Evening star., 1897-02-27

brave souls who have endured severe pr!-
vations and frequently suffering to open to
settlement and civtiixatio that frigid coun-
try. The Post Office Department has be-
come interested n these people and their
fce-bourd country. and with It's accustomed
enterprise has determined to do its part
toward sending civilization to the inland
and remote districts. The longest md
may say the most interesting, star mail
route now In operation runs from Juneau
down the Yukon river to Circle City. Alas
ka, 200 miles. Circle City IL situated ia
about 06 degrees north latitude. Just south
OF the arctic circle, from which II takes It's
name. Just below Circle City the Yukon
river Is more than fifty miles wide for
distance OF 40 miles. and Is filled with
thousands of small islands. very similar TO
the Thousand Islands in the Saint Law
renee river.
A post Office was established at Circle
City In the spring OF 1895. and an effort
made to supply 1t with mail. It was found
that the town contained 1900 people, and
the population was increasing II is wild
and weird. no sort OF government exists,
and evil runs riot with no restraint what
ever. Whisky is brought over from Can
ada and sold for SO small bottle Town
lots sell for $1,000 each. The postmaster is
the only government Official in the town,
This state of affairs will not long continue,
however. and town or city government
Will soon be established. Revenue officers
were sent there last summer
soon after a post office was stablished NJ
circle CITY contract was let to q Chicago
man to transport the mail from Juneau 10
Circle City during the summer for $500 a
trip. after the first trip. which cost 81 200,
and another contract was let to a Juneau
man to perform the service during the win
ter months for 81 100 a trip. On the fret
trip last June the contractor took from
Juneau 1.414 letters Chese contracts called
for the transportation of letter mail only)
and on the return trip he brought 6p5 let
ters. This mail is carried from Seattle by
steamer about 800 miles to Juneau. then n
n hnn
tains and down through a chain of lakes
ana the Yukon river to Circle City The
contractor reports his first trip as being
hazardous In the extreme. The current of
the Yukon Is very rapid and turbulent He
refers to Miles Canyon, White Horse
RAPIDS tknown as Miners Grave). Five
Fingers Rapids and Rink Rapids as verit-
able death traps.
Old Glory I'm British Territory
A large portion of this route lies in Brit
ish territory. and very interesting incl
dent occurred when the contractors party
recrossed the Alaska boundary into United
States territory. When the party reached
the main waters of the Yukon they cut
timber and built boat. in which they
Travelled the residue of the trip. The CON
tractor being loyal man. fioated old
glory at the masthead of his rude craft
and as he floated down the river past a
British fort situated on the boundary line
between Canada and Alaska the union
jack was dipped three times to the stars
and stripes When the contractor arrived
at Circle City and had delivered his mail to
an eager horde. he found that il would he
impossible to return to Juneau by the same
route, owing to the swiftness of the current
in the upper Yukon. So he proceeded down
the river in the direction of Bering sea- as
far as Saint Michaels, where he took a
steamer for Seattle Wash, thence by an
other steamer to Juneau, travelling in all
$500 miles in addition to his regular trip
Such are sohe of the exigencies. contin-
gencies and hindrances to the Alaskan mail
service. And all the dangers attending this
service are greatly aggravated by the in
accuracies in the maps and reports of the
country. A gentleman recently from the
Presbyterian mission at Point Barrow the
northernmost point of Alaska, stated that
thus far Alaskan maps had been made up
largely from conjecture and the fertile
Imagination of the publishers.