The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-20
SN|MM|NGMA|L CARRIERS
NEW SYSTEM INAUGURATED
YESTERDAY.
How Belated Letters Were Delivered to
Coptic After the Vessel had Left the
Mail Dock.

A new postal delivery system was in
augurated yesterday afternoon. II is
a marine swimming delivery. The
prompt and unexpected sailing of me
steamship Coptic for the Coast was res
ponsible for the new system being
started.
Under ordinary circumstances the
Coptic would not have left here until
some time yesterday evening. She CaIne
in late, however, and had but a small
lot of freight, so Captain Rim Ter got a
quick discharge and was able TO sail
at 8 o'clock in the afternoon. This m
expected early departure caught many
a business man unawares and the re-
suit was that from a querter to 3 TN
til long after the gangway had been
raised and the lines cast loose, there
was a continual string of people rush
ing breathlessly up to the side of the
ship wildly waving letters which had
to be posted.
About the last man to appear was a
short excitable individual who carried
a business-looking envelope addressed
to the Bank of California, San Fran
CISCO. Cal" When he reached the mai
dock the Coptic was out in the stream
about fifty yards distant.
Say Mister" calculated the messen-
ger to Inspector Dinklage, can you get
this letter on the boat for me? 1t is
a very important letter and must CO."
This was said with all the emphasis OF
a woman posting an answer to one OF
the New York Journals picture puzzles
Whether the man expected Dinklage tC
leave guarding the gate and swim out
is not clear, but it certainly gave Dink-
lage that idea. "Humph," replied the
inspector, 81 can't do anything for you
The mail has gone aboard and L cam
leave my place here to swim out with
it. You ought to get around sooner
But this observation was lost on the
messenger, who had espied a fishing
boat about a quarter of mile away.
! Rushing over to the side of the dock
the man looked with long and earnes
gaze at the slow moving sampans, but
the mental telepathy was out of work.
ing order and the Japs did not respond
The man was desperate for with every
moment the chances of getting that i'm
portant letter aboard grew more dim
Finally somebody suggested giving il
to one of the little native diving boy!
to carry out to the boat.
Here l will gif you a quarter ofa
dolla," declared the termulous messen
ger frantically waving the letter il
one hand and shaking the quarter il
the other. At first the boys demurred
but finally one of them took the lette
and holding the white--snvelope higl
above the water, swan out toward th
| ship. The crowd lined along the side
of the wharf to watch the youngstel
make his way toward the big black hull
Soon another man with important let
ters saw the scheme and he within al
! instant had dispatched a second boy
out toward the boat. Another too wa
started, and soon there was a line o
small boys holding letters high in tn,
air swimming toward the boat.
The vessel started up. however, and i
soon became evident that it would b,
! but slim chance for the letters to b,
posted. The boy who started first haC
a good lead and he succeeded in reach
| ing the side of the vessel in time t
drop his letter into a can which haC
been lowered over the side for him, b!
an accommodating quartermaster.
big basket was flung over to the SECOND
boy but the vessel was under headwa!
and he was unable to make connection
with the others. In future the boys will
| probably solicit delivering letters to tn,
boats instead of diving for nicllles as /
is far more profitable. The winner yes
/ terday got fifty cents for his few min
utes of work.