The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-26
ALASKA NAIL ROUTES.
PROPOSALS CALLED FOR ON Az
EXTENDED SERVICE.
Mail Contracts for Alaska and This
state 10 Re Let in Is9>-Seyerai
Changes Nade-&n Electric >erv-
ice IL Recommended for seattle.

Proposals on mail routes in this state and
Alaska have been advertised for by Post
rnaster. General Gary and viii b. received
I'd 70 q m December 1. Contracts fer
the ensuing four years viii be made On
territory not heretofore included IN -
mail service and several changes will -
made in established routes
The extension Of territory 70 be reached
IN the regular distribution q United States
mail is owing IN great measure 10 the
sudden Developments IN Alaska whose
population has increased in number and
importance until the mail service has as
sumed giant proportions. The difficulties
experienced IN Transporting mail with any
assurance OF regularity have led the de-
partment 20 a comprehensive study Of the
best routes. as result Of which two new
routes are added 10 those heretofore e.
tabIished A fact not easily explained i
that the newly established postoffice at
St Michael i not included in the designa-
tions OF the government advertisement. TO
provision apparently being made TO send
mail 70 that point. II viii be a postofice
without letters 10 handle.
The contractor who has handled Alaska
mails during the last quadFennial is ".
NJ F. Selter. OF Washington. n. g. The
practical work OF mail delivery was uE-
dertakcn for him by P. c. Richardson. of
this city.
The Routes.
The routes as arranged for the next four
years are as follows:
From Juneau By Berner's bay In. o. and
Chilkat. TO Dyea, 100 miles and back. twice
2 month, by schedule % about twelve
hours running time each way bu- salts
factory 10 the department Bond required
s1,7s2
From Orca to Nauchek IN. o.. forty
miles and back. twice month. from April
! TO October 81 in each year. in safe and
suitable steamboats,, IN connection with
steamers at Nutchek. 20 and from Sitka.
Bond required with bid 81. SO: present. con-
tract pay. $50 per round trip.
From Sitka. by Yakutat IN. o.. Nutchek
IN, o., Homer. kadiak. karluk. Sand
point, Unga and Balkofsky IN. o. TO Tn
alaska 1876 miles and back once a month
April TO October. inclusive in each year.
IN safe and suitabl steamboats,. Leave
Sitka on the LIST of each month. or on arri
val OF the mail from Seattle; arrive at Tn
alaska in fourteen days leave Cnalaska
after the arrival of the steamer from Sit
ka; arrive at Sitka in fourteen days. Bond
required with Did, $4,000; present contract
pay. 81 S6S 70.
From Fort wrangel by Shakan and Kla-
wock to Jackson 1870 miles and back.
twenty times per annum. Leave Fort
Wrangel twice a month, April TO Novem-
Der 80. and once a month DeceNber ! TO
March 81. in each year, on arrival of MIL
steamer from Seattle arrive at Jackson
in twelve days: leave Jackson twice
month April to November So and once a
month December ] to March 81. In each
year. I'm time TO connect at Fort Wrangel
with next mail steamer for Seattle; arrive
at Fort Wrangel i'm twelve days. BOnd re-
CURED with bid. 5000; present contract
pay. $500.
From juneau. Alaska. by Dyea. Alaska
900 miles, Dawson City. Canada C55
miles, FortyMile, Canada t52 milesl. and
Fort Cudahy. Canada q mle). to Circle
Alaska t24o miles,; total SOS miles and
back, once "a month. Leave Juneau Oh the
1st Of ZACH month: arrive at Circle In thr-
~ days: leave Circle on the LIST of each
month. arrive at Juneau IN thirty days.
Bond required with bid, s24 900. present con-
tract pay. s6,999 per annum for one round
trip month, not including Canadian Of
fees.
From Metlakahtia TO Ketchikan IS miles
and back four times a month, by sched-
ule satisfactory TO the department con-
Meeting with steamers TO and from Seattle
at Ketchkan. Bond required with bid,
81 600; present contract pay, $3.50.
From Ketchikan 10 Loring, 3 miles and
back. twice a month. on schedule salts
factory TO the department. Bond required
with bid 5000; new service. This is a
water route.
OF these the routes from Metlakahtla to
Ketchikan and from Ketchikan to Loring
are new.
The mail service between Seattle and Ju-
neau and Seattle and Sitka mas been in a
peculiar condition for the last four years.
''The contract for these routes said AS
sistant Postmaster w. J. Colkett yester-
day. was originally let to the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company for $4,000 n
year. When the Willapa went on the route
I'm opposition to the other line, Manager
Charles +. Peabody agreed TO carry the
mails TO Juneau and Sitka twice a month
FOR 81. coo year. with the advent on the
route OF the steamer Faralion another le-
Ultimate carrier was added. The Farallon
IS carrying the mails for nothing thus do
ing the same work for which the Wash
!Dcton- Alsska Steamship Company. the or
eanization which survived the wreck OF
the Wiilapa, receives 81 900 year. and the
Pacific Coast Steamship Company, SIS 600.
All three will have an opportunity 10 bid
and there viii undoubtedly be sharp COM
petition.
AN important proviso has been attached
70 the contract on the Port Townsend-New
Whatcom route. which has been carried by
the steamer Lydia Thompson. Under the
pr0viso II the contractor shall run through
70 Seattle he VIII be required 20 carry from
Port Townsend TO Seattle without addi-
tional compensa ton. This is being done
voluntarily by the present contractor. bat
hereafter Il viii be compulsory. The same
Droviso Is made In regard to the Port
Townsend and Neah bay contract.
An Electric service.
II hope at this time 70 secure an electric
service for the suburbs OF Seattle. l have
recommended 10 the department that con-
tracts be made with electric street rail-
ways 20 deliver mail twice A day Such
service would cost altogether ahOu, s700.
ballard and Interplay mail is carried out
twice r day on the ars. the cost 20 the
government, being about 500 q year There
Is no reason why the same service should
not be given 20 Columbia CITY. Dunlap
South Park. puwamish South Seattle
Green lake Fremont Latona Ravenna
park and all other outlying districts Car
lines are willing 10 carry mail twice "a dav
for a small annual compensation first he
cause q is no trouble and second. hecau
OF the advantage during strike In the
latter event cars with United States mail
could nct be stopped by str kers unless
they set All law in defiance cars going
through Rith mail would keep open the
/ tracks decided advantage - a company