New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
AN ARCTIC POSTOFFICE.
DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS or THE
CIRCLE CITY ROUTE IN ALASKA.

The Postofice Department has taken great
interest In Alaska. and during the past year
improved mail service 10 that far north
land has been put INTO effect last summer
through the untIrng efforts OF G. Nelson assistant
Postmaster-Gererai new mail route was estso-
shed In Alaska with Circle City as It's terminus
which is probably the most northeriy and remote
postofiicc In the great system. The new route, es-
tabllshed in March last starts at Juneau and goes
to Circle city. distance Of 800 miles The reader
must not think that the citizens OF Circle City have
a mail delivery twice day. or twice a week. or
twice a month In fact. this T. known ar the hard
est mall route in the service The discovery OF gold
Circle city b. some daring prospcctors VINO
plunged far inland led a number of miners to fol-
low them into the wilderness Circle City IL on the
upper Yukon River. and. as stated. 30 mics from
Juneau, which itself has been looked upon as the
frontier Of civilization. These hardy miners. having
reached the camp at Circle City. and settled down
TO the task Of washing out gold, had no mall COM
munica,on with the United States and were COM
PEELED 10 trus, TO chance send out their letters
paying az reported 81 letter 10 have them carried
out by some returning miner. and then there was
no surety that they would ever go
The country so inaccessible taat when 'he
Posto.fce Department took hold OF the matter p"
was difficult even TO secure any accurate informs
ton in regard 1t or its needs. but after conm"n
cation with the Governor of Alaska the Depart
mont early I'm 1886 understood that in the vicinity
OF Circle City there about 800 people ana as
many more were expected when the summer sea
son opened and the ice broke up Then u was 'e
cidcd 10 establish postal station az THIS place ara
a route was laid out II was found mat Dy so'ns
from Juneau the malls could be carried by the
river for about 100 miles; then came 'imeu's
portage Of thirty miles over which supplies hao ="
be carried upon the backs OF Indians, when the
upper Yukon River was reached FROM mere %"
mails could be carried by boat for snort season W
the year when the river was open, distance u
almost 500 miles. and the remainder OF the seot oy
dog trains. The postotce was Accordingly es'ao
ished In March Of this year and contract entered
into with the Yukon Transportation company 10
carry the mail from Juneau TO circle ."y' sn
round trims 4 year from June 1. 1894. 10 June ~.
1871 the compensation 20 be 500 a round 'rip. Inc
contractor started his first trip from juneau %,
June H. taking with him iiIi letters ana arrives
al Circle City on July H. about month osIs
taken for the trip. In writing TO the fosto'"oe De
partment about the trip y. A. Beddoe' president
OF the Transportation Company. told the to"o"'"s
interesting facts about this mail route;
7 have TO report the safe arrival Of the nrst MAJ
AZ Circle city under the contract Win ms I'm
many | personally took charge OF me eNp."itv",
pau' nod 7, been otherwise | could hardly have
credited the dangers and dlfhcultlcs OF ths ny
The season this year very late. ana WINE uis
low vas too soft 10 permit the taking OF gu
launches over the pass. the lakes were ~ d,d
cientIv omen TO allow Of their use. therefore ava
,bnt thomrht best under the crcumstances.pu
chased lumber for two boats. intending 10 Dg,t'
tbem the other side OF Chilkoot Pass ana iaunv
,hem on HE lakes This lumber sucoeed'h Ia ger
ting halfway 10 the summit by lndans ~"
absolutely refused 10 take I, further and douo'
So 80 to pack the lumber TINS d,sulnee' an and
abandoned r. PusIh nas on e w logs. made lumber
and built a boat and from there down. so,hs ia.
