News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-02-27
INDIANS AS MAIL CARRIERS.
They Are Doing Good Work In That Ca
pacity In the Minnesota Wilds.


They Are Doing Good Work In That Ca
pacity In the Minnesota Wilds.
So far as known, Minnesota is the only |
state in the Union in which the expert
ment of utilizing the Indians as mail
carriers has been tried. The red men SC |
engaged in this state have won the adj
miration 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. The people are then cut Off
from all communication with the rest OF
the country unless they feel disposed to
take a rough and dangerous overland
trip of some IT'S miles or else go up tho
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 long time a prob
lem which bothered the postoffice de-
partment not little. During the win
ter the trip is a dangerous one, and no
white man could be found to undertake
! it for the small compensation allowed
by the government.
Some months ago two full blooded
| Chippewa Indians, Kagiet and Rossport
Beargrease, who are known far and
wide among the Indians of the north
west as athletes of no mean degree, in
timated that they would not be averse
to working for Uncle Sam. They were
told to put in a bid for carrying the
mails, and to their great delight the
contract was awarded to them. In duo
time their commissions 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
United States government the Bear
grease boys have dropped many Of their
Indian mannerisms-thati is, they have
dropped some of the more Objectionable
ones and retained all those which en-
able them to live and get fat where a
white man would die. In warm weather
the trip from point to point is made in
a 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 i'm
agine, and perhaps it is due to its very
lonesomeuess that the two Indians make
such good time. The IT'S miles Of al
most trackless wilderness are covered in
anywhere from so to rs hours-the av-
erage time is about 65 hours-and the
men come in looking as fresh as daisies.
The Indians make their way with
ease where a white man unused to the
country could not find his way and camp
in the forest OF on the barren bluffs
wherever night overtakes them. They
are always armed-not that there is any
danger 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 pa.
pers of the utmost importance are often
carried by these untutored children OF
the forest, and their prompt delivery at
their destination can be counted upon as
a certainty. The Beargrease boys are as
regular as clockwork and were there tc
l be a delay Of any time il their arrival 9
party Of men would soon be looking fol-
them, for it woull l. known that some
mishap had hefliien the mail carriers.
= Wild game u all kinds is plenty il
the country between Two Harbors anC
Grand Ma.a $, and never is "a trip made
by the two Indians without seeing many
moose and deer. Now and then huge
black bear or pack of skulking wolves
watch the men so by and look aftel
} them with longing eyes, but LITTLE
y things like these do not trouble thu
faithful servants Ct the government, WIT
! are as proud Of their position as is
! small boy Of his first pair of boots. -Du
:, luth (Minn.) Letter in Philadelphi;
Press