Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-02-26
MAIL COMES HIGH.
Ten Dollars to Send a Letter from
Cooks Inlet to Nome.
Has to Be Carried 1,S0O Miles and
Must Be Written on Oil-SLin
Paper-DiHicultiesO of the
Route.

Through snow and ice, $500 miles,
Is the trip of an Alaskan mail carrier"
w. V. Sullivan, son Of former Sena-
tor Sullivan of Mississippi, made this
statement, recently, reports the St.
Louis Republic. Mr.. Sullivan had just
returned from a two years cruise in
Alaskan waters on board the United
States revenue cutter Rush.
This trip" he continued, SIS from
Cooks Inlet to Nome, and by the route
travelled is 1880 miles.
"The last boat leaves Nome about
November 5, and it carries down a
mighty precious cargo-gold dust, dis
couraged miners, escaping wives, the
soubrettes who come up in the spring,
marry the successful prospectors and
then desert when the winter shuts up
the town from the rest Of the world,
and the last mail sack Uncle Sam
brings through the AiteutiaIr islands
for six months.
"Then, while you people down here
in the big cities are squabbling for one
cent local postage, the men up IN Nome
are getting ready to pay the heaviest
postal rate in the world. BY the 18th
of December they've got the Christmas
hunger for home news, and New Years
day they'd give a side of bacon for a
sight of familiar handwriting on an
envelope. Bacon is still about so cents
-1foo -, 20 40 fiDo bOnCpc
But just about the first Of January
the midwinter Alaskan mail starts
north from Seattle. 1t is carried up
by the owner and operator of the en-
terprise, who runs private mail SER
vice not recognized or promoted by the
United States government. He col
lects letters from Seattle to Cooks
Inlet, making the trip on any vessel
that is scheduled to stop at Sitka,
Douglas Island, Juneau and all the
points of any Importance along the
coast.
"Only letters are carried and these
must be written on onion-skin paper,
for bulk is the chief consideration, and,
besides. the rate is so much a penny
weight
"When Cooks Inlet is reached the
letters are packed in tin boxes made
to conform to the carriers body and
fit into the lining of hiscoat. The car
rier's costume, from the fur cap to the
Mozinsl1i boots, is exactly like that of
the Esquimaux, and the principal items
IN his outfit are matches, gun and am
munition.
"From Cooks Inlet to Nome the
trail runs 1880 miles and touches no
mans hut or dugout. The carrier can
make 40 miles day on snowshoes. He
has studied the country so thoroughly
that he knows when he shoots bird
and cooks it for dinner Tuesday, over
/ fire of scrubby brush, where, so
miles ahead he can find more game
and fuel for the cooking of Wednes-
lays supper. After supper he crawls
INTO fur sleeping bag, dropping off
INTO a cozy snowbank for a snooze
through the darkest hours of the long
hight.
'The greatest obstacles are the tor
'ents that flow too rapidly to freeze.
The crossings are at the narrowest
places and the carrier strips, makes
bundle of his clothes, throws it across
" carries it on his head, and, wading
md swimming, reaches the opposite
hore and scrambles into his furs.
"In his tin pockets he carries for
une, for the thinnest letter taken on S
he route costs the sender $40. Us
tally but one trip is made each winter,
tut last season he broke the record
" making two rounds, doing this by i
sing dogs and sled part way. His
vinter's work Melted him over So 1000, .
o be blown in on the gayeties of Nome :
nd Seattle" l.