The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-02-15

own life. He finally reached Idaho Springs where he met mau carrier struggling along on foot, endcavoring to keep his contract in that manner, after having lost his two mules winch had fallen from the Darrow mountain rocks below. The mail carrier said 5hat he knew that the men in the mines were clamoring for their letters from home and that if he did not de- liver the mail he would be rcpri.nanded from Washington and probably lose his contract, so there he was deliver ing the mail at the risk of his life.
 But think of the bravery and hero- ism of the railway postal clerks" said Capt. Fowler, "who risk their lives day and night in the service of the post office department. The fast mail trains travel at the rate of fifty or sixty miles an hour and sometimes even faster. In cases of imminent danger the engineer and fireman on the loco- motive have at least an opportunity to savc their lives. But the postal clerks arc in closed cars next to the locomo- tive, and while they are diligently and intclligcntly handling the mail, they cannot tell what moment will be their last. For years l have advocated the idea of granting pensions to the wid- ows and orphans of the railway mail clerks who are killed; or adequate liv- ing pensions to those who are disabled by collisions or other accidents while in the line of duty. True, there is strong sentiment and correct senti- meut in this country against the estab- Hshment of a civil pension list, but these clerks in the employ of the rail- way mail service are risking their lives every time they start upon journey just as surely as the soldiers or sailors risk their lives when they enter a battle"
 The faithful daily services of the let ter carriers in our cities are not fully appreciated by the people whom they directly serve. It may rain, it may snow, it may sleet, it may hail, the winds may blow and cyclones may come, out the faithful letter carrier must travel his beat day after day and be promptly on hand at given hour or he is taken to task for seeming remissness. Business men look for him, mechanics, laborers, faithful housewives, chambermaids, cooks, lovers and sweethearts, all watch through their windows at a stated period for the coming of the letter carrier. They do not think of the mailing, stamping, the railway mail or steamboat service, nor any of the de. tails concerning the many hands through which each letter must pass before it reaches it's destination; they think only of the letter carrier, and when their precious missives are deliv- cred they do not even Galxe the trouble once in thousand times to say thank you.
 For IT any years, in fact until within the past twelve years, the post office department has been q burGen upon our taxpayers. It was impossible even when we were obliged to use three cent postage stamps upon our letters for the postal service to be self-sus- taining. But the growth of our coun- try, not only in population, but in business enterprise, has been such that we now only use two-cent postage stamps, and yet the service is selr-sus- taining. And, like everything else in this progressive age, the post office is ambitious to do better. It is simply question of very iStle time when the postal telegraph will be popular necessity. Then, instead of waiting the slow processes of the present, we will send our messages by chained lightning. It is safe to pre- dict, however, that the mails will be forever .equired cy our young people; for there are many reams of paper an- nually used in conveying messages so tender that postal telegraph operators would never he allowed to handic them.
 SMITH D. FRc.
 Tho Bum Elemsrt.
 Jack-Dynamite is unpopular in Fro pna ;cn,t itc