New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-26

SECOND ASSISTANT PosTMAsTER-GENERAI
sHALLENBERGER CoRREcTs THE RE-
PORT THAT THERE is ANY
IrNDEI JVEPED

UNDELIvERED.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: There has been sent to this Department
the eighth page OF The New-York Tribune illus
trated Supplement, dated April %. 1899. con-
tanning an article headed Policing the North
west" Under the sub-heading Mail Carried by
the Army" the following statements are made:
OF the many thousand Americans living along
the Yukon west Of Dawson, on the Alaskan side,
not one has received his mail since last summer.
Except from persons coming In. no one has
heard that the war Is over. Until last month
and since last September the American mail
has been hung up at Lake Bennett. The United
States Government very foolishly contracts
with men who have not the means to forward
1t, and her citizens suffer accordingly. Eight
tens Of letters are somewhere between Lake
Bennett and Dawson for the people on the
American side. People who have heard nothing
from their families and friends for nearly a
year are anxious. Eight tons Of letters would
ease their minds. and Colonel Steele has under
taken TO please these Americans. He has, with
the approval of the Governor General and the
American Consul at Dawson. ordered his Won
derful police force to pick this mail up and take
it to the American line at Eagle City and to
handle all Of the American mail from now on.
the same as they do their own Canadian mail.
The police are handling this large bulky Ameri-
can mail over the rough ice and snow in weather
which New Workers would call continued bliz-
zard.
few weeks ago an article was published In
1.-The San Francisco CALI to the effect that
twenty tons of mail for the interior Of Alaska
had accumulated at Skaguay. and that the mall
contractors had refused to transport II because
Il did not bear Canadian postage stamps. The
article In THE Calf has caused many inquiries
to be addressed to the Department. and such
articles as that and the one which has Just been
published in The Tribune create great anxiety
among our people who have friends In the in
terror of Alaska. and who are led TO believe
that no mail matter Is being forwarded to
them.
In order to counteract this impression will
ask you TO publish two letters that have just
reached the Department from our inspector.
William F. Wilcox, who was sent to Skaguay
last November to give especial attention to the
transportation OF the mails in that vicinity.
Upon the appearance Of the article in The
San Francisco Calf just referred to, our d.
vision superintendent at San Francisco, H. P.
Thrall, wrote Mr.. Wilcox in regard to the mat
ter and the following is Mr.. Wilcox's reply:
skaguay Alaska March 81. 1899.
H. p Thrall, Superintendent Eighth Division
Railway Mail Service.
Sir: Replying 20 your letter OF March y. with
inclosed clipping from The San Francisco
Call" beg to state positively there Is not one
word of truth in the statement that any first
class matter has been allowed TO accumulate
here or at any point along the Yukon route.
There is not a pound Of delayed mail at Skag-
uay and the United States and Canadian mail
that arrived here to-day from the wrecked
steamer City of Topeka will go forward by the
United States carrier who leaves here April =.
The United States carriers have moved about
$500 pounds Of mail for Canadian points since
January |, 1890, and the Canadian police nave
carried five pouches OF United states mail from
Dawson to Skaguay. and have offered their SER
vices at any tine that occasion should require.
No friction exists in the sense mentioned In The
Calf article between representatives OF the TWO
Governments, and in view or the facts, the art-
Gle referred to Is most ridiculous. Very respect
fully, WILLIAM F. WlLCOh'
The following extract from a letter written
by Mr. Wilcox to Superintendent Thrall dated
skaguay March 80 1885, will explain itself;
In view of the reports that have been pub
lished in various newspapers to the effect that
the Canadian police have carried all the mail
to Dawson, n. w. T., l inclose table showing
the weight Of mail for Canadian points only
carried by United States carriers and the
mounted police
The following was carried by United States
carriers: January 3. Carrier Humes, 300 pounds.
from Skaguay: January 20. Carrier Mahoney.
/ .5l5 pounds from Tagish; January % Carrier
Is. C. Carrier starr 266 pounds. from skaguay;
March l. Carrier Hayes, 2I9 pounds, from Skag-
uay. and March H. Carrier Burton, 80 pounds'
from Skagusy. making a total OF $50 POUNDS POUNDS
police December q. 1898. sos pounds. Lake
Bennett; January ., 1881 ODD pouhus tIoIi
Skaguay; January y, lSyy, DO pouh9s' koni
Skaguay: February 8. 1899 $50 pounds, from
skaguay: February %. 1899 227 pounds. from
Skaeuav March 8 1899. 21O pounds, from
Skaguay. and March %. 1890. $50 pounds. from
Skaguay. making a total carried oy the "a
madam police of 2.065 pounds. oo-
In addition 10 this the police carried $40
pounds of Humes's load from Tagish to Daw-
SON. Humes lost all Of his dogs and met with
other difficulties that delayed him near Lake
Tagish. and the police moved the CANADIAN
norton of his load leaving him the United
states mail w. S. SHALLENBtRGER
Second Assistant Postmaster-Generai
WASHINGTON, April "a 1899.