The Globe-republican., 1901-01-17
A Four-Footed Mail Carrier.

There are about twenty dwelling
houses, a blacksmith shop and a small
store on the east side OF Long pond.
1t is settlement of woodmen, farm
ers and bear-hunters, says a Santiago.
Me, correspondent in the New York
Sun The nearest postof1ice is at East
Bucksport, a half mile across the pond,
but more than three miles by the road.
For fifty years the residents have
carried their mails to and from the
distant posting place, using up many
years OF time to keep in touch with
the outside world. In 1898, when
Shafter and Sampson were pounding
away at the south side OF Cuba, the
citizens could stand their isolation no
longer, and sent a petition to Senator
Hale, asking for a postoffice and re-
queSting that it be named Santiago
The demand was granted so quickly
that everybody wished he had thought
of such a plan twenty-five years be-
fore and began to count the hours and
horse shoes that had been worn out
going after mails and bringing them
home.
No sooner was an office established
than every resident of Santiago had
an idea that he was the proper person
to carry the mails. The second assist
ant postmaster general received a doz-
en- letters from Santiago by every mail.
Petitions poured in, filling the mail
bags and thereby increasing the earn
ings of the fortunate man who should
get the coveted place. Santiago is four
miles distant from Dedham, from
which place it is only two miles to
Georges Corner on the line of the Bar
Harbor railroad On the south side.
however, it was but three miles from
East Bucksport, where a railroad con-
meets with Bangor. The northern
route was the longer distance, but the
time required was less, owing to the
nearness of the mail cars. Here was
n hot Ta6 $EaT n hTr7O
ton officials An inspector was sent
down, who made report, after which
a surveyor was sent to measure the
two routes in order to find their ex-
act length.
Meantime John Hubbard of Santa
go, had been carrying the daily mail to
East BuclNsport. crossing the ice IN
the winter and making wide detour
around the pond during warm weather
An aged Newfoundland dog, who had
earned retirement in bear fight years
before, was Hubbard'S attendant on
every trip. The dog was in the habit
of following the mail wagon down in
the forenoon, and then il the day
proved warm, he would swim back
home, allowing Hubbard to go his
roundabout course alone. Hubbard
noted the action of the dog and came
to the conclusion that he could make
some profit by cultivating the habit.
He was making two trips day, which
was a waste of good time, when he
could make the dog perform one trip
| alone and thus have the whole after
noon left for hunting bears. The next
morning he forgot to feed the dog be-
fore starting out. On arriving at East
Buckport he took the postmaster aside
and confded his plan for carrying the
mails by dog power.
Here's a water-tight bag said
Hubbard. t.I'n chain up the dog be-
fore go home. 1 want you to keep
him fast until the mail comes from
Bucksport. Don't feed him or go near
him. AS soon as the mail gets in tie
the bag to ms neck and let him go.
III warrant he'll get the mail to San
tiago ahead of time"
Hubbard's idea worked spIendidly
all summer The dog was at home and
the mail was distributed inside of half
an hour, while it had always taken
Hubbard more than an hour to go
around the pond. He was saving time
| and money and giving perfect salts
faction Along in the middle of Octo-
Der there came a day that was cold,
SO that shell ice formed on the pond
Later the wind grew to gale. When
the stage came in there was a big bun
die of mail for Santiago, consisting of
political documents for the voters and
score or SO of official reports from
Washington. The mail route fight at
Sa-tiago had made the place famous.
Postmaster Hewey tied the heavy mass
/ to the dogs neck with many misgiv-
ings. Then he fed three links of new
sausage to the animal and cut it loose
That night the neighbors waited un-
til 9 O'Clock for the arrival of the mail.
which was due two hours earlier.
Then Hubbard harnessed his horse and
drove furiously to East Bucksport to
look up his dog. He did not return un-
til nearly midnight. Patrons of San
| tiago postofice knew what had hap
pened as soon as they looked at Hub
bard's face. The dog had attempted
| to swim the pond carrying a heavy
| load, in the face of rough water and
high wind, and had been drowned
| while in the performance of his duty
! They dragged the pond for two days
before the body was found. The mail
was unharmed. They buried the dog
under big apple tree.
A New Zealand cheesemaker travel