The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-19
QUEER MAIL ROUTES IN THE MINES
How SnOw-BOund Miners Get Their
Papers and Letters.
From the San Francisco Post

From the San Francisco Post.
Probably the most unique way of trans
porting mails known to the United States
postoffice department is that in daily use
between Telluride and Smuggler, Col. The
mining town of Telluride is located at the
head of a picturesque gulch. The noun
tains rise in majesty to cloud-piercing
nights about the town, and from every
preclpititous draw between the giant peaks
roaming cascades, waterfalls and roaring
streams come down from the snow-laden
SUBMITS, 10 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 the timber line, and in this
basin IS the little mining settlement of
Smuggler, where the employees of the great
Smuggier Union and Tom Boy mines make
their homes. Although the inhabitants
nave postoftice of their own. the postal
authorities do not guarantee a regular
service, because of the difficulty of keep
ing trail open in the winter time The
dangerous snow slides constantly threaten
destruction to the hardy miners who
scramble through the SHOWS up the steep
trails TO the settlement in Marshall Basin.
Ontll IN recent years all supplies for the
camp in Marshall Basin were Transported
thlther by pack animals. Timber for the
mines, coal for the boilers and iron rails
were dragged over the trail or packed Sc
carried to an elevation of 1900 feet by the
burro. When winter closed down and the
burro trains could no longer be driven on
schedule time, the miners would take turns
in going down on snow shoes to get the
mails and few necessary supplies that
could be carried upon their backs.
But the practical application of the end
less chain by the inventor of the Huson
tram has greatly facilitated the transpor-
tation of supplies from Telluride up to
Marshall Basin. Great iron buckets each
carrying down the mountain a halfton of
ore furnish by their weight the active
power which drives the endless chain from
a EafN-V fNarl
cts upon their return, the necessary sup
plies for the camp are placed. One Of
these buckets is painted bright red col
or, and the letters ~. S. Mail" In black,
designate the use to which 1t is put. The
daily mail for the Smuggler postoffice is
now delivered as regularly across the
-FOUR miles OF precipice, snow buried
guches and giant mountain ruggedness
with as much safety as between two set
Elements on the prairies of western Kan
sas or Nebraska.
A free delivery system is in vogue in
the mining districts, though the postal au-
thorities have nothing to do with it. From
every mountain postoff1ce trails diverge
up every draw aRd gulch. A miner setting
out for his cabin, perched somewhere far
up on the mountain, will take with him
all the mail belonging to his neighbors
though they may live miles from his place
At each turning point, small box will be
found nailed securely to the trunk of a
scrawled the names of all miners who
must pass that tree in going to their re-
spective cabins. Into this box the last
man from town deposits all the mail be-
longing to miners living up that particu-
lar gulch. From that gulch a miner will
occasionally descend for mail, and as he
returns up his trail he deposits in turn
the several pieces of mail in other boxes
placed at convenient points. In this man
ner one man can save many a weary step
to other miners who live out the long
winters in the very heart of the Rocky
mountains. Mails are collected in a sim
liar manner, and often small errands are
boxes for the purchase of stamps. tobac-
co and other notions light in weight, is
always properly respected, and the mission
fulfilled, no matter how much the snow
shoe pedestrian may be under the infIu-
ence of good fellowship as he returns
from town.