and night we met with no mls1p, , nr, ranies
ing waters Of the canyons ana me terrlpe .aP''
TO be passed through add years 70 a ma" M
IN returning Mr. Beddoe did not follow the same
route but continued down the Yukon ana COZ"
,.cted with a steamer from ST. Michaers' via IONA
Ioska 70 Seattle. and delivered 70 me postmAsest
AZ seattle two sacks containing 6so letters ana iou
packages on August L? That Is oniy one o' w
trims and each has reported Amos, e'ua' JIM
cultes After returning from THIS Trip Mr. D.a"v'
wrote the following interesting letter 70 Mr. Ne"
son The letter IS under date Of September S IRON,
Juneau and tells how the work Is going ." s"'
some Interesting facts about the country lie say
in part ,,
nave lust returned here from my first round triI
through TO Circle City with the cnited S. 49,. ~
bnve already delivered Tor have en- rou'TI III
mail for June July, August and september. ~ ~,
be impossible for any other mali 10 ,ea'e Ae'e ."''
Pr you were familiar with the conditions wnicp
obtain In the Yukon you would De IN 49, , rrsv..
,son m regulate the dates OF departure ana arr"s
t ION ~ sryice For instance left this point Ola
June 10 for Dyea; for sixteen hours !, W. i II
Siii 70 land owing to storms. and as the lanhhs ~
SUI 10 -; n,aH boats the conditions must be favor
ohe | took with me suhcient IunD.i ~ V.''i>
,wo hoats. the | had already "uiit tD''r ~
be taken the summit in &c, ,6 bas" o.
s.ye snowstorms Upon my arrival a, te Dae ov -
Nth u,it thn lumber / was compelled to abandon y
there having paid 80 for paeEin2g III Swever
pushed on and upon arriving at Lake Linaermar
a distance OF thirty miles | pun rn nnor '' mi,
I'D we iourreyed TO Lake Iiennett, "here W
found sutiicen, lumber TO build boat; s' a.
made in ve day, 2r rom he trees and fror
here on we travelled day and night un,n OF.
destination, circle CITY was reaehe' anu ''' mon
Th question now was TO get the return mail q
Juneau the quickest moment ~ was ~ he rapG
start up the river In CONSEQUENCE Oh 'ie nc, bamt
wafer The current averaging eight miles an mou
for 80 miles. II remained IN ,c 1y.s 3ays =
DoIS the boat up the river therefore decided %
e on To- chass and come 10 se, Gns h SrDsi n
inc for the steamship Portland which saIed iro,
that point Seattle yia Sern IN dts
orrss In wing travelled $500 miles IN addi'lou ~
the regular trip and saving ,he rs,rn NAL and
owe IL 10 myself 10 say that | was 'ns as' aan ,'
into the Yukon and the nrst one on. n" 49, CO.
which Is evidence that, no unnecessary oe''' ~.
This Yukon trip is terrible one the eurre no Q.
cnnvon il a veritablc death trap into when one ~
likely 70 be drawn without notice also inc w nv nv
Iiorsa Bands known the miner grave; 10 ~
n,hsn Of the Five Finger and Rink rapids both
of which are very dangerous Al o. tness ,an,
are aggravated by reason Vi '''e
r. is INV intention submit TO the pepar,meh,h
~ With many corrections, although IN the ap-
senre OF a proper survey 1t VIII neceSsariy oo ILL
an approximate reflection OF me river os -
You are probably not aware that ror pistinr 49,,
"a miles commencing at Circle CITY ann so'Ns
north the river Is nifty miles between him
Contains thousands Of Islands. very lew Oh WIZ"
appear any map 49,. ,,.u contract
,.i,bou, having at least three partes iu's
enninnad the distance being so great ana II pe'Is
out OF the question for the first party 70 re,tn In ~.
Zinc IN DEPART with the succeeding maii anu VI,
expense Of each will be about the sansi, ,SI
boyo made four round trips by the end OF t,s
month The last mail In should arrive al Cneis
NJ IN one week from now The return mans !
az, loo,iny for daily At the end OF THIS month Ine
,nr,b ana ~ th. Yukon River Will freeze ana inc
ie yiI Ur,dually form 10 the south. ana the same.
as a waterway. will become irpassanle ana 'oma''
80 C un Civ Is place OF 1870 people. and from
.o-nr,,i ,,oiiry am satisfied that this winter