The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-07
Eight Routes Garry Them Out
From This City.
seATTle rs THE TERMINUS.
~s~v Represent . Mileage One way
n .,478 Miles, With . Total Dis
zach Yenr-The Annual Expense
Reaches xi2O,0OO Besides Extras.

Tns seattle poztonice IL a very busy
,iaea There l. 10 department Of It's null
,.fartous work concerning which IL receives
raare numerous or perpsexing inquiries than
,ss handing Il malls sor Alaska and the
Nor;hgest territory. These inquiries come
rom all parts Of the world, and they re-
f.,s 70 s.sry eonceiys bic matter connected
IN tae 'smotest way with the northern
MAILS.
II. il utterly impossible for US 10 answer
t,;,y dI these queries said Assistant.
po.tsss ster C5kett yesterday. we have
l.4n thinking OF having some kind Of cir
ef,lsr or pamphlet printed. but thsre are
.xcai objections TO such plan. one Is
the expense, another is thar In almost ev-
err case We should be sending a mass OF
irrelevant matter ia answer to a single
a,esfjor. a third rs that the continual
r.anges In tho service would require ire
H.eat revision Of the circular
Il feel sure continued Mr.. colkett
that whatever information the Post-In-
ts,llgancsr may see fit TO print in this con-
nscton will be not only interesting from q
news standpoint. bu: valuable as prac-
tjcsl angae to many eager inquirers In all
parts Of the country
Following Mr.. CoIkett's suggestion. and
aided BY his statements drawn from official
sources the Post-Intelligencer presents
herewith some OF the salient points con-
necsed With the mail service between this
city and the Northwest.
seattle the Center.
First Of all. and important to Seattle from
a commercial point OF view. IL the fact that
Seattle is the terminus of the mall routes.
most If nor all Of which have been estab-
lished directly by the postoffice here under
the sanction Of the department al Wash
tngton That department has shown itself
entirely willing to afford the best possible
facilities for handling the northern mails.
ard in several eases Of emergency has
clothed the office here with full power to
act instead of compelling a slow and tedi-
Gus reference tn headquarters and vexa-
tsous negotiations as To details. Not sin
gle material suggestion has ever been Of
sared By the Seattle office TO the depart
nsent with reference TO the Alaska mails
that has not been cheeFfuliy complied with
The routes now stabiished are costing the
government an annual expenditure OF
sisao0 TO say nothing OF the extra expense
of sending Special Agent Cium entirely
over the routes and maintaining another
special agent In Alaska nov.
Present Mail Routes.
There are now eight mail routes sstab-
rxhsi for service rorthward from Seattle.
They are as follows
Flrsf-From Seattle to Dyea by steamer
Farallon, two trips a month.
second~From Seattle TO Dyea by steam
err Resale two trips a month.
Thrd-From Seattle 10 SItka and Skag-
way by the Pacific Coast Steamship Corn
rany on this Inc there are three mall
steamers the Ai-ki. Cottage City and
Topeka each making two trips Il month
or total Of six trips month for this
Route. md total If ten trips a month on
the run To nyea and Skagway. This ar
rrneement gives the Lynn canal ports a
mall every three DAYS
rourth--rn connection with these routes
one from Fort Wrangel extending down the
west coast Of Prince of Wales island touch
Ing nj nil points az far south as Jackson
THIS trip Is made twenty times year
Ftfth~~From Seattle to Sitka and on 20
rnalaska Dutch Harbor, one trip month
from April 10 October J.
slxth--conneeting NJ Ju'Iau there Is
route to Dawson aud thence To the mouth
Of the ranana river On this route two
trips are made each month.
Seventh--Confecting with the last named
route Is one from the mouth OF the Tauana
10 81 Michael on which one trip a month
r. made.
Fighth-During the last two summer sea-
sons the department has maintained an ait
water route from Seattle 10 St Michael
and taence on 10 Dawson.
Different Classes of Mail.
II will he well for every reader inter
sstsi in sending mail nar'hward To observe
.h4' the last named route is provided esge-
ciilly for carrying mail matter other than
F'st-class This r. done IN view If the
sact thar en- the routes numbered above al
and ouy posta! cards ard letters con-
aiming personal correspondence are carried
To he siill more expiiCi; ana emphatic. on
the route connecting ri Juneau FAR naw-
mi AMI sea
nec:iflg rnu;e from the mouth Of the Tan
a ara "a ~ Michael no mail whatever ts car
r'ed exceut postal cards ansi letters contain
.nE personal carres Yon4ence. Even -
newspaper or circular should Sc sealed"
sail MIR Co'kett. .snd stamped with post
are a, the full ra's q would not - taken
ever either of these routes. 1t would Se
thrown aside 80
TIE value ~ lie ali-water route. which
ran ~ course ~ kept oD only during ths
Summer. was eeiiencs3 last season rs iAe
rat that ahoif eight tons ~ mail matter
went into the yukon ever that route alone
Ions Distance Routes.
The total mileage represented by these
eight routes ou a single trip enc way IS
As miles. The distances are distributed
as follows
Juneau Z. s. Michael ..-..-......... a,ss
sea,tir - pvea an1 SkakNay ......... St.ss
Wrauccl So Jackson ..-................ lN
rrrk 4 = tka ..... .-.-.. ..-...... 1as
sltka g tn1iasNa ..-.-. ....-.... ,......-. 10
~ cprye ca>s round trip means double
IRIS dsiaucc. ~ asaut }5ho mlies TAX
'rS a; the trips made during ere eourae 7e
yetr thc distance t~aNers,a is aaas,r
as Is miles
IT maintain fhis service cos;s the gov
eruneat so annual expenditure r sgsaas,
TBS does roy include the ADDITIONAL FORCE
necessary ~ he seattle pos; aff!ee - nan