Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-05-20
NAIL FOR MINERS.
How Letters Aro Delivered Ia tho
Rocky Mountains.
An Undertaking Which Ia Exceedingly
Hazardous In w.nte--Thc Unique
Treo Delivery system of
tho Miners.


Probably the most unique method Of
transporting mails known in the
United States post Office department is
that in daily use between Telluride and
Smnggler. The mining town of Tell
ur,de is located ut the head of pictuV-
tsque Suleh. The mountains rise in
majesty to cloud-pierciagh heights about
the town, and from every rropitious
diaw between the giant peaks. foam
ing cascades, waterfalls and roaring
streams come down from the SNOW
laden submits to swell the torrent of
the San Miguel. which rushes through
the town. Four miles above Telluride
is Marshall basin, situated among the
snowy peaks and far above timber line,
and in this basin is the little mining set
Element of Smuggler, where the Gnu
Ployes Of the great Smuggler-Umonand
Tom Toy mines make their homes.
Although the inhabitants have a post
Office of their own, the postal author
tiles do not guarantee n regular scrv-
ice, because of the difficulty of keeping
a ailopen III the winter time. The dan
destruction TO the hardy miners who
scramble through the SHOWS up the
steep trails to the settlements in Mar.
shall lasin. Until IN recent years all sup
plies for the camp in Marshall basin
we're transported thither by pack ami
mails. Timber for the miners. coal for
the boilers, and iron rails were dragged
bf, 4,o lie II ,1N
swayinC rack saddles and carried to on
elevation of 1900 feet by the hurro.
When winter closed down and the burro
trains could not longer be driven on
schedule time the miners world take
turns in going down on snoWshofs
10 get the mails and q few necessary
supplies that could be carried upon
their backs.
Eut the practical application of the
endless chain Ivy the inventor of the
lluson tram has greatly facilitated the
transportation of supplies from Tellu-
ride up to Marshall lasin. Great iron
buckets, each carrying down the noun
tain Il half ton of ore, furnish by their
weight the active power which drives
suspended. In these buckets, upon
their return, the necessary supplies for
The camp are placed. Cnc of the buckets
is painted bright rcd color, and the
letters "u. S. Mail" in Hack, desig-
rate the use to which it is put. The
daily mail for Smugglcr post Office is
now delivered as regularly across the
four miles of procipice, snow-buried
Tulehcs, and giant mountain rugged
ness with as much safety as between
two settlements in the prairies of west
crn Kansas or Nebraska.
lust over the ridge of peaks from
Marshall rasin is the rost Office of
Mount SneGtels near the famous Virgin
ius mines, seven miles above Curay, o
mining town which is as r!cturesquely
located as Telluride. A rood wagon
trail leads from Ouray up TIE mountain
side to Nirginius mine, hut in the win
ter time the trail fills with snow, an oc
casional slide destroys the continuity
of the route so that shedding cannot be
done. ard the mails are carried ~ me-.
with snowshoes. There are a number
of snowshoe routes in the mount lis
of Colorado, but none more hazardour
thnn this one. The men who carry tllc
mails over 'snowshoe routes seldom
meet with accident. They have learned
to understand the popularity of srow-
slides, and when a high wind is blow
ing or other meteorological conditions
make travelling along the trails danger
Gus, they postpone their trips until set
tied weather returns. Sometimes the
mails are two weeks in arrears when
the mail carriers dare to venture forth.
a free delivery system is in vogue in
the mining districts, though the postal
authorities have nothing to do with it..
From every mountain post Office trails
dieergc up every draw and gulch. \
miner setting out for his cabin, perched
somewhere far up on a mountain, will
take with him all the mail belong ing to
lis neighbors, though they nay live
miles from his place. At each turning
off point small box will be found
nailed securely to the trunk of a stout
old pine tree, and upon this box is
srrawled the names of all miners who
must pass that tree in going to their re-
spcctivc cabins. Into this box the last
man from town deposits all the mail
belonging to miners living up that
particular gulch. From that gulch a
miner will occasionally descend for the
mail, and as he returns up his trail he
deposits in turn the several pieces
of mail in other boxes placed at cou-
venient points. In this manner one
man can save many weary step to
other miners who live out the loEg wl,
tiers in the very heart of the Rocky
mountains. Mails are collected i'll Il
similar manner, ard often email er-
rands are likewise done. Money is de-
posted in mail boxes for the purchase
of stamps, tobacco, and other notions
light in weight, is always properly re-
spected and the mission fulfilled, no
matter how much the snowshoe pedes.
trian may be under the influence of
tood fellowship as he returns from
TOWN.. y. Sun.
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Theology by tho Pound.
Tho wife of a minister down in Gin
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