The Opelousas courier., 1897-02-13
A PERlLOUS ROUTE,
The Unique Mail Service Into the
Interior Of Alaska,
LOW Letters Are Carried to the
Upper Yukon.

unique ana the longest star route SER
wee on record, has Just been estab-
hshed by the government through the
heart OF Alaska. 4 vast part Of tie
territory is wild and uninlabitei. but
Aoo't tie Recently discovered gold
llelaS there has sprung up a rude sort
VI civilization and The Lcr1es Of pros
pectors aud miners who have fockel
there dnzziea BY the Intermittent re-
ports OF rich strikes have settled a see.
ton OF the interior region. The gilt
terlnS Of gold at Circle CITY, 900
miles inland on the upper Yukon
river, attracted o large number OF
miners and others, who after settling
had no regular mail communication
with the rest Of the world. Compelled
to trust to chance in sending out their
mail they sometimes paid as much as
a dollar q letter for the privilege Of
sending by persons leaving camp fox
civilization.
The country was SO Inaccessible that
1t was difficult even to secure any ac-
cnrrate information, aul the major
portion OF the vast tract is still as lit
tie known in the United States as the
remotest parts Of the heart Of Africa.
Postmaster General Wilson, through
MS assistants. looked over this field
and its needs, and after n lengthy cor
respondence with Governor SheakIey,
finally obtained some dato. He found
that IN the vicinity Of Circle City
there were about 800 people and many
more during the winter; that III going
over the proposed route, which has
now been adopted and is being COW
cred under contract, beginning at
Juneau, the mails could he carried by
river for a distance of about 100
miles. Then would have to DO en-
countered a difficult portage Of over
thirty miles. Supplies have to be
packed on the backs Of | indians over
this stretch, at the end Of which the
upper Yukon is reached.
For tho remainder Of the distance
to Circle City it was decided, as is
now being done, to carry the mails on
the river in a small bost during a
SHORT season when the river is open
and at other times by a dog train.
This service is now an accomplished
fact. The first step was taken by the
establishment OF a post Office named
Circle on March 10 last. l.. Y.
Question was appointed postmaster
and not long after ward a contract was
signed with tho Yukon Transporta-
tion Company, a Chicago enterprise,
for carrying letter mail over the route.
The compensation for the service is
$500 a round trip. The first trip was
made on June II, when 1,474 letters
were started from juneau and carried
into the Circle City post office on the
l4th of the following month. This
~initinl expedition was under tue per-
sonal supervision Of the president Of
the contracting company, N. A. Bed
loc.
The season was very late, and while
the snow was too soft to permit the
taking Of the launches oyer the Chill
koot pass the lakes were not sufi-
GENTLY open to allowof their use. To
overcome this obstacle lumber was
purchased for two boats, to be built
on the other side of Chilkoot pass,
where they would be launched on the
lakes. Half way to the summit of the
mountain it was carried by the Indians,
when, tired out and exhausted, they
absolutely refused to carry the lumber
further, and it had to be abandoned.
Nothing daunted, the party pushed
on with the mail and supplies, and at
the lakes logs were cut and a boat
built. From there down, going day
and hight, there was no mishap, but
the seething waters Of the can.
yons aud the terrible rapids passed
through are enough to add years to a
mans life. The question now with
the little expedition was to get the re.
turn mail back to Juneau at tue ear.
Hest moment possible. 1t was impos'
sible to start up the river owing to the
rapid water. For 500 miles the cur.
rent averaged eight miles an hour.
Then Bedloe concluded that if lie re-
NAMED at Circle City until the end of
the month it would take forty-five
days to pole the boat up the>river..
It was, therefore, decided to go on
down to ST. Michael's and como out
through Boring sea. The party final
" got back to Juneau, after travelling