Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-02-20
MOUNTAIN NAIL CARRIERS !
Hardships of Carriers Who Climb the
White Peaks of the Rocky
Mountains.
Thrilling Experience of Those Who
Risk Life on Every Trip in
Carrying Mail.
Touching Accounts of Swain Nelson,
Lost i'll a Snowslide During
Fierce Storm.

The most welcome of all in the mining
! camps far up among the Rocky Mountain
peaks are the mail carriers Brave. hardy
fellows they are, that climb the peaks on
snowshoes. delivering the mail and the
many precious packages that always fill
the pouch. Delivering the mails IN the
mountains IN nld-wInter IS a 4 ttieuit and
dangerous work Sometimes the carrier Is
swept away by snowSlide and months
roll around before the brave fellow ana
mail pouch are found. About fifty of
these mountain mail carriers risk their
lives daily on the dangerous trails in
Colorado, carrying the mails on Suowshoes
to the frontier mining camps. In Utah.
Idaho, and other parts of the west, in the
same manner they force their way over
the lofty ranges. Some mountaiueers are
showed in for the winter, and 1t is impos-
slb to reach them, but so far rs possible
the remOtest settlement in the VALLEY and
in the peaks Of the Rocky Mountains have
the mail sent to them. How different the
mail carriers on the mountain trails of
mid continent, with his mail pouch
weighing 20 to % pounds, snow-shoelng
his way over the dangerous passes, co M
pared with YOUR neatly dressed and stylish
carrier who leaves your mail on the door
step in the large cities. The carriers on
the frontier of the Rocky MouI tains strap
the mail sack, usually a No. +, on their
backs. put on their Norwegian Snowshops,
and with a long guiding pole start on their
weary climb over the range. Usually there
is crowd at the little frontier
postofice to wish him good luck.
Onv men of known strength and eour-
age can do this work, for that twenty
FIVE pounds of letters, papers and pack
ages becomes very heavy and burdensome
in climbing the mountains. These car
riers know the peaks, passes aud trails as
well as In the city districts. But some
time the storms are SO severe chat even
the old mountai1eer grows weak With his
heavy burden and sinks almost exhausted
IL the obscure trail With a compass in
his hand he feels his way along the pre-
ciplces and dangerous places, AID often
the storm is so severe and binding that
he. is compelled to find shelter under some
friendly crag, or dig for himself bed in
a snOw-bank.
If no fuel be handy he must keep awake
all nj ght. for sleep would mean rest
from which he would not awaken. Al
though their great overcoat and clothing
may look rough, yet their underweare
would please the fancy Of the e~thetiC
The most of them have silk underwear
costing from $50 to sac 4 suit. Under the
rough looking gloves are handsome silk
ones. The silk keeps out the cold and re-
tains the heat, ,s,nj, if hard up. noun
tain mail carrier VII buy cheap outer
clothing to save money for a handsome
suit of silk underwear and gloves. On
reaching the summit Of the mountains
the carrier shoulders the pole, and placing
his snowsboes close together, Geglns his
descent. The oId-timers on the trail will
&C down the mountains with the swiftuess
Of the wind, a mile minute. But woe
to the one who Is inexperienced, for out
slips the guiding pole, up comes snow
shoes. and the unfortunate carrier, mail
sack and all, 90 rolling down the noun
tain. Sometimes the ice and show are as
smooth and hard as glass. Those expert
in the u.s. of snowahoes in Canada and |
northern New York whou!d have to look |
well to their lau els ccml citing with mai
carriers On the Rockies in climbing and |
dest ending the ranges where the peaks |
are nearly two miles high. The carrier |
of the Rocky Mountains are as expert and |
angie. almos as the chamois hunters of |
the Alps. and the man who cannot keep |
his equiIiorium, rushing with lightning |
speed down the mountain side, Is hardly |
worth a position under Uncle Sam foT |
this work in mid-continent.
The perilous trip brings him to some
little mining camp nestled IN the noun |
tains. What joyful greeting be receives. |
There are people there from the east, far |,
avav New England, and the sunny south. |
How eagerly they have watched the trail |
for the coming cf the carrier Some |
times be 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 |
ter,lble snowslide. If you learn to watch |
for the coming Of the carrier who leaves |
the mail at your doors III the great cities, |
what would lie your feeling toward the |
brave fellow who crosses the lofty ranges |
of the Rocky Mountains, Imperlliing his |
life in the dangerous passes TO bring EOuT |
letters and papers from homer Where Is |
the postCffice? In the corner Of the little |
store or rude hotel. The villagers collect |
and all are eager to learn the latest news |
and read their letters. fcTchance the car !
rier has another point still to reach. The |
pouch IS opened ana tue udh pOHIeu out |
on the floor. The frontier pos master picks |
out what belongs to his Office, and the rrst |
is put back into the pouch. to be carried |
still furtL Ter to its destination.
Brave la~dy mountainaers! | o to |
think of their courage and heroism. 1t |
recalls the story OF Swan Nelson, the |
Swede mail-carrier of the San Juan, who !
was lost in a suowslide Dec. "A, 1893, and +,
was not found for nearly two years. His |
route was from Silverton TO Ophir. Only |
the hardest and brayest would attempt |
the trip through a storm. Nelson was
warned against making the attempt. A |
terrible storm was raging between Silver |
ton and Orpnir, and those who had been
longest in the Rocky Mountains told |
him he could not reach 0phir in that noun |
tain tempest. But Nelson would not |
listen to their warning, and even If II |
we're perilous he must 60. It was two |
davs before Christmas, and his mail pouch |
was larger and fuller than usual, He |
spoke of the old Christmas time in far of |
Sweden, and how people of every cline |
loved to celebrate it. He knew his /
mail pouch contained Christmas packages |
from the east and the people Of |