The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-11

STAR ROUTES IN ALASKA
THAT FROM sKAGwAY TO NOME
THE LONGEST IN THE WORLD.
For a Two-Cent stamp the Govern
ment VIII Transport Letters mt
an Average Cost of One Dollar
Each-Kotxebue Most NortherIy.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer
WASHINGTON. Sept. I0.--The new .; ar
route mall service from Skagway to Cape
Nome was planned by George r. Stone,
chief clerk TO the second assistant post
master general. Mr.. Stone believes this
route to be the longest of It's kind in the
world. The length OF the route Is nearly
1000 miles. and the mail will be carried
over the snow once a fortnight by dog
sledges. A 2-cent stamp will carry let
ter from any point in the United States
to Cape Nome all winter long, and even
with the large number OF letters that will
be written to and from Nome this winter
the cost to the government will be at least
81 per letter.
cember to the lend Of March. steamer
traffic is blocked along the Arctic coast,
and II is impossible to get malls into Nome
by boat" said Mr.. Stone. commenting on
this new and expensive route.
I'VE have worked the water system
satisfactorily during the summer, but II
was necessary to establish n new star
route for the winter business An ar
rangement is already in force whereby
letter mails are carried twice a month
from Dawson to St. Michael AMI Tape
Nome. That, however. was not satfsfac-
tory to the Nome people. There are
about 1900 Of them. and they demanded
at least a weekly mail from Skagway.
OF course they realized, as well as we.
pay. for Itself. but. they pointed 10 the
work they were doing In bull ling up
Alaska. and they spoke or the occupa-
ton taxes which the government exaets.
were entitled to weekly service. The
have It.
tioh ho p - Ia L.
letting the contract at $4,000 TO the Ca
madam Development Company. with
with headquarters at Seattle. That con-
Vice already. going into Nome by the
$4,000 and $4,000. The new contract
5o s. LET !, Is me for ,td ga the oqges, sa
miles from Skagway to St Michael and
there is side trip of $40 miles 10 reach
Nome. OF course. we can't carry any,
impossible to transport the huge bulk Of
papers and packages which would be Of
fered us. The letters will have TO be car
ried on dog sleds and suppose that
on each Journey.
Schedule ana Route.
''The drivers Will have to run on foot
over the snow for the greater part OF
the distance. and they will make about
thirty miles a day. Tha. means sixty
delays. the contractors must build re-
lay stations every thirty miles where
fresh dogs and supplies can be estab-
llshed.
The malls on the new route will leave
Skasway on the sth and 23nd Of each
north. That will give weekly mail
service into Nome. for the route by Daw-
son Is already furnishing fortnishtly
service.
The malls under the new contract are
Ia be carried by WY OF Dawson, Forty
Mile. Eagle. Circle. Rampant. Tanana.
Koyukuk Nulatn and Eaton 10 St
Michael with branch trip OF $40 miles
from Eaton to Nome. That makes $40
miles altogether in the one contract.
I'VE have also established a star route
from Eaton TO Kotxebue Mission. away
above the Arctic circle. II is the most
northerly postofice OF which I know
There arc good many traders and mis-
sionariee on the Coast above Kotzehue,
and they will all get their mail AT that
point We can only make two trips there
during the winter. Kotzebue Is about 40
miles above Eaton and the msii wA
probably be carried over the snow on
reindeer sledges.
aIt win cost us ussooo altogether 10 get
the mail over the star routes to Nome
and the other points We expect that
the cost VIII be about 81 for each letter
carried"