The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-05
INDIANS AS MAIL CARRIERS.
They Are Doing Good Work in That
Capacity in the Minnesota WiIds.


Capacity in the Minnesota WiIds.
From the Philadelphia Press.
Duluth, Mimi, Dec. $50 far as known
Minnesota is the only state in the union
in which the experiment of utilizing the
Indians as mail carriers has been tried.
The red men so engaged in this state have
won the admiration of all by their pluck
and speed.
Grand Marais, on the north shore of
Lake Superior, is practically world by
itself, especially during the winter months
Inc people are then cut off from all COM
munication with the rest of the country,
unless they feel disposed to take a rough
and dangerous overland trip of some 175
miles, or else go up the lake on the ice
to Duluth or Superior. The problem of
sending mail to Grand Marais from Two
Harbors, the end of the railroad, was for
a long time problem which bothered
the postoffice department not little.
During the winter the trip is a dangerous
one, and no white man could be found to
undertake it for the small compensation
allowed by the government.
SON Some months a go TWO full,blooded
Chippewa Indians, Kagiet and Rossport
Beargrease, who are known far and wide
among the Indians of the northwest as
athletes of no mean degree, intimated
that they would not be averse to working
for Uncle Sam. They were told to put
in bid for carrying the mails, and to
their great delight the contract was
awarded to them. In due time their COM
missions arrived from Washington, and
the brothers are now the official mail
carriers between Two Harbors and Grand
Marais.
Since having become a part of the Uni
ted State government, the Beargrease
boys have dropped many of their Indian
mannerismS-that is. they have dropped
some of the more objectionable ones, and
retained all those which enable them to
live and get fat where a white man would
die. In warm weather the trip from point
to point is made in canoe along the lake,
but since winter has set in and the water
highway is closed the journey is made
overland, on foot generally, although
sometimes dog teams are used.
A more desolate, dreary country than
that lying between Two Harbors and
Grand Marais it would be hard to imagine,
and perhaps it is due to its very lone
someness that the two Indians make such
good time. The IT'S miles of almost track
less wilderness is covered in anywhere
from htty to seventy-five hours-the aY-
eragS time is about siXty-five hours-and
the men come in looking as fresh as
daisies. The Indians make their way with
ease where White man, unused to the
country, could not find his way, and camp
in the forest or on the barren bluffs,
wherever night overtakes them. They are
always armed, not that there is any dan
ger of an attack by man or beast, but
because they have always carried their
rifles when away from civilization and
would be lost without them,
Large sums of money and many papers
of the utmost Importance are otter car
ried by these untutored children of the
forest, and their prompt delivery at their
destination can be counted upon ASA GER
tainty. The Beargrease boys are as regu-
lar as clockwork, and were there to be
delay of any time in their arrival, a
party of men would soon be looking for
them, for it would be known that some
mishap had befallen the mail carriers.
Wild game of all kinds IS plenty in the
country between Two Harbors and Grand
Marais, and never is trip made by the
two Indians without seeing many moose
and deer. Now and then a huge black
bear of pack of skulking wolves watch
the men go by, and look after them with
longing eyes, but little things like these
DO not trouble the faithful servants OF
the government, who are as proud of their
position as is small boy of his first pair
of pants.