The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-04-17
MAIL FOR MINERS.
How Letters Are Delivered in the
Rocky Mountains
An Undertaking Which Is Exceedingly
Hazardous in WInter-Ths Cniq1e
Free Delivery System of
the Miners

/ Transporting mails known in the
/ United States poSt Office department is
that in daily use between Telluride and
SmuggIer. The mining town OF Tell
uride is located at the head OF pictur
eScue guIch The mountains rise in
Ius jeSty 70 cloud-pieEcing heights about
I the town. and from every propitious
dIaw between the giant peaks. foam
I iFc cascades. waterfalls and roaring
streams come down from the snow
I laden SUBMITS 70 swell the torrent OF
the San Miguel. which rushes through
the town. -Four miles above Telluride
Z is Marshall basin. situated among the
+ Snowy peaks and far above timber line.
and in this basin IS the little mining set
Element OF Smuggier. where the en-
! ployes Of the great SmuggIer-CniOna and
Tom Boy mines make their homes.
Although the inhabitants have a post
. ofEice Of their Own. the postal author
tiles do not guarantee regular SER
I ice. because Of the difficulty Of keeping
/ trail open IN the winter time The dan
( gerous suowslides consta Sly threaten
/ destruction 70 the hardy miners who
scramble through the SHOWS up the
steep trails 70 the settlements in Mar
shall basin Until II recent years al sup
( plies for the camp in Marshall basin
we're transported Ihither by pack ami
mails. TiUbeF for the miners. coal for
the boilers. and iron rails were dragged
over the trails or packed securely about
swaying pack saddles and carried 10 an
\ elevation OF 800 feet by the burro.
T When winter closed down and the burro
( trains could not longer be driven on
schedule time the miners would take
turns IN going down On snowshoes
70 get the nails and a few necessary
Z supplies that could re carried upon
< their hacks.
But the practical application OF the
: endless chain by the inventor Of the
Z Tuson tram has greatly facilitated the
Z trans ,ortatIon OF supplies from Tellu-
ride up to Marshall basin. Great iron
I buckets. each carrying down the noun
{ tain q half ton Of ore. furnish By their
I weight the active power which drives
Z the endless cham from which they ara
I suspended. IN these buckets. upon
/ their return. the necessary supplies for
t the camp are placed. One OF the buckets
[ Is PAINTED Z bright red color. and the
T letters u. s Mall" ii black. desig-
nate ire use 10 which IL is put The
daily mail for SmuggIer post Office Is
row delivered as regularly across the
( four miles OF precipice, snow-buried
Z cUiches. and giant mountain rugged
hess with Is much safety As between
{ two settlements IN the prairies Of west
err Kansas OF Nebraska.
Just over the ridge OF peaks from
Marshall basin IS the post Office OF
I Mount SnefeIs near The famous Virgin
7 irls mines. seven miles above OuTay.
mining town which is as pictureSquely
( located as Telluride. = good wagon
trail leads from Crray up the mountain
. side % Tirginius mine, but IN the win
7 ter time the trail Ills with snow. an &C.
+ csSional slide destroys TIE continuity
+ Of The route 50 that shedding cannot be
I done. ard the mails are carried BY men
+ with snowsh0es. There are nurnb
. o. sn0wshoe routes IN the mountains
Of Colorado. but none more hazardous
F than this one. The men who carry the
( mails over srowshoe routes seldom
I rect with accident. Thev have learned
Z ~ understand the popularity OF snow
I slides. ard when { high wind : blow
+ ing OF other meteorological conditions
( make travelling along the trails danger
F Gus. they postpone their trips until set
+ tied weather returns. Sometimes the
+ mails are two weeks IN arrears when
( the nail carriers dare 70 venture for-h
y free delivery system is IN vogue in
/ the mining districts. though the postal
authorities have nothing 10 Do with l..
from every mountain rest Office trails
diverge up every draw and culch. =
miner setting out for his cabin. pe-ched
{ somewhere fer up on a mountain. WIFI
+ take with him all the mail leioE gl1g 10
lis neigh5ors. though JEev uav live
/ miles from his place. At each --frzlI ny
/ or point a small box viii lie To- nd
nailed securely 10 the trunis Of q stout
Z old pine tree. ard ugou THIS Eox =
s-ra7rled the NAMES OF all miners who
1st PASS that tree III goiur 10 1heIr re-
sTective cabins. Into this boz tae last
{ man from town deposits ali the mail
E belonging 70 miners living ND thai
Z particular guleh. From THAT guIch a
miner wiil OCCASIONALLY descend Tor the
/ mail. and - he returns up his trail lie
{ deposits il turn the several pieces
OF mail in orheF boxes placed al cor
venieIt points IN this manner one
nan can save many a weary sep 10
ether miners vvho I've ou9 the Icu@ win
ters II rle very heart Of the Rocky
mountains. Nails are collected in 4
similar manner. ard often small er-
rands are likewise doEe. Money IS de-
rested IN mail boxes for be purchase
I oE stamps. tobacco. ard other notions
l.ght II weight. IS always properly r.
sFeete,l end the mission fulfilled. no
I matter hos much tse snowshoe aeCies-
trian nay be under the Influence of
/ good fellowship as he returns fror
town. 1. SIM
Poroas Quality OF Glass.
That glass Is porous to molecules be-
i0gT q certain weight and volume has
been shown By recent electr0lytic ex-
I periueats Eande by Prof Roberts Aus
ten 81 the royal mint. A current was
/ passed through a vessel containing an
anna gam Of sodium, separated BY d
+ glass partition from mercury. After
! awhile the annals gam was found TO nave
/ lost a certain amount OF its weight
/ while the same amount had been added