,arri,rs lose their lives yearly on the
dahgiirous trails In Colorado carrying
the nails Oh siiowsh6es 10 ths frontier
mining camps. In Utah, Idaho, and
other parts OF the West in the same
manner they force their way over the
lofty ranges.
The carrier in the frontier Of the
Rocky Mountains straps the mail sack
on his back, puts on his Norwegian
snowsh0es, and, with lorg guiding
pole. starts on his weary climb over
the rtnge. Usually there Is crowd
at the post0ffice 10 wish him good luck.
Only men OF known strength and cour-
age citn DO this work. for twenty-five
pounds OF letters, papers, and packages
become very heavy and burdensome In
climbing the mountains.
These carriers know the peaks, pass
es and trails as well as the city carriers
do the streets and numbers 6f their dis
tricts. But sometimes the storms are
so severe that even the old mountain
Ger grows weak with his heavy burden
and sinks almost exhausted In the OBJ
scure trail. With compass In his
hand. he carefully feels his way along
the preCipices and dangerous places,
and often the storm IL SO severe and
binding that he is compelled TO find
shelter under some friendly cleft or
dig for himself bed in the snow
banks. Although their great Oyercoats
and clothing may look rough, yet their
underwear would please the fancy Of
the aesthetic. The most OF them have
silk underwear On reaching the sum
NIT Of the mountains the carrier
shoulders the pole, and, placing his
snowshoes close together, begins his
decent.
The old-timers on the trails will go
down the mountain with the swiftness
OF the wind, mile minute. But woe
TO the one who Is inexperienced, for
out slips the guiding pole, up come
snow shoes, and the unfortunate car
rier, mail sack and all, goes rolling down
the mountain. Sometimes the Ice and
snow are as hard and smooth as glass.
The perilous trip brings him to
some little mining camp nestled In the
mountains. What a joyful greeting
hc receives! There are people there
from the East, far away New England,
and the sunny South. Sometimes he
is delayed by the storm on the range,
and already the men Of the camp have
been searching for him, fearing that
he had been lost or swept away by
the terrible snow slide. The villagers
collect, and all are eager TO learn the
latest news and read their letters.
Perchance the carrier has other points
to reach. The pouch is opened and
the mail poured out on the floor. The
frontier postmaster picks out what
belongs TO his Office, and the rest is
put into the pouch, TO be carried still
further to its destination.
Swan Nilsen, the Swede mail carrier
Of the San Juan, was lost in snow
slide Dec. 2S, 1852, and was not found
for neilrly two years. His route was
from Silverton to Ophir. Only the
bravest would attempt the trip through
a storm. Nilsson was warned against
making the attempt. A terrible storm
was raging between Silverton and
Ophir, and those who had been longest
in the Rocky mountains told him he
could rot reach Ophir In that mountain
tempest. But Nilsson would not listen
to their warnings. and even II IL were
perilous he must go.
At Ophir the miners OF the camp
were waiting and longing for the ap-
pearance OF the faithful letter carrier.
Christmas eve came, but still Swan
Nilsson had not been espisd on the
mountain trails, where. many an anx-
ious eye had been turned.
And thus, while those at Silyerton
were anxious. the miners at Ophir were
becoming apprehensive at the delay.
Christmas came and went and still
nothing OF the mail carrier. Search
Ing parties went out on the trails, but
there was nothing to be- seen or heard
Of the lost carrier. During the sum
mer the search was continued by one
or two friends. but still there was
nothing learned OF the fate OF Swan.
Another year rolled round, and during
the summer another search was made,
and on August IS, 1885, at the bottom
Of Snowbank the picks and shovels Of
the searching party uncovered the
body OF Swan Nilsson, and still strapped
TO his back was the old pouch with
Ophir Christmas mail. The lock was
rusty, and the pouch had TO be cut
open. Tie wax on the currency pack
age had rotted a hole through the
greenbacks. Some OF the mail was
mOldy, but a part OF 1t could be read
quite easily. Recently | was looking
over the old mail pouches that have
been stored away in the inspectors
of the Denver post Office.
Here it is," said the inspector,
pulling out from near the bottom OF
the pile the old mail pouch Of Swan
Nilsson. A card had been tied on the
pouch; near the old rusty lock, on
which was written the following;
This pouch was in q snow-slide on
the dead carriers back FOR twenty
months, near Ophir"