Connecticut western news., 1899-09-21
OLD MT. RIGA.

A Brief History of the Mall Route
 between Salisbury and Mt. Riga,
 The First Mail Carried The Post
 Office.-The Postmaster, and what
 Led to the Establishing of the
 Route.
 Some time previous to 1920, after the discovery of ore in Salisbury, some par ties attempted the b Iilding of blast furnace on Mt. Riga, but failed to bui,d it. Later the firm of Holley & Coffing built furnace and operated 1t until the Salisbury Iron Go. was organ ized they becoming members of that company with others.
 Previous to the building of the fur mace a forge had been built, and probs- bly passed into the hands of Holley X Cofipg and from them into the possess ion of the Salisbury Iron Go. In the twentiss the Salisbury Iron Go. operated the furnace and forges, and made many improvements. The business increased but the mail facilities were poor. The nearest post-office was at Salisbury or Furnace Village (now Lakeville) either place distant four miles from Mt. Riga and down a steep mountain. The meth- cd of obtaining the mail and sending 1t was to send it by some party goicg to Salisbury and the same party bringing it to Riga upon their return. As the business and the inhabitants increased the company found it necessary to have better mail facilities. The result was that about 1884 the government estab- lished a mail route between Salisbury and Mt Riga. The post office was To- cated in the Salisbury Iron Co.'S store and William J. Psttee was appointed postmaster. Alter the preliminaries were settled MT Pettee requested me to leave school at 3 D. m. and ride to Sal isbury for the mail. I obtained per mission to leave school at 3 p. m, went to the office, took the msil pouch which Mir Petee had prepared, with regulation lock, etc. The pouch was smaller than the regulation pouch. With a note from MT Pettes I took the mail pouch and mounted the horse furnished by MT Pettee and rode down the mountain to the post office at Salisbury, tied the horse and walked into the post ofioe with pouch and note which delivered to the postmaster whom I think was Moses l.. Graham. Imagine my sur prise when he informed me that he could not deliver the mail to me until 1 was sworn into office as U. S. mail car rier. I was equal to the emergency and vent at once to the office of the proper authority whom I think was Timothy Chittenden and was sworn in as U. 5. mail carrier. Provided with the requis- ite papers I went directly to the post office and delivered them to the post master. He put the mail for Mt Riga into the pouch, took it and mounted the horse and rode to the post office on Mt. Riga and delivered it to the post master. Thus I carried the first mail over the route to Mt Riga Little did I think at that time that at 75 years of age I should be writing of that incident. I was proud of the transaction then, and today it is as fresh in my memory as when it transpired. The post office was a great convenience not only to the company but to the residents also, and to the residents of Mt. Washington who had previously to drive long distance for their mails. How long the post office tremained on Mt. Riga l cannot say, as left there soon after it was es- abolished, but think for a number of years I suppose when the Salisbury Iron Go. dissolved, the office was dis continued.
 The business proved 8 success and the iron made by the Salisbury Iron Go. was considered superior to any in the market for all purposes. They furnish ed the U. s. government with gun iron st Springfield and Harper's Ferry ex- clusively, their iron excelling all other in tensile strength and in taking 8 higher polish-two important requisites for gun iron They possessed all the requisites for making a superior quality of iron. First, they made their pig iron from the best selected ores from the Old Hill and Davis beds Second, they employed the best skilled work men of that time. There was no lack of orders for the iron. and the works were kept busy They did not confine themselves exclusively to the making of gun iron but made scythe iron. and bar iron of all descriptions. also forgings and anchors in large numbers,
 In my next I will tell something of the forges, furnace, and other shops, and how located. Will also say some thing of John w. Sherwood and his his sister Tryphena, of Mt. Kigs.
 THOMAS RICHARDS
 174 Summit Ave, Jersey City, N. J